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Bulletin of Botanical Research ›› 1980, Vol. 0 ›› Issue (4): 69-73.

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REVISION OF EHRETIA DICKSONI HANCE SPECIFIC NAME IN OUR COUNTRY

Liu Yu-lan   

  1. Systematic Institute of Botany, Gansu Teachers University
  • Online:1980-12-15 Published:2016-06-13

Abstract: The article introduces our study on the history of Ehretia dicksoni Hance. Its typical specimen is collected in Hubei. Tra-dition says that Ehretia dicksoni is distributed in the southeas-tern and southwestern parts of China while E. macrophylla Wall.in east Himalayas (Nepal and Bhutan) and Vietnam. But our studies have proved that they belong to the same species. our reason is as follows:1. If we consider the racemose or corymbose arrangement of flowers on the inflorescence's branchlets as evidence of clas-sification, it is difficult for us to distinguish E. dicksoni fromE. macrophylla,according to our observation on their actual specimens. We have found that both of the different arrange-ments of flowers on the inflorescence's branchlets exist in numbers of specimens gathered in our country. Most of them present a corymbose arrangement. In addition, I. M. Johnston has distinguished E. dicksoni in our country from E. macro-phylla in Nepal by saying that the fruit of E. dicksoni has a diameter of 1-2cm. while according to the record in "F1. Brit.Ind".and "F1. Indo-chine", the fruit of E. macrophylla is 1.7 or 1.5cm. in diameter. This figure is within the extent repre-sented by Johnston. And so, it is not easy to differentiate. the fruit of the two. 2. As for the structure of the flower, the record of E. macrophylla in "F1. Brit. Ind.","F1. Indo -chine" and "DC.Prodr." fundamentally in comformity with the specimens in our country. 3. The geographical distribution of E. dicksoni links up with that of E. macrophylla. In Chayu (sontheast Xizang) we have found specimens of E. macrophylla, with abundant villu-lous on the lower surface and hispid on the upper surface of its leaves. In Nyalam (Xizang) we have also found glabrous specimens on the lower surface of its leaves. There is no doubt that they are E. macrophylla's sp. var., this sp. var. is also dis-tributed in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangxi and Hubei.Therefore, our discovery of the specimens in Xizang gives evi-dence of the linkup of E. dicksoni and E. macrophylla in distribution from Yunnan and Sichuan in southwest China to east Himalayas. On this basis, we think that they are the same species with different names. They should merge into a single whole. The name of this sp. var. needs to be changed correspon-dingly:Ehretia macrophylla Wall. var. glabrescens (Nakai) Y. L.Liu, comb. nov.——E. dicksoni Hance var. glabrescens Nakai inJourn. Arn. Arb. 5:34. 1924.