Saussurea degeensis (Asteraceae, Cardueae), a new species from southwestern China

Saussurea is one of the largest and most rapidly evolving genera within the Asteraceae, comprising approximately 520 species from the Northern Hemisphere. These species exhibit extraordinary diversity in both morphologies and preferred habitats. The Plant Diversity and Taxonomic Group in South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences described and illustrated a new species, Saussurea degeensis L.S. Xu & Y.S. Chen (Chinese name“德格雪莲” (de ge xue lian)) in 15 Apr. 2025.

In the molecular study of Saussurea subg. Amphilaena, the most complex subgenus within Saussurea, five samples identified as S. nigrescens were not clustered with other samples of this species. Then, they checked the specimens, and did botanical expeditions from northern Qianlian Mountains to southern Hengduan Mountains of these five samples and S. nigrescens. The phylogenetic reconstruction of 54 samples from four subgenus of Saussurea based on 800 nuclear loci showed that the new specie was located in S. subg. Amphilaena, and most related to S. acutisquama, S. iodostegia, S. nigrescens, S. superba, S. tatsienensis,S. veitchiana,andS. wenchengiae. Morphologically, the new speciesis referred to Saussurea subg. Amphilaena based on its obvious purple bracts, uncolored phyllary apices, and simple inflorescence and similar to S. nigrescens in obvious purple bracts, but differs by bigger leaves with crisped margins, more numerous bracts, and not obtuse phyllary apex. Geographically, S. nigrescens is distributed in the southeast Hengduan Mountains, while the novel species is in the border area of Hengduan Mountains and Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Above all, they concluded that the five samples in question represent a hitherto undescribed species, and gave the specific epithet ‘degeensis’ according to the type locality, Dege County in Sichuan, China.

Otherwise, five species of Saussurea sect. Saussurea (S. acutisquama, S. hieracioides, S. superba, S. tatsienensis, and S. wenchengia) were moved to S. sect. Amphilaena based on molecular and morphological data.

The paper entitled "Saussurea degeensis(Asteraceae, Cardueae), a new species from southwestern China" was recently published in Phytotaxa. Dr. XU Liansheng is the first author of the paper, and Prof. CHEN Yousheng is the corresponding author. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 32200172) and Guangzhou Science and technology project (grant no. 2023A04J0715). Link to the article: doi: https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.697.2.4).

First author information: XU Liansheng, assistant researcher, Plant Science Research Center, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Research field, taxonomy and phylogeny of plants; E-mail: xuliansheng@scbg.ac.cn; Tel: +8613521946187.

Figure 1. Morphology of Saussurea degeensis (Dege, Sichuan, China). A. Habitat. B. Phyllaries. C. Style. D. Floret. E. Anther. F. Capitula. G. Achene. H. Leaf. I. Outer pappus. J. Inner pappus. Photographed by Lian-Sheng Xu based on L.S. Xu & S.Y. Du XD2023289 (IBSC).（Imaged by XU et al)

Figure 2. Distribution of Saussurea degeensis and S. nigrescens.（Imaged by XU et al)