Systematics Of Annonaceae From China

The taxonomic revision of the Annonaceae from China was made, and the history and the current situation of Annonaceae from China and other countries in the world were briefly reviewed. About 10,000 specimens, consisting of more than 90﹪ Annonaceae specimens in China, were studied. At the same time, field investigation was made in order to observe the habitat and the living character of the plant. The morphological characters studied on each species were as follows: 1. Distribution; 2. Habit; 3. Flowering and fruiting; 4. Leaf stalk; 5. Shape, size, texture, indument, primary vein and secondary vein of leaves; 6. Inflorescence; 7. Peduncles, pedicels and bracts; 8. Sepals; 9. Number, shape, size, texture, indument of flowers; 10. Number, shape and size of stamens, especially the apex of connectives; 11. Number of carpels, the shape and size of ovaries and stigmas; 12. Size of peduncles and pedicels in fruiting, the size of fruitlet stalks and torus; 13. Number, shape, size and color of fruitlets; 14. Number, shape and size of seeds. In the meantime, literatures relative to the Annonaceae from China were studied. The leaf venation of eighty-nine species, including two exotic species, were cleared and observed. Venation patterns were brochidodromous, across the family. Most of the primary veins were moderate, few massive or stout. The secondary veins were usually moderate, curved, branched and reticulated near the margin of the leaves. Intersecondary veins were existed in most species. Tertiary veins were random reticulate or percurrent or having both at the same time. Highest vein order was 4o or 5o. The veinlets often 1-2 branched or simple and 1-2 branched, seldom 3-4 branched. Basded on the study above, the research results are summarized as follows: 1. Twenty-one genus, one hundred and two species and one variety were recognized, among them two genus, six species and one variety are exotic. 2. The morphological variation of each species in various habitat and different developmental stage were analyzed and summarized. Each species was delimited and described. 3. The role of various key characters and the systematics of the Annonaceae from China were discussed. The author agreed with Sinclair's classification. The family was divided into two subfamilies. Annonoideae and Monodoroideae. All the Annonaceae from China belonged to Annonoideae, and were divided into six tribes: Uvarieae, Unoneae, Xylopieae, Miliuseae, Mitrephoreae and Annonineae. 4. The relationship between Saccopetalum and Miliusa, Desmos and Dasymaschalon, Mezzettiopsis and Orophea, Chienodendron and Meiogyne, Enicosanthellum and Polyalthia were briefly discussed. The author agreed that Saccopetalum, Mezzettiopsis, Chienodendron and Enicosanthellum were respectively reduced to Miliusa, Orophea, Meiogyne and Polyalthia. The genus Desmos and Dasymaschalon were regarded as two distinctive genera. 5. The keys to the tribes, the genus and the species were given respectively. 6. Some taxa were reviewed. Firstly, eleven texa were brought into synonyms. Among them eight were heterotype synonyms, and the others were homotype synonyms. The eight heterotype synonyms Artabotry pilosus, Fissistigma guinanense, Fissistigma shangzeense, Gonithalamus leiocarpus, Mitrephora wangii, Orophea laui, Polyalthia chinensis and Polyalthia pipienensis were respectively reduced to Artabotrys hongkongensis, Fissistigma retusum, Fissistigma tungfangense, Goniothalamus howii, Mitrephora maingayi, Orophea creaghii, Polyalthia verrucipes and Polyalthia plagioneura. Disepalum petelotii (Merr.) Johnson and Enicosanthellum plagioneurum var. oblanceolatum were reduced to Polyalthia petelotii. Disepalum plagioneura (Diels) Johnson was reduced to Polyalthia plagioroneurum. Secondly, one new combination was made. Orphea yunnanensis was transferred to the genera Alphonsea as Alphonsea yunnanensis. Thirdly, one name was restored. Miliusa glochidioides, which was wrongly reduced to Orophea anceps, is restored as correct name because of its carpels more than thirty. 7. Five new species were found in this study, ie. Polyalthia zhui, Dasymaschalon tibetense, Milusa bannaensis, Goniothalamus lii, Polyalthia caloneura. 8. Two new records were reported, ie. Goniothalamus macrophyllus and Fissiitigma petelotii.