Systematic Studies On The Tribe Polygoneae Of China

The family Polygonaceae is a recognized natural group, but the great controversy hasalways been in systematic treatment of the tribe Polygoneae. 1). Confine of the tribePolygoneae of China. 2). Treatment of the genus and section of tribe Polygoneae of China. 3).Systematic position of the genus and section of tribe Polygoneae. 4). Classification status ofsome species and infra-species rank, and then systematics of the tribe Polygoneae of Chinaneed to be further study.The field investigating and collecting work had been finished according to our originalplan, and we collected 2000 sheet of specimens of the tribe Polygoneae from China,containing more than 90 species and varieties, at the same time, we loaned and exchanged540 sheet of specimens with IHTBC, including more than 40 species and varieties. Grandtotally, up to more than 130 species and varieties, and these work laid a solid foundation forfurther deep studies. The experimental studies on the leaf abaxial epidermis, pollen grains,achene micro-morphology and leaf and tepal venation were done, and the results providednew evidences for systematic revision of the tribe Polygoneae from China. Based on theseevidences, systematics of the tribe Polygoneae of China was studied, and took out thefollowing conclusions.1. Confine of the scope of the tribe Polygoneae in China: On the bases of theclassification system of the tribe Polygoneae from China emend on FPRS 25(1) (1998) andFOC 5 (2003), the results supported that section Polygonum was raised to generic rank,Polygonum s. str., section Persicaria to Persicaria (including section Persicaria, sectionEchinocaulon (Meisn.) H. Gross and section Cephalophilon (Meisn.) H.Gross), sectionBistorta to Bistorta and section Aconogonon to Aconogonon, the evidences also supportedthat Polygonum sibiricum Laxm. and its variety Polygonum sibiricum Laxm.var. thomsoniiMeisn.ex Stew. was separated and treated as a genus Knorringia. It is indicated that the tribePolygoneae of China should include 11 genera, viz Polygonum L.,Persicaria Mill.,BistortaMill.,Koenigia L.,Aconogonon (Meisn.) Reichenbach,Knorringia (Czukav.) Tzvel., Fallopia Adanson,Reynoutria Houttuyn,Antenoron Rafinesque,Fagopyrum Mill. and PteroxygonumDammer & Diels。2. The treatment on systematic position of some species disputed of the tribePolygoneae from China: 1). Polygonum aviculare L. var. fusco-ochreatum (Kom.) A. J. Liwas resumed to original species rank, viz Polygonum fusco-ochreatum Kom. 2). The presentauthors combined P. aviculare L. f. erectum Y. M. Zhang et J. X. Li into P. patulum Bieb. andtreated as synonym of it. 3). P. lapathifolium L. var. salicifolium Sibth. was combined to P.lapathifolium L., treated as synonym of it. 4). P. longisetum De Br. was degraded as a varietyof P. posumbu Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don. 5). P. lapathifolium L. var. lanatum (Roxb.) Stew. wasresumed the rank of species, viz. P. lanatum Roxb. 6). P. longisetum De Br. var. rotunatum A.J. Li should be regarded as the rank of speices, P. rotunatum (A. J. Li) F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & C.Y. Qu. 7). Polygonum shuchengense Z. Z. Zhou was united to Polygonum persicaria L. andtreated as a synonym of it. 8). Polygonum pilushanense Y. C. Liu & C. H. Ou was combinedto Polygonum strindbergii Schust. and treated as a synonym of it. 9). Polygonum bungeanumTurcz. was transferred from section Echinocaulon to section Persicaria.3. Study on infrageneric classification system of some genera of the tribePolygoneae in China: Based on experimental data, the genus Polygonum L.s.str. could bedivided into 4 sections; Persicaria Mill. include 3 sections, in which section Cephalophiloncontains 4 series; Bistorta Mill. could be divided into 3 sections; Aconogonon (Meisn.)Reichenbach could be divided into 3 sections; Fallopia Adanson could be divided into 5sections; Fagopyrum Mill. could be divided into 2 sections.Appendix: Classification system of tribe Polygoneae from ChinaTribe PolygoneaeGenus Polygonum s. str.Section Fruticulosae (Boiss.) F. Z. Li et Y. T. Hou, stat. & comb. nov.Section PolygonumSection Pseudomollia Boiss.Section Plebeia Tzvel.Genus PersicariaSection Persicaria Section Echinocaulon (Meisn.) H.GrossSection Cephalophilon(Meisn.) H. GrossSeries Palmatifolia F. Z. Li, L. T. Zhu, Y. T. Hou & F. J. Lu, ser. nov.Series Perennes F. Z. Li, L. T. Zhu, Y. T. Hou & F. J. Lu, ser. nov.Series Criopolitana F. Z. Li, L. T. Zhu, Y. T. Hou & F. J. Lu, ser. nov.Series Annui F. Z. Li, L. T. Zhu, Y. T. Hou & F. J. Lu, ser. nov.Genus KoenigiaGenus BistortaSection BistortaSection Vacciniifolia F. Z. Li, L.X. Liu & Y. T. Hou, sect. nov.Section Bambuphyllum F. Z. Li, L.X. Liu & Y. T. Hou, sect. nov.Genus Aconogonon,Section AconogononSection Nummularifolia F. Z. Li & Y. T. Hou, sect. nov.Section Rubrivena (Kral, M.) F. Z. Li & Y. T. Hou, comb. nov.Genus KnorringiaGenus FallopiaSection FallopiaSection Sarmentosae(I. Grintz)HolubSection Pleuropterus (Turcz.) K. HaraldsonSection Rhizoma F. Z. Li & Y. T. Hou, sect. nov.Section Parogonum K. HaraldsonGenus ReynoutriaGenus AntenoronGenus FagopyrumSection FagopyrumSection Urophylla F. Z. Li & Y. T. Hou, sect. nov.Genus Pteroxygonum4. New species described: 12 new species were described and illustrated in systematicstudy on the tribe Polygoneae in China, in which 3 have been published on APS, 5 have been accepted on NOVON and APS, 3 have been submitted on BBAS and 1 is in preparing. Theyare P. urumqiense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & F. J. Lu, sp. nov.(Published in APS), P. tachengense F.Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & F. J. Lu, sp.nov. (Published in APS), P. shiheziense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & F.J. Lu, sp. nov. (Published in APS), P. menglaense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & C. J. Zhao,sp. nov.(Accepted in NOVON), P. jingdongense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & C. J. Zhao, sp. nov.(Accepted in NOVON), P. weiheense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & C. Y. Qu, sp. nov. (Accepted inNOVON), P. huichunense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & C. Y. Qu, sp. nov. (Accepted in APS), P.pingwuense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & S. J. Fan, sp. nov. (Accepted in APS), P. wuxiense F. Z. Li &Y. T. Hou, sp. nov.(In review), P. lixianense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & S. X. Yu, sp. nov. (In review),P. zhongdianense F. Z. Li, Y. T. Hou & C. Y. Qu, sp. nov. (In review), P. puerense F. Z. Li & Y.T. Hou, sp. nov. (In preparing)。5. Geographic distribution of the tribe Polygoneae of China: Based on study andanalysis on flora of tribe Polygoneae from China, it revealed the distribution patterns andcharacters of the flora of Polygoneae from China. A new view was put forward that Yunnanand Sichuan Province, located in SW China, is a modem distribution center and biodiversitycenter of the tribe Polygoneae from China, and China may be a modem distribution centerand biodiversity center of the tribe Polygoneae from the world.