Camellia shuangbaiensis G. P. Yang & B. H. Wu 2025, sp. nov.

Camellia shuangbaiensis G. P. Yang & B. H. Wu sp. nov. Fig. 1 Chinese name: 双柏山茶 (Shuang Bai Shan Cha) Type. China • Yunnan: Shuangbai County, Damaidi Township, in ravine. 24°22.44'N, 101°50.84'E, 1740.262051 m a. s. l., 6 June 2024 (fl.), S. Qu and G. P. Yang Lg 2024132 (holotype: CNGB!; isotypes: IBSC!). Diagnosis. Camellia shuangbaiensis morphologically resembles C. mileensis T. L. Ming and C. hongkongensis Seem., but it can be distinguished from the latter two species by its leaves with ovate shape, tomentose abaxial surface and rounded leaf base and bracteoles / sepals 14–16. Description. Small evergreen tree, 2–4 m tall; bark greyish brown, rough; current-year branchlets densely covered with whitish pubescence. Leaf blades ovate to elliptic, leaf apex acuminate to acute, leaf base round, 3.5–6.5 × 2.3–4 cm, leaf blade leathery, adaxially dark green, pubescent along the midrib, abaxially light green, tomentose, more or less punctate; midrib prominent on both surfaces, secondary veins 5–6 pairs, elevated on adaxial surface and impressed on abaxial surface; petiole 2–5 mm long, pubescent. Flowers solitary or sometimes 2 or 3 - clustered, terminal, subterminal or axillary, 2–4 cm in diameter, sessile. Bracteoles and sepals 14–16, semipersistent, outside brownish silky pubescent, inside glabrous; outer bracteoles and sepals broadly semiorbicular, rarely apex bifid; inner bracteoles and sepals suborbicular to oblong-elliptic. Petals 6–7, red, basally slightly connate, oblong-elliptic to obovate-elliptic, apex round, 7–11 × 4–5 mm, outside white silky pubescent along ridge. Stamens 33–40, 1.5–2.8 cm long, glabrous; outer filament whorl basally connate for 1–1.5 cm. Ovary 3 - loculed, about 2.5–3.3 mm in diameter, tomentose. Styles 3, distinct, glabrous, 1.4–1.75 cm long. Capsule ovoid or subglobose, surface furfuraceous, 1.7–1.9 cm in diameter; pericarp ca. 2 mm thick. Phenology. Flowering in February, fruiting in June. Etymology. The specific epithet “ shuangbaiensis ” refers to Shuangbai County of Yunnan Province, the type locality of the new species. Distribution and habitat. Presently, Camellia shuangbaiensis is only known from its type locality, Shuangbai County of central Yunnan. It is distributed in mountain slope mixed forest habitat at altitudes of 1500–2000 m a. s. l. Additional specimens examined. China • Yunnan: Shuangbai County, Damaidi Town, Damaidi Country, 24°22.44'N, 101°50.84'E, 1740 m a. s. l., 5 February. 2024 (fl.), S. Qu and G. P. Yang Lg 2024133 (CNGB; SYS); • ibid., 11 June 2024 (young fr.), S. Qu and F. F. Li Lg 2024135 (SYS); • ibid., 11 June 2024 (young fr.), S. Qu and F. F. Li Lg 2024136 (SYS); • ibid., 11 June 2024 (young fr.), S. Qu and F. F. Li Lg 2024137 (SYS); • ibid., 11 June 2024 (young fr.), S. Qu and F. F. Li Lg 2024138 (SYS); • ibid., 11 June 2024 (young fr.), S. Qu and F. F. Li Lg 2024139 (SYS); • ibid., 11 June 2024 (young fr.), S. Qu and F. F. Li Lg 2024140 (SYS).