Rubus phantasmaticus Q. P. Wang, X. Y. Dai & Huan C. Wang 2026, sp. nov.

Rubus phantasmaticus Q. P. Wang, X. Y. Dai & Huan C. Wang sp. nov. Figs 4, 5 = Rubus chrysobotrys var. glandulosus L. T. Lu, syn. nov. Type: China. Sichuan Province, Leibo County, Qinghe Village, 24 August 1989, Q. S. Zhao 1608 (holotype: PE [barcode 01790026!]). Type. China. Yunnan Province: Wenshan County, Bozhu Village, 23°21'37.19"N, 103°51'33.34"E, alt. ca. 2,281 m, 23 July 2025, Q. P. Wang et al. WS 30518 (holotype: YUKU [barcode 02074899!]; isotypes: YUKU [barcode 02074900!, 02074901!, 02074902!]). Diagnosis. Rubus phantasmaticus Q. P. Wang, X. Y. Dai & Huan C. Wang is most closely related to R. hypopitys, but differs from the latter by its glandular indumentum throughout the plant (vs. eglandular), arching shrubby habit with stems up to 2 m tall (vs. a dwarf shrub with prostrate to decumbent stems), abaxially villous leaves (vs. densely tomentose when young and becoming sparsely villous at maturity), leaf blade margins usually 5 - lobed with acute to triangular lobe apices (vs. shallowly 3–5 - lobed with rounded lobe apices), and flowers arranged in narrow panicles or subracemes with three or more flowers (vs. flowers 2–3 or slightly more, arranged in terminal corymbs or solitary in the leaf axils). Description. Evergreen shrubs, up to 2 m tall. Branchlets terete, reddish brown to brownish, densely villous, intermixed with short glandular hairs, unarmed or sparsely armed with small prickles. Leaves simple; blade cordate to suborbicular, 10–16 × 8–14 cm, apex usually acute to acuminate, rarely subtruncate, base cordate, adaxially pilose, abaxially densely villous, sparsely glandular-hairy along veins, palmately 5 - veined at base, lateral veins 1–3 pairs, veins impressed adaxially, slightly rugose or bullate, prominent and reticulate abaxially, margin 5 - lobed, rarely 3 - lobed, lobes triangular, irregularly coarsely serrate; petiole terete, 4–8 cm long, densely villous and glandular-hairy, sparsely armed with minute prickles; stipules free, broadly obovate, 1.5–1.7 × 1.5–2.0 cm, both surfaces densely villous with intermixed glandular hairs, palmately divided to the base, lobes lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, secondarily divided, caducous. Inflorescences terminal, narrow cymose panicles or subracemes, up to 9 cm long; axillary inflorescences racemose or clustered; rachis, pedicels, and calyx densely villous with intermixed glandular hairs; pedicels 0.6–0.9 cm long; bracts broad, stipule-like, palmately laciniate; flowers 1–1.5 cm in diam.; calyx villous on both surfaces with intermixed short glandular hairs; sepals in two whorls, three in outer whorl and two in inner whorl, triangular, 1–1.2 × 0.5–0.6 cm, apex caudate or long-caudate, inner sepals entire at margin, outer sepals pinnately shallowly lobed, sepals erect in fruit, rarely reflexed; petals white, obovate or oblanceolate, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 cm, apex rounded, slightly shorter than sepals; stamens 40–50, white, 0.5–0.6 cm long, filaments broad and flattened at base, glabrous; pistils 40–50, white, glabrous, styles as long as or slightly longer than stamens. Aggregate fruit red at maturity. Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latinized form of the Greek noun φάντασμα, meaning ‘ ghost, ’ alluding to the long-overlooked and misidentified nature of this species, which has persisted unrecognized among known taxa much like a ghost among the living. Phenology. Flowering from July to August, fruiting from September to October. Distribution and habitat. Rubus phantasmaticus is endemic to China and occurs in Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, and Yunnan (Fig. 6). It usually grows on forest margins along mountain valleys at elevations of 1,000–2,300 m. Additional specimens examined. China. Guizhou: Zunyi City, Daozhen County, Yangxi Village, Dashahe, 1,000–1,200 m a. s. l., 17 September 2017, X. Y. Dai 19071105 (YUKU) • Hubei: Xuanen County, Badagongshan, 1,300–1,400 m a. s. l., 25 July 1958, H. J. Li 5215 (KUN 0714954) • Sichuan: Leibo County, Qinghe Village, 24 August 1989, Q. S. Zhao 1608 (PE 01790026) • Yunnan: Zhaotong City, Daguan County, Sanjiangkou, Heilinzi, 1,800 m a. s. l., 28 September 1973, G. M. Feng et al. 73-78 (KUN 0715103).