Rediscovery and amended description of Synotis hieraciifolia (Asteraceae), a species formerly considered endemic to Guizhou, China

Synotis hieraciifolia was rediscovered near its type locality in Luodian County, Guizhou Province, China. The species is distinguished within the genus Synotis by its evergreen habit, subleathery leaf blade, and sweet-smelling flowers. Initially collected by Joseph Henri Esquirol in 1912, the species remained a mystery, with not only its distribution locality unclear but also its morphological characteristics and variation patterns poorly understood due to the scarcity of collections. In this study, fieldwork was conducted, and the collection history and collection routes of Joseph Henri Esquirol in Guizhou were verified after 13 years of dedicated effort, with the aim of solving the above-mentioned basic taxonomic problems. The results show that S. hieraciifolia occurs widely in Guizhou and Guangxi provinces, with its morphological characteristics, such as the leaf shape and number of phyllaries, as well as its blooming time varying. We also discovered that the precise locality of the type is actually in Luodian County rather than Guanling County, Guizhou Province. An amended taxonomic description of S. hieraciifolia is provided, accompanied by color photographs from different populations of this species.