New plant species discovered in SW China

GUIYANG, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have found a new species of Hypericum in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The discovery, made by researchers from the college of forestry at Guizhou University, was recently published in the journal PhytoKeys.

During a plant survey expedition in a karst area of the Maolan National Nature Reserve in Libo County, the researchers found an unusual Hypericaceae specimen which grows in rocky habitats, without soil, on karst mountain tops.

"After field investigation and collection of specimens, we conducted detailed morphological analyses and realized that the morphological characteristics of this species were similar to those of Hypericum, but there were obvious differences in the leaf and calyx compared with known species in China," said An Mingtai, a professor of the college of forestry at Guizhou University, who led the research group.

The new species was named Hypericum liboense after the county where it was discovered.

Hypericum is the largest genus of the family Hypericaceae, with approximately 470 species worldwide. In China, the genus is known to include a total of 68 species and nine subspecies, of which 33 species are endemic to the country.

Hypericum plants are mostly herbs or shrubs, and less frequently trees, and the flowers are often yellow or golden and occasionally white. Some species of this genus are cultivated around the world due to their ornamental value, while a number of species of the genus have significant medicinal properties.