Reassessment of Chirita umbrophila (Gesneriaceae) based on molecular and morphological evidence

<p><em>Chirita umbrophila</em> C.Y.Wu ex H.W.Li is a species endemic to Yunnan, China, and its exact systematic position remains a mystery since it was treated as a species with uncertain generic affiliation in the taxonomic revision of <em>Chirita</em> Buch.-Ham. ex Don in 1985. In the present study, the phylogenetic relationships between <em>C. umbrophila</em> and its allied species were inferred using two nuclear ribosomal DNA regions (ETS and ITS) and three chloroplast regions (<em>rpl16</em>, <em>rps16</em>, and <em>trnL-F</em>). Additionally, the type locality of <em>C. umbrophila</em> was re-visited and flowering specimens were collected and examined. Our phylogenetic analyses showed that <em>Chirita umbrophila</em> is imbedded in three accessions of <em>Loxostigma kurzii</em> with strong support. Morphological observations revealed that <em>C. umbrophila</em> can be characterized as perennial herbs with somewhat tufted leaves at the top of the aerial stem, large ventricose corollas with yellow-brown spotted interior surfaces, four anthers cohering in pairs, and two equal or subequal stigmas. Detailed morphological analyses suggested that <em>C. umbrophila</em> is indistinguishable from <em>Loxostigma kurzii </em>(C.B.Clarke) B.L.Burtt (<em>Didymocarpus? kurzii</em> C.B.Clarke). Therefore, both molecular phylogenetic results and morphological evidence support that <em>Chirita umbrophila</em> is conspecific with <em>Loxostigma kurzii</em>, and a taxonomic treatment is provided<em> </em>herein.</p>