Wikstroemia fragrans (Thymelaeaceae, Daphneae), a new species from Mount Danxia, China based on morphological and molecular evidence

Scientists have identified Wikstroemia fragrans, a new species of plant endemic to the UNESCO-listed Danxiashan National Park, China. This discovery, confirmed through morphological and molecular analysis—including nuclear DNA ITS sequencing—reveals it as closely related to Wikstroemia capitata within the Wikstroemia clade. Distinctive features such as its shorter racemose inflorescences, yellowish-green calyx tube, and strigose-pubescent ovary set it apart from sympatric and allopatric relatives like W. trichotoma and W. fargesii. The species is provisionally classified as Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List), marking the first Wikstroemia species confirmed to be endemic to China's Danxia landform, a globally significant geological formation.

Chen, J.-R., Lee, S. Y., Guo, J.-Q., Jin, J.-H., Fan, Q., & Liao, W.-B. (2022). Wikstroemia fragrans (Thymelaeaceae, Daphneae), a new species from Mount Danxia, China based on morphological and molecular evidence. PhytoKeys, 213, 67–78. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.213.91116