Three species of Pedicularis L. (Orobanchaceae) new to China found in Xinjiang

1 South Siberian Botanical Garden, Altai State University, Lenina pr., 61, Barnaul, 656049, Russian Federation 2 Yang’s Herbarium, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China 3 Autonomous Region-level Agricultural Science and Technology Park Management Committee of Zhaosu County, Zhaosu, Xinjiang, 835600, China 4 E-mail: pakosachev@yandex.ru; ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4087-6336 5 ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3618-6970 6 ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7849-1087 7 ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7295-3781 8 ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5569-3153 * Corresponding author

The genus Pedicularis L. (Orobanchaceae) with 673 species in the world (POWO, 2021) is widely distributed in high mountains and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. There are 352 species in China (271 species are endemic), and Himalaya-Hengduan mountain region is the center of origin and species diversity of the genus (Hong, 1983;Yang et al., 1998).
Revision of collections of the joint Sino-Russian Altai expedition of 2007 along with the gatherings of the present authors (except for P. A. K.) of 2019-2020 revealed that three species of Pedicularis have not been recorded in the flora of China yet, as confirmed by a careful check of relevant literature (Vvedensky, 1955;Ajdarova, 1962;Tsoong, 1963;Semiotrocheva, 1965;Ivanina, 1970;Yang et al., 1998;Mijit, Pan, 2004;Kosachev, 2016). The voucher specimens are deposited in the herbaria of Beijing Normal University (BNU), Altai State University (ALTB) and Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (PE). For each species, citation of the primary source, protologue and type, characteristic habitats, comments on important taxonomic features and related species, and general distribution are provided. Vved., 1955, in Fl. URSS, 22: 754, 812. -P. songarica auct. non Schrenk: Tsoong, 1963., quoad pl. e Tian-Schan.
Note. Pedicularis pubiflora is close to P. songarica Schrenk and P. alatauica. From the prior, it differs by a short pubescent corolla. From the latter, P. pubiflora differs in pale yellow (not purple) flowers sometimes with purple spots or veins or teeth of the upper lip; herbaceous (vs. almost webbed) calyx; the calyx teeth 2-3 (not 4) times shorter than the calyx tube; the lower lip slightly smaller than the upper lip ( Fig. 3A-D).
As L. I. Ivanina (1970) indicated, this species was reported for the China by P. C. Tsoong (1963) in part under the name P. songarica. Besides, A. I. Vvedensky (1955) and then R. A. Ajdarova (1962) indicated the species for the territory of China (Ghulja or Yining), but this was not reflected in the Chinese accounts.
Ecology and phenology. Dry slopes and rocks in the alpine belt. Flowering: May-July. Fruiting: July-August.
Note. From the superficially close P. songarica, it differs by a short pubescent and pink corolla (Fig.  3E-H).
A. I. Vvedensky (1955) indicated the species for the Eastern Tian Shan. However, until this study, this indication was questionable (Kosachev, 2016).
Note. Only one herbarium sheet from the Berlin-Dahlem Museum (B) is known, which refers to the type material. It is signed with the name Stephan and the letter "W", indicating the Willdenow's Herbarium. Since there is no certainty that no other original specimens existed that could be later used by Willdenow for exchange with colleagues, here we designate is as lectotype of the name P. compacta.
Ecology and phenology. Moss and shrub tundra, meadows, moist woodlands in the high-mountain belt; occasionally streamsides in the upper portion of the forest belt. Flowering: June to August. Fruiting: July to September.
Note 1. The species was correctly identified by collectors of the Chinese-Russian Altai expedition, but was clearly overlooked when publishing new findings for Xinjiang (German et al., 2012). Note 2. This finding was quite expected since this species is common in the alpine belt of the Altai Mountain Country (Kosachev, 2016(Kosachev, , 2017. From other related species (P. brachystachys Bunge, P. incarnata L. and P. proboscidea Stev.), it is easily distinguished by a compact inflorescence when flowering, a long straight spout that departs from the helmet at an angle of 90 degrees, the corolla tube also bent almost at right angles, as well as a webbed (not herbaceous) calyx, clearly visible in the fruit.