Primula shimenensis (Primulaceae), a new species from karst caves in Hunan, China

Primua shimenensis W.Zhang & J.W.Shao, a new species from Hunan Province, China, is described. Its leaf morphology is similar to P. merrilliana complex and flower morphology similar to P. cicutariifolia, but it can be distinguished from the former by flower homostylous, corolla lobes cuneate-oblong and apex obviously emarginate, and can be differed from the latter by cotyledon triangular obovate, plants densely covered with glandular hairs, pinnae margin usually pinnatipartite, and special habitat (karst caves). The whole plastid genome of this new species is 151, 601–151, 630bp in length. Phylogenetic trees, based on the whole plastid genome sequences, revealed that the new species didn’t genetically related to the above two morphologically similar species but closely related to P. hubeiensis. Currently, only three populations were discovered within a small distribution area, thus it is preliminarily considered as Vulnerable (VU) according to criteria of the IUCN Red List.