Two New Infraspecific Taxa of Orychophragmus violaceus (Brassicaceae) in Northeast China

Abstract. Two new varieties of Orychophragmus violaceus (L.) O. E. Schultz (Brassicaceae) are described from Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. The new variety, O. violaceus var. odontopetalus Ling Wang & Chuan P. Yang, differs from the typical variety of the species in that the petal has five or more obtuse teeth (vs. smooth petals) in the upper third of the expanded petal. The clawed petals have an expanded apical section that is 10–13 mm long (vs. 7–13 mm), and the stems and pedicels are puberulent (vs. glabrous). A second new variety is O. violaceus var. variegatus Ling Wang & Chuan P. Yang, which differs from the typical variety by the marked petal variegation of white and purple (vs. no petal variegation). The uppermost leaves are often undivided, with sharply serrate margins (vs. irregularly toothed leaves). These distinctions have persisted and been stable after eight years of cultivation in field experiments in Heilongjiang. A key to the infraspecific taxa of O. violaceus is included. ...