Piper jianfenglingense , a new species of Piperaceae from Hainan Island, China

Piper jianfenglingense , which was collected in the Jianfengling National Natural Reserve, Hainan Island, China, is described and illustrated herein. Morphologically it is similar to P. mutabile , from which it differs in having sparsely pubescent petioles, vaginate at base only; rachises glabrous; floral bracts adnate to rachis, margin partially hidden; stamens 2, with considerably longer filaments, these caducous when anthers mature; stigmas ovoid, apex acute; berries and seeds ellipsoid. Molecular analyses based on the ITS marker of nuclear ribosomal DNA strongly support P. jianfenglingense as a new species in the genus Piper , most closely related to P. macropodum .