Loropetalum axillare Y. S. Chen & Y. C. Xu, sp. nov. (Figs. 4 & 5)

Type:— China. Guangdong: Guangzhou, Zengcheng District, Dafengmen Scenic Area, growing by the stream in the valley, elev. 200–400 m, 11 September 2022, Y. S. Chen, Y. C. Xu et Y. P. Zeng 22241 (Holotype: IBSC0904409; isotypes: IBSC0904410, IBSC0904411, PE; Fig. 6).

Description:— Shrubs or small trees, ca. 2 m tall, much branched; branchlets densely stellately pubescent. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, 2–3 × 0.5–1 mm, stellately pubescent; petioles 2–4 mm long, stellately pubescent; leaf narrow blade ovate, narrow elliptic, 2–6.5 × 1–2 cm, margin entire, apex acuminate, base oblique; abaxially densely stellately pubescent, adaxially sparsely pubescent or stellately pubescent, lateral veins 3–5 on each side, abaxially prominent. Inflorescence axillary; 3–6-flowered; peduncle absent; bracts linear or lanceolate, 2–4.5 mm long; flowers nearly sessile; coexistence with leaves. Floral cup cupular, stellately pubescent, 1.2–2 mm. Sepals ovate, 2–3 mm long. Petals 3–5, white, 0.5–1 cm long, linear, apex obtuse or rounded. Stamens 4, ca. 1 mm long, filaments very short, connective elongated into a horn, 0.1–0.2 mm long, anthers ovoid. Capsules globose or ovoid, 3–7 × 4–8 mm, densely stellately pubescent, hairs brown, apex rounded, adnate to floral cup for 1/3–1/4 of their length. Seeds brownish black, ovoidglobose or ellipsoid, 4–5 × 2–3 mm.

Phenology:— Flowering in September.

Vernacular name:— Ḟfflff+, guang zhou ji mu in Chinese Pinyin.

Etymology:— The specific epithet ‘ axillare ’ refers to the axillary inflorescence.

Distribution and habitat:— Loropetalum axillare is currently only known from the Dafengmen Scenic Area, Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (Figure 7). It grows by the stream in the valley at elevations of 200–400 m above sea level.