1. Dalbergia lanceolaria Linnaeus f. (1782: 316). Figs. 1 & 3A–B.

TYPE:—CEYLON [SRI LANKA]. Koenig s. n. [BM (barcode BM000958685!)].

For heterotypic synonyms of this species, see Li (2017: 159).

Description: —Trees, 15–20 m tall. Bark flaking. Stipules thin, subfalcate to lanceolate, 1–1.4 cm, caducous. Leaves imparipinnate, 10–25 cm; petiole 1–3 cm; rachis 9–12 cm, sparsely pubescent when young, becoming glabrous with age; leaflets (7–)9–19, thinly chartaceous, elliptic-oblong to obovate or sometimes orbicular, 1.8–5(–6) × 1–2.8(–3) cm, base attenuate, cuneate to broadly cuneate (usually asymmetrical in lateral leaflets), apex rounded to retuse; both surfaces sparsely pubescent with appressed hairs when young, becoming glabrous; secondary veins 8–10 pairs; these and reticulation coarse and prominent on both surfaces; petiolule 3–5(–7) mm. Inflorescence an axillary (or, not observed from Chinese specimens, terminal) panicle, (5–)5.5–10(–18) cm long, with flowers laxly arranged; axes and pedicel moderately pilose with pale yellow-brown hairs. Pedicel 1.5–2 mm, articulated sub-apically; bracteoles lanceolate, minute, caducous. Calyx campanulate, puberulent, with pubescence denser along margins; tube ca. 2 mm long; lobes 5, the lowest longest, lanceolate, the upper two connate. Corolla purplish; standard ovate, retuse at apex, 6–8 mm × 6–8 mm, reflexed, with a claw ca. 1 mm long; wings broadly ovate, ca. 6 × 3.5 mm, with a claw ca. 2 mm long, inner side with a downward auricle; keel semi-lunate, ca. 4 × 2.5 mm, with a claw ca. 2 mm long, inner side with a downward auricle. Stamens 10, diadelphous (5+5), with the upper ⅓ of filaments free, unequal in length (long and short ones alternating). Ovary shortly stipitate, pubescent on stipe and along sutures, 3–4-ovuled; style slender, curved; stigma minute. Pods oblong-lanceolate, 5–12.5 × 1–2.5 cm, attenuate into a stipe ca. 1 cm long at base, acute to slightly obtuse at apex, sometimes constricted between seeds; valves coriaceous, glabrous, reticulate, thickened around seeds with prominent reticulation. Seeds 1–2(–4), reniform, flattened, separating from the inner surface of the seed chamber at maturity.

Phenology: —Flowering from April to May; fruiting from November to December.

Distribution and ecology: —As the type species of the genus Dalbergia, D. lanceolaria has a wide distribution, ranging from the Indian Subcontinent to the Indochina Peninsula (Li 2017). This study represents the first record of D. lanceolaria in China, currently known only from southern Yunnan Province. The species is typically found in or near limestone mountainous regions.

Chinese vernacular name: —fi‼vnḛ/fiŀ(ă)vñḛ (pī zhēn guǒ huáng tán, ㄆ– ㄓㄣ ㄍㄨㄛˇ ㄏㄨㄤ ˊ ㄊㄢˊ). The first part “fi‼v/fiŀ(ă)v” is derived from the specific epithet lanceolaria, referring to the usually lanceolate pods of Dalbergia lanceolaria, while “nḛ/ñḛ” is the common Chinese name for the genus Dalbergia.

The Chinese name of D. lanceolaria was originally given as “fi‼叶nḛ/fiŀ(ă)ĸñḛ” by Li (2017), where the first part “fi‼叶/fiŀ(ă)ĸ” means “lanceolate leaf/leaflet”. This name is inappropriate since the species usually does not have lanceolate leaflets.

Conservation status: —Following the IUCN Red List Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2024), Dalbergia lanceolaria is assessed as Least Concern (LC) due to its wide distribution and relatively common occurrence in Xishuangbanna Prefecture.

Taxonomic remarks: —Among Chinese species of Dalbergia, D. lanceolaria is most closely related to D. assamica Bentham (in Miquel 1852: 256), with very subtle morphological differences between them. These subtle distinctions led Thothathri (1983 [1985], 1987) to reduce the latter to a variety of D. lanceolaria subsp. lanceolaria, as var. assamica (Benth.) Thothathri (1983: 171). According to Niyomdham (2002), D. lanceolaria can be distinguished from D. assamica by its coarse and prominent secondary veins and reticulation on both surfaces of mature leaflets when dry (vs. thin and fine secondary veins and reticulation, rather obscure on abaxial surface when dry in D. assamica). It can be also distinguished from D. assamica by its flanking bark (vs. longitudinally fissured, cf. Dholariya et al. 2019) Additionally, our observations reveal that mature seeds of D. lanceolaria separate from the inner surface of the pod's seed chamber, causing them to rattle when the ripe pods are shaken. In contrast, mature seeds of D. assamica remain firmly attached to the inner wall of the pod's seed chamber and do not rattle when shaken.

Specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Xishuangbanna, Mengla, Menglun, G219, along roadsides, on slopes with limestone bedrock, alt. 677.35 m, 19 April 2024, K. Chiang KC1528 (IBSC, NPH, PE). Mengla, Yiwu, Menghuyanzi, on slopes with limestone bedrock, alt. 825.86 m, 19 April 2024, S. J. Li 5582 (NPH). ibid., alt. 992.37 m, ead. die, S. J. Li 5583 (NPH). ibid., besides villages, ead. die, S. J. Li 5584 (NPH). ibid., ead. die, S. J. Li 5584bis (NPH).