Meehania porphyrea Z.F.Bai & Xue L.Chen sp. nov., Figs. 1–2

Type:— CHINA. Gansu: Longnan City, Hui county, Grows in broad-leaved forests, elev. 2200 m, 10 May 2025, Zengfu Bai & Xuelin Chen 2025012 (holotype NWTC!; isotypes NWTC!).

Description. Perennial herb, erect, 8–20 cm tall, solitary or caespitose. Young stems and nodes sparsely pubescent with short retrorse hairs. Leaves 3–5 pairs on stem, papery, triangular-cordate, 3–7.5 cm long, 1.2–3.5 cm wide, both surfaces sparsely strigose, margin sparsely serrate to crenate-serrate; petiole 0.8–5 cm long, pubescent when young, glabrescent with age. Flowers typically paired in axils of upper 2–3 nodes or terminal; bracts lanceolate. Pedicel 2–5 mm long, pubescent, with a pair of bracteoles near base; bracteoles narrowly lanceolate, ca. 3 mm long. Calyx narrowly tubular, 1–1.5 cm long during anthesis, externally sparsely pubescent, glabrous internally; calyx teeth 5, bilabiate, upper lip 3-toothed, lower lip 2-toothed; upper lip slightly longer than lower, teeth triangular, 1.5–3 mm long, ciliate, apex acuminate. Corolla pale bluish-purple, 2.5–3.5 cm long, externally sparsely pubescent (denser on dorsal and lateral sides), glabrous internally; corolla tube straight, tubular, gradually dilated in upper half; limb bilabiate, upper lip erect, shallowly 2-lobed; lower lip 3-lobed, middle lobe suboblong, margin undulate; lateral lobes triangular, ca. half the length of middle lobe. Stamens 4, included; posterior pair inserted below upper lip, slightly shorter than anterior pair; filaments slightly flattened, glabrous; anthers 2-thecous, confluent into a single locule at maturity. Ovary 4- lobed, glabrous. Style slender, included, apex 2-cleft. Disk annular, lobes obscure, flowering April–June; fruiting July–August.

Phenology: Flowering April–June, fruiting from July–August.

Etymology: The Chinese name is proposed as“zǐ bèi lóng tóu cǎo (Ḭfiḭ头ặ)”.

Diagnostic characters: — Meehania porphyrea is morphologically similar to M. fargesii, but can be readily distinguished by its smaller overall size—including the plant, leaves, and flowers. Additionally, the leaves of M. porphyrea often exhibit a purplish coloration on the abaxial surface, and the upper lip as well as the mid-lobe of the lower lip of the corolla are glabrous.

Additional specimen examined (paratypes). CHINA. Gansu: Wen County, Fanba Town, Zhuyuangou, elev. 1500 m, slope in mixed hardwood forest, 21 April 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 3375, 3384 (PE); Qiujiaba Town, Xigou, elev. 2250 m, On slopes along trailsides, 21 May 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 5306 (PE). Qiujiaba Town, Xigou, elev. 2360 m, under forests, 21 May 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 5371 (PE); Qiujiaba Town, elev. 2100 m, under forests on slopes, 29 June 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 0749 (PE). Qiujiaba Town, Section 1, elev. 2500 m, under forests, 19 May 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 5141 (PE). Qiujiaba Town, Section 2, elev. 2600 m, under forests, 19 May 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 5242 (PE); Bikou Town, Bifenggou, elev. 1320 m, under forests in river valleys, 2 May 2007, Baishuijiang Collection Team 3959 (PE); Wudu, Yuhe Town, Yingzuishan, elev. 2400 m, in thickets, 3 May 2021, Zengfu Bai & Xuelin Chen 20210503033 (NWTC); Zhouqu County, elev. 2800 m, forest edge, 31 May 2021, Zengfu Bai & Xuelin Chen 20240531026 (NWTC). Sichuan: Nanjiang County, Weijiaba Forest Farm, elev. 1575 m, 10 May 2023, Sirong Yi, 1371 (CGMC); Nanjiang County, Nanjiangwan, Yuquan Forest Farm, elev. 1895 m, 11 May 2023, Sirong Yi, 1371 (CGMC). Shaanxi: Taibai County, elev. 2210 m, 11 May 2023, Jianquan Tang & Lulu Xun, TJQ2025051101 (XBGH).

Distribution and habitat: Meehania porphyrea is distributed in Shaanxi and Chongqing Municipality, in addition to its type locality in Gansu. It grows in broadleaf forests, forest edges, or thickets at elevations between 1300–2800 m.