Vaccinium fangianum (Ericaceae), a new species from Northwest Yunnan, China, with critical notes on V. ardisioides

Vaccinium fangianum, a new species of Ericaceae from Yunnan Province, China, is described and illustrated. This species was previously misidentified as Vaccinium ardisioides. Morphologically, the new species is similar to Vaccinium ardisioides in its epiphytic habit, pseudo-whorled leaves with entire blade margins, and axillary racemose inflorescences but differs in having wider leaf blades, a deeply lobed calyx limb, a yellowish-green corolla that is villous internally, and spurless anthers with tubules ca. 1.7 × as long as thecae.

Detailed descriptions, analytical photographic plates, conservation status information, and a distribution map of the two species are also provided. In addition, V. rubescens was confirmed to be a synonym of V. ardisioides in this study.