• Journal of Species Research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 2020

Chrysosplenium grayanum Maxim. (Series Nepalensia), which had been known to be restricted to Japan, was newly discovered from Mt. Cheongtae in Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Species identification was confirmed using morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data, while comparing with materials obtained from Japan and herbarium specimens. Chrysosplenium grayanum is clearly distinguished from the remaining taxa of the genus Chrysosplenium by having glabrous plant body, opposite leaves, cylindrical papillae with roundish head at the tip on the smooth seed surface, and four stamens. Molecular sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal ITS regions, chloroplast rbcL and matK genes strongly supported that this previously unknown Chrysosplenium species from Korea is C. grayanum. Taking the molecular and the morphological evidence into consideration, it is clear that newly discovered Chrysosplenium population in Korea is conspecific with the widely distributed C. grayanum in Japan. In this paper, we provide a description, illustration, and photo images of Chrysosplenium grayanum from Korea and also a key to the Chrysosplenium species in Korea.