In order to clarify the taxonomic status of two special coix germplasm discovered in Xizang of China, their agronomic and taxonomic identification were conducted and the botanical characteristics of the new species were described and illustrated. These twogermplasms were similar to Coix aquatica, but Coix gigantea had plants erect shape; long lanceolate leaves broaden in middle part that looking like hearts, meanwhile the upper and lower layers were coarse and grows glandular hairs in leaf upper surface. Staminate inflorescences is long and thin that generating fertile pollen, enamel involucre or fruit case is pyriform or fusiform in shape, and these typical characteristics were distinguished from those of Coix aquatica. It was estimated by flow cytometry that the genome size of two Coix gigantea were 1578.85 Mb and 1807.92 Mb, whose genomes were diploid type of 2n=2x=20. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Coix gigantea and Coix aquatica were divided into independent branches in the phylogenetic tree, exhibiting independent genetic lineages. Therefore, Coix gigantea in tegrated evidence from plant morphology, chromosome ploidy and molecular phylogeny all supports that is a newly recorded independent species of the genus in China.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |