Abstract: This study reported a newly recorded species of Caryophyllaceae in China,Acanthophyllum coloratumSchischk., which was found in Wuqia County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Its taxonomic status was confirmed through morphological comparison and molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nrITS sequences. The plastome was assembled, annotated, and corrected from whole-genome resequencing data, and its characteristics were further analyzed. Morphologically, the newly found plant exhibited key diagnostic traits including linear, opposite leaves covered with strigose hairs, terminal compact capitate inflorescences, pale pinkish-white petals with light purple midveins, and an eglandular and strigose outer surface of the calyx, which were consistent withA. coloratumvar.eglandulosum. This variety differed from the nominate variety,A. coloratumvar.coloratum(which has not been recorded in China) only by the absence of glandular hairs on the calyx. A maximum likelihood tree of the genusAcanthophyllum, constructed using nrITS sequences, showed that the newly found plant (specimen voucher number: YZP001504) formed a highly supported monophyletic clade (BS=100%) with the typical varietyA. coloratumvar.coloratum. Integrating these morphological and molecular results, this plant was confirmed asA. coloratumvar.eglandulosum, for which the Chinese name “wuxian ziwen cishizhu” is proposed. Its plastome had a typical quadripartite structure with a total length of 149532 bp, containing 126 genes, including 81 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. This discovery not only added a new taxon to the diversity of higher plants in China but also provided significant scientific value for understanding the migration routes of the Central Asian flora.

Key words: new record species in China, phylogeny, plastome, IR region contraction, Caryophyllaceae;Acanthophyllum;Acanthophyllum coloratumvar.eglandulosumLazkov