Betula buggsii is a species of broadleaved tree that grows in the QinlingDaba Mountains in China.[1] Its Chinese name is “秦巴桦” (qín bā huà). The species was discovered by Dr Nian Wang of Shandong Agricultural University in 2021, as he sampled Chinese birch trees for a population genetic analysis. Initially he considered the trees to be Betula utilis ssp. albosinensis but genetic analysis showed the trees to be very different, and in fact, less closely related to Betula utilis ssp. albosinensis than several other birch species. In addition, the trees were diploid, whereas B. utilis ssp. utilis and B. utilis ssp. albosinensis are tetraploid. Closer analysis of the morphology of the trees also showed important differences with Betula utilis ssp. albosinensis. Nian Wang therefore described a new species, naming it B. buggsii after his former PhD supervisor, Richard Buggs.

Betula buggsii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Betula
Species:
B. buggsii
Binomial name
Betula buggsii
Wang & Cheek

References

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  1. ^ Wang, Luwei; Ding, Junyi; Borrell, James S; Cheek, Martin; McAllister, Hugh A; Wang, Feifei; Liu, Lu; Zhang, Huayu; Zhang, Qiufeng; Wang, Yiming; Wang, Nian (2022-01-08). "Molecular and morphological analyses clarify species delimitation in section Costatae and reveal Betula buggsii sp. nov. (sect. Costatae, Betulaceae) in China". Annals of Botany. 129 (4): 415–428. doi:10.1093/aob/mcac001. ISSN 0305-7364. PMC 8944703. PMID 35018419.