Camellia shangshii (Theaceae), a new species endemic to danxia landscape from Guangdong Province, China

Camellia shangshii, a new species discovered in the danxia landscape of Danxiashan Mountain, Guangdong Province, China, is formally described and illustrated here. Morphologically, C. shangshii is similar to C. grijsii but can be distinguished by its petals connate at the base, smaller leaves, and fewer bracteoles and sepals. Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes indicated that C. shangshii is a sister species to C. grijsii.

By integrating morphological and molecular data, we validate the recognition of C. shangshii as a new species of C. sect. Paracamellia.