Two new species, one new record, and one new synonym of Aeschynanthus (Gesneriaceae) from China

Southwest China is a biodiversity hotspot, with numerous new Gesneriaceae species recently discovered there. Recent reports of new Aeschynanthus taxa and records from western Yunnan and adjacent areas underscore the region’s continued potential for revealing undescribed diversity. Based on field surveys conducted in Yunnan and Xizang, Southwest China, two new species of Aeschynanthus are described: A. succineus Lei Cai & L.W. Lin and A. tongbiguanensis Lei Cai & L.W. Lin. We also report a new national record for China, A. jouyi D.J. Middleton, previously considered endemic to Vietnam. Furthermore, we propose that A. maoi Debta & A. Shenoy should be reduced to synonymy under A. wardii, based on a critical assessment of the literature, field observations of living plants, and examination of herbarium specimens. Descriptions and illustrations of the diagnostic characters are provided for these species, together with information on their types.