A new species of Phoebe (Lauraceae) from south-western China.

Here Phoebe hekouensis Bing Liu, W.Y. Jin, L.N. Zhao & Y. Yang from south-eastern Yunnan Province of China is described as new to science. This species is morphologically similar to P. megacalyx H.W. Li in the twigs being robust and brownish tomentose, the ovary densely pubescent and the tepals longer than 1 cm, but differs from the latter species by the leaves being broader, up to 18 cm (vs. 4.5-11.5 cm), the inflorescences shorter, ca. 10-15 cm long (vs. up to 23 cm), the ovary completely and densely pubescent (vs. pubescent only at the apical portion) and the stigma conspicuous (vs. inconspicuous). The new species also resembles P. macrocarpa C.Y. Wu, but differs from the latter by the tepals being longer, 9-13 mm long (vs. ca. 4 mm).