AbstractOreocharis oriolus, a new species of Gesneriaceae in a sclerophyllous oak community from Yunnan, Southwest China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, it resembles bothO. forrestiiandO. georgei, while it is distinct in combined characters of wrinkled leaves, peduncle and pedicel covered with whitish and egladular villous hairs, bract lanceolate and nearly glabrescent adaxially, and staminode absent. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and chloroplast DNA fragment (trnL‐F) of 61 congeneric species also supportedO. oriolusas a new species while it was nested withO. delavayi. It was currently assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR) regarding to its small‐sized population and narrow distribution following the IUCN categories and criteria.