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| Alpinia nelumboides Nob.Tanaka, T.T.K.Van & V.Hoang, in Tanaka, Hoang, Kieu, Khanh, Tagane, Funakoshi et Souladeth, 2023. |
Abstract
A new species of the genus Alpinia subgenus Alpinia subsection Catimbium (Zingiberaceae), A. nelumboides is described from Laos and Vietnam. It is morphologically most similar to A. kwangsiensis, but distinguished by its large pinkish bracteoles, shorter petioles, entire margin of labellum, and larger pubescent ovoid fruits.
Keywords: Bolaven Plateau, Di Linh District, new taxon, taxonomy, Zingiberales
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| Floral parts of Alpinia nelumboides (holotype in Laos). A: Front view of flower. B: Side view of flower with a bracteole. C: Dorsal corolla lobe (left), and lateral corolla lobes (right two). D: Back view of anther. E: Side view of anther with style. F: Calyx (opened out and flattened). G: Lateral staminodes. H: Adaxial side of labellum. I: Abaxial side of labellum. J: Stamen and ovary with corolla tube after corolla lobes, labellum and calyx removed (above), and ovary with epigynous glands (below). |
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| Alpinia nelumboides Nob.Tanaka, T.T.K.Van & V.Hoang (holotype in Laos). A: Habit. B: Infructescence. C: Young fruits and a cross section (inset). D: Ligule. Scale bars: 10 cm for B, 5 cm for C, and 1 cm for D. |
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| Alpinia nelumboides of Vietnam. A: Habit. B: The early stage of blooming, large showy bracteoles forming a shape reminiscent of a lotus flower. C: Sheathing bract covering an early stage of inflorescence. D: Lamina (abaxial surface). E: Rhizome. F: Ligule. G: Apex of lamina. |
Alpinia nelumboides Nob.Tanaka, T.T.K.Van & V.Hoang, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Alpinia nelumboides is morphologically similar to Alpinia kwangsiensis T.L.Wu & S.J.Chen in shape of inflorescence and flower coloration, but differs in having shorter petioles (1–2 cm long vs. 4–8 cm long), longer ligules (1–2.3 cm long vs. 8 mm long), longer pedicels (4–7 mm long vs. 2 mm long), almost glabrous, lustrous and pinkish white bracteoles (vs. hirsute and orange pink), deciduous calyx (vs. persistent), broadly ovate labellum with entire margin (vs. ovate and crenate margin), longer anther (1.5 cm long vs. 1 cm long), and ovoid fruits (vs. globose).
Distribution: Laos and Vietnam. Thus far
Alpinia nelumboides is known only from
Bolaven Plateau in Paksong District, Champasak
Province, southern Laos and Lam Dong Province, Di Linh District, southern Vietnam. This
species may be distributed in the southeastern
part of the Indochinese Peninsula.
Etymology: the specific epithet is derived from
the top view of the arrangement of large pinkish
bracteoles of young flowers in inflorescence, the
appearance of which bears a resemblance to a
blooming Nelumbo lotus flower.
Vernacular names: Lao name: ຂ່າດອກບົວ [Kha
Dok Bua]＝ ʻຂ່າʼ (Kha) refers to the common
name of the genus Alpinia in Laos; ʻດອກບົວʼ (Dok
Bua) refers to the Lotus flower which is derived
from the specific epithet of the new species.
Vietnamese name: Riềng sen ＝ ʻRiềngʼ is the common name of the genus Alpinia in Vietnam, “sen”
means the lotus. Both of them are proposed here.
Nobuyuki Tanaka, Viet Hoang, Van Tran Thi Kieu, Trinh Tram Nguyen Khanh, Shuichiro Tagane, Hidenobu Funakoshi and Phetlasy Souladeth. 2023. A New Species of Alpinia (Zingiberaceae: subgenus Alpinia subsect. Catimbium) from Laos and Vietnam. Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science. Series B, Botany. 49(1); 25-32. DOI: 10.50826/bnmnsbot.49.1_25
