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| Sonerila namii C. H. Nguyen, Aver. & C. W. Lin, in Nguyen, Averyanov et Lin. 2026. |
Abstract
A new species, Sonerila namii, is described from Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The new species shares several morphological similarities with S. repens but differs in having a stem covered with golden-brown to maroon hispid or hispid-hirsute hairs (vs. white woolly), a leaf blade bearing white hirsute or gland-tipped hirsute hairs on both surfaces (vs. pubescent with simple hairs), about 6 pairs of secondary veins (vs. 2 or 3 pairs), a hypanthium with white hispid or gland-tipped hispid hairs and minute glandular trichomes (vs. woolly simple hairs), and petals up to 2.3 cm long (vs. up to 1.2 cm). According to the IUCN criteria, it may tentatively be assessed as Least Concern (LC).
Keywords: endemism, flora of Vietnam, Melastomataceae tribe Sonerileae, plant diversity, plant taxonomy
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| Sonerila namii: A – habit; B, B’ – portions of leaf, adaxial and abaxial surfaces; C, D, E – indumentum of reproductive structures: C – villous-hirsute or gland-tipped hirsute indumentum on leaf, D – minutely glandular trichomes on vegetative parts, E – gland-tipped hispid on hypanthium and abaxially of petals; F, F’ – flower, frontal and side views; G, G’ – stamens, frontal and side views; H – hypanthium; I – longitudinal section of ovary. Drawing by Che Wei Lin from the holotype NHC-20251015010. |
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| Sonerila namii: A – habit and habitat; B – habit; C – flowering branch; D – leaves; E – portions of leaf, adaxial surface; F – same, abaxial surface; G – hypanthium, petals, stamens, and styles; H – longitudinal section of ovary; I – longitudinal section of immature fruit; J – cross section of immature fruit. Photos A by Tinh Van Lam; photos B – J by Cuong Huu Nguyen of plants used for the preparation of type herbarium specimen NHC-20251015010. |
Sonerila namii C. H. Nguyen, Aver. et C. W. Lin, sp. nov.
Etymology. The specific epithet honors a postgraduate student from Vietnam National Forestry University, Duong Van Nam, who collected and provided specimens of this new species.
Cuong H. Nguyen, Leonid V. Averyanov and Che W. Lin. 2026. Sonerila namii (Melastomataceae, Sonerileae), A New Species from Central Highlands, Vietnam. Turczaninowia. 29(2); 110–115.
