[Botany • 2019] Curcuma putii (Zingiberaceae) ช่อหยก • A New Species from central Thailand

Curcuma putii Maknoi & Jenjitt.

in Maknoi, Ruchisansakun & Jenjittikul, 2019.

Curcuma putii Maknoi & Jenjitt., a new species from central Thailand, is described here. This species is similar to C. ecomata, a species in Curcuma subg. Ecomatae, but differs from it by having yellow staminodes, whitish-green or pale-green bract, and 15–40 cm long peduncle.

Charun Maknoi, Saroj Ruchisansakun and Thaya Jenjittikul. 2019. Curcuma putii (Zingiberaceae), A New Species from Thailand. Annales Botanici Fennici. 56; 351-353. 

 plantscience.sc.mahidol.ac.th/?p=2837

[Botany • 2019] Impatiens jenjittikuliae (Balsaminaceae) • A New Species from Northern Thailand

Impatiens jenjittikuliae Ruchis. & Suksathan

in Ruchisansakun & Suksathan, 2019.

เทียนทยา ||  DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.124.33607
 facebook.com/SarojRuchisansakun

Abstract

Impatiens jenjittikuliae Ruchis. & Suksathan, a new species from a limestone area in Thasongyang District, Tak Province, Northern Thailand, is described and illustrated. This endemic new species is distinguished from the most similar, I. lacei Hook.f. through having pilose lateral sepals vs glabrous, and by the absence of long hairs along the lamina margin. Its pollen and seed morphology, stem anatomy, and pollination ecology are also observed. Furthermore, its conservation status as Critically Endangered is also assessed.

Keywords: Uniflorae, lithophytic, endemic, critically endangered



    

Figure 1. Impatiens jenjittikuliae. A Habit B Flower, front view C Inflorescence with flower in lateral view D Lateral sepals E Lower sepal F Dorsal petal G Lateral united petals. Drawn by Saroj Ruchisansakun.

 Figure 2. Impatiens jenjittikuliae A flower, front view B flower, lateral view C habit in situ. Photographs by Saroj Ruchisansakun.

Impatiens jenjittikuliae Ruchis. & Suksathan, sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Impatiens jenjittikuliae is most similar to I. lacei Hook.f. It differs from I. lacei by its densely pilose lateral sepal (versus glabrous) and by having no long hairs along its lamina margin (versus distinct long hairs especially along the lower-half of leaf margin).

... 

Distribution: The new species is only known from the type locality in Tak Province, Thailand.

Ecology: Impatiens jenjittikuliae grows on limestone close to waterfall in a mixed deciduous forest, 520–600 m elevation (pers. obs.).

Etymology: The new species is named in honor of Dr. Thaya Jenjittikul who encouraged the first author to step in and study this lovely plant family.

Pollination ecology: The author observed five visitations by bees from the family Apidae (identified by an entomologist, Pornpimon Tangtorwongsakul) during the expeditions. The size of bee body fit well with the floral entrance (Fig. 6). Moreover, the floral structure of this new species is similar to other bee-pollinated species, e.g. I. psittacina (Ruchisansakun et al. 2016). Hence, we concluded that it is a bee-pollinated species.

Figure 6. Floral visitation by bee in the locality of Impatiens jenjittikuliae.

     

Discussion: 

Impatiens jenjittikuliae is similar to I. lacei and the other species closely related to I. pulchra Hook.f (= I. mengtszeana Hook.f. in Ruchisansakun et al. 2015) in its raceme inflorescence, shape of flower, and short fusiform capsule. The short fusiform capsule and the 4-colpate pollen grains of the new species support its placement in the subgenus Impatiens (Yu et al. 2015). In addition, I. jenjittikuliae has seeds coated with inflated cells with granulate walls similar to those described in species, such as I. napoensis Y. L. Chen, within the sect. Uniflorae (Janssens et al. 2012; Yu et al. 2015).

The cross sections of the stem of I. jenjittikuliae have shown that the new species is herbaceous, similar to the morphologically similar species in the sect. Uniflorae, I. pulchra, which also show in Lens et al. (2012) as I. mengtszeana Hook.f. (Lens et al. 2012; Ruchisansakun et al. 2015; Yu et al. 2015).

 Saroj Ruchisansakun and Piyakaset Suksathan. 2019. Impatiens jenjittikuliae (Balsaminaceae), A New Species from Thailand.  PhytoKeys. 124: 139-147. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.124.33607

facebook.com/SarojRuchisansakun/posts/10156359103382897
BaanLaeSuan.com/157005/plant-scoop/impatiens

     

[Botany • 2018] Three New Species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Myanmar; Impatiens decurva, I hartnolliae & I. oblongata

[left]  Impatiens decurva Ruchis. & S.B. Janssens  &
   [right] I. oblongata Ruchis. & Van der Niet 

in Ruchisansakun, Suksathan, van der Niet, et al., 2018.

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.338.1.5 

Abstract

Three new species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Myanmar are here described: Impatiens decurva Ruchis. & S.B. Janssens, I. hartnolliae Hook. f. ex Ruchis. & Suksathan, and I. oblongata Ruchis. &Van der Niet. The 5-lobed short fusiform fruit of all three species suggests that they are members of subgen. Impatiens sect. Uniflorae Hook. f. & Thomson. For I. decurva and I. oblongata, subgenus membership was corroborated by phylogenetic analyses of a combined dataset of nuclear ITS and plastid atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer DNA sequences. This was not possible for I. hartnolliae, which is only known from a single herbarium specimen.

Keywords: Impatiens, Myanmar, Southeast Asia, taxonomy, Uniflorae, Eudicots

FIGURE 2. Impatiens decurva.  A. Lateral view of flower; B. Front view of flower; C. Habit in situ.

Photographs by Saroj Ruchisansakun

1. Impatiens decurva Ruchis. & S.B. Janssens, sp. nov.
Impatiens decurva Ruchis. & S.B. Janssens is similar to I. pendula B. Heyne ex Wight & Arn. (1834: 136) but differs in having congested leaves towards the stem apex, a pilose midrib on the dorsal petal, pink lateral united petals with a white base, an unequally bilobed apex of the lower lateral united petals, and a strongly decurved pedicel in fruiting stage. 

Distribution:— Endemic to Myanmar (Shan State).
 Ecology:— Growing in limestone soils on a mountain summit in open, fragmented evergreen forest, 1500–1600 m elevation.

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the decurved pedicel at the early fruiting stage.

Note:— Impatiens decurva Ruchis. & S.B. Janssens is the only spurless species in Myanmar with solitary flowers and spirally arranged leaves. Although it morphologically resembles I. pendula, I. decurva possesses a distinct characters: the leaves clustered towards the stem apex, a pilose midrib on the dorsal petal, the apex of the lower lateral united petals unequally bilobed, and a pedicel that is strongly decurved from the middle in the early fruiting stage. Impatiens decurva resembles I. muscicola Craib (1926: 162) in morphology. Impatiens muscicola is a species endemic to northern Thailand, and differs from I. decurva in having lower lateral petals with an unequally bilobed apex and a pedicel that is strongly decurved in the middle during the fruiting stage.

FIGURE 5. The type specimen of Impatiens hartnolliae.

 specimens.kew.org 

2. Impatiens hartnolliae Hook. f. ex Ruchis. & Suksathan, sp. nov.

Impatiens hartnolliae Hook. f. ex Ruchis. & Suksathan is most similar to I. allanii Hook. f. (Ridley 1914: 325) but can be distinguished by its possession of a large orbicular sepal and large upper lateral petals.

Distribution:— Endemic to Myanmar (Rakhine state).
Ecology:— Growing in limestone soils.

 Etymology:— The specific epithet is derived from the collector name, H.S. Hartnoll.

Notes:— Impatiens hartnolliae was written by J.D. Hooker on a single specimen sheet kept at Kew but was not validly published as according to Art. 30.1 (McNeill et al. 2012). To recognize Hooker’s work on Impatiens, we used the initial name provided by him to name this new species. The species can be easily distinguished from other species in having a racemose inflorescence, truncate lateral united petals, an emarginate dorsal petal, and a fusiform fruit.

FIGURE 7. Impatiens oblongata. A. Lateral view of flower; B. Front view of flower; C. Habit in situ.

Photographs by Saroj Ruchisansakun

3. Impatiens oblongata Ruchis. & Van der Niet, sp. nov.

Impatiens oblongata Ruchis. & Van der Niet is most similar to I. patula Craib (1926: 164) but can be distinguished by a distinctly shorter spur, broadly oblong upper lateral united petals with a truncate to slightly emarginated apex, and the apex of the lower lateral united petals truncate to slightly bilobed.

Distribution:— Endemic to northeastern Myanmar (Shan State), where it is known only from the type locality.

 Ecology:— Growing in shady areas on a mountain summit in open fragmented evergreen forest, 1500–1600 m elevation.  

 Etymology:— The specific epithet is derived from its broadly oblong upper lateral petals.

 Note:— This species usually has four lateral sepals, rarely two, in contrast to other similar species which have only two sepals, e.g., I. patula, I. violiflora Hook. f. (Hooker 1875: 457), I. curvipes Hook. f. (Hooker 1905: 25 & 32), and I. florulenta.

Saroj Ruchisansakun, Piyakaset Suksathan, Timotheüs van der Niet, Erik F. Smets, Saw Lwin and Steven B. Janssens. 2018. Three New Species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Myanmar. Phytotaxa. 388(1); 63–74.  DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.338.1.5

     

[Botany • 2016] Floral Specialization for Different Pollinators and Divergent Use of the Same Pollinator Among Co-occurring Impatiens Species (Balsaminaceae) from Southeast Asia

Researchers have presented their results on specialization in pollination techniques in flowers of the genus Impatiens. For two months in 2014, they have studied 7 co-occurring species of the genus Impatiens in the Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

 science.naturalis.nl 

 Ruchisansakun, Tangtorwongsakul, Cozien, et al. 2016.

DOI: 10.1111/boj.12427

Floral variation among closely related species is thought to often reflect differences in pollination systems. Flowers of the large genus Impatiens are characterized by extensive variation in colour, shape and size and in anther and stigma positioning, but studies of their pollination ecology are scarce and most lack a comparative context. Consequently, the function of floral diversity in Impatiens remains enigmatic. This study documents floral variation and pollination of seven co-occurring Impatiens spp. in the Southeast Asian diversity hotspot. To assess whether floral trait variation reflects specialization for different pollination systems, we tested whether species depend on pollinators for reproduction, identified animals that visit flowers, determined whether these visitors play a role in pollination and quantified and compared key floral traits, including floral dimensions and nectar characteristics. Experimental exclusion of insects decreased fruit and seed set significantly for all species except I. muscicola, which also received almost no visits from animals. Most species received visits from several animals, including bees, birds, butterflies and hawkmoths, only a subset of which were effective pollinators. Impatiens psittacina, I. kerriae, I. racemosa and I. daraneenae were pollinated by bees, primarily Bombus haemorrhoidalis. Impatiens chiangdaoensis and I. santisukii had bimodal pollination systems which combined bee and lepidopteran pollination. Floral traits differed significantly among species with different pollination systems. Autogamous flowers were small and spurless, and did not produce nectar; bee-pollinated flowers had short spurs and large floral chambers with a wide entrance; and bimodally bee- and lepidopteran-pollinated species had long spurs and a small floral chamber with a narrow entrance. Nectar-producing species with different pollination systems did not differ in nectar volume and sugar concentration. Despite the high frequency of bee pollination in co-occurring species, individuals with a morphology suggestive of hybrid origin were rare. Variation in floral architecture, including various forms of corolla asymmetry, facilitates distinct, species-specific pollen-placement on visiting bees. Our results show that floral morphological diversity among Impatiens spp. is associated with both differences in functional pollinator groups and divergent use of the same pollinator. Non-homologous mechanisms of floral asymmetry are consistent with repeated independent evolution, suggesting that competitive interactions among species with the same pollination system have been an important driver of floral variation among Impatiens spp.

Keywords: autogamy; bee pollination; butterfly pollination; floral asymmetry; nectar robbing; nectar spur; pollen placement; sympatry; tropics

Figure 3. Impatiens flowers, showing variation in colour and shape and floral visitors:

 I. muscicola (A); 
I. santisukii pollinated by Polytremis lubricans lubricans (B) and Bombus haemorrhoidalis (C);
I. racemosa pollinated by B. haemorrhoidalis (D);
I. chiangdaoensis pollinated by Notocrypta curvifascia (E) and visited by a nectar-robbing B. haemorrhoidalis (F);
 I. psittacina pollinated by B. haemorrhoidalis (G);
  I. kerriae pollinated by B. haemorrhoidalis (H) and visited by Apis cerana (I), Macroglossum belis (J), and Aethopyga gouldiae (K).
  I. daraneenae pollinated by an unknown bee species (Apidae) (L).

Black arrow in (A) indicates the typical position of the shed anthers onto the lower lateral united petals, facilitating autonomous self-pollination. All other arrows indicate pollen placement sites on visiting bee species (C, D, G, H, L). Scale bar in (A) represents 1 mm, all other scale bars represent 10 mm.

DOI: 10.1111/boj.12427

Saroj Ruchisansakun, Pornpimon Tangtorwongsakul, Ruth J. Cozien, Erik F. Smets FMLS and Timotheüs van der Niet. 2016. Floral Specialization for Different Pollinators and Divergent Use of the Same Pollinator Among Co-occurring Impatiens Species (Balsaminaceae) from Southeast Asia. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 181(4); 651–666.  DOI: 10.1111/boj.12427

In a study in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, researchers (including 4  from Naturalis) have presented their results on specialization in pollination techniques in flowers of the genus Impatiens. For two months in 2014, they have studied 7 co-occurring species of the genus Impatiens (see video) in the Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Impatiens develops diff. floral shapes to specialize in pollination techniques + avoid competition! Blog+video https://science.naturalis.nl/en/about-us/news/onderzoek/flowers-impatiens-genus-and-their-specialization-pollination-techniques/?platform=hootsuite

https://twitter.com/Naturalis_Sci/status/926074487338098690

[Botany • 2017] Impatiens tanintharyiensis • A New Species (Balsaminaceae) from Southern Myanmar

Impatiens tanintharyiensis  Ruchisansakun, Suksathan & Saw-Lwin 

DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.296.2.6  

Abstract

Impatiens tanintharyiensis Ruchisansakun, Suksathan & Saw-Lwin from the Tanintharyi region of Southern Myanmar is described and illustrated as a new species. The presence of connate lateral united petals and a four-locular ovary, as well as results of molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ITS and plastid atpB-rbcL spacer DNA sequences, suggest that the new species is a member of Impatiens section Semeiocardium (Zoll.) S.X. Yu & Wei Wang. The new species is morphologically most similar to I. spectabilis Triboun & Suksathan, but can be distinguished by its asymmetric flowers, saccate-bucciniform lower sepal, and shorter, slightly incurved spur. Floral traits, including the presence of a large floral chamber with a wide entrance, are consistent with the bee-pollination syndrome in Impatiens. Since I. tanintharyiensis is only known from two small populations, its conservation status is assessed as Endangered.

Keywords: floral asymmetry, Impatiens, lithophyte, Myanmar, Semeiocardium, taxonomy, Eudicots

Impatiens tanintharyiensis  Ruchisansakun, Suksathan & Saw-Lwin

DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.296.2.6 

Impatiens tanintharyiensis Ruchisansakun, Suksathan & Saw-Lwin is morphologically similar to I. spectabilis Triboun & Suksathan but can be distinguished by having asymmetric flowers due to anticlockwise distorted lateral united petals, a saccate-bucciniform lower sepal, and a shorter, slightly incurved spur. 

Type:— MYANMAR. Tanintharyi Region: Dawei, Thet Kal Kwet Village. ...

Distribution:— Endemic to Southern Myanmar (Tanintharyi Region), only known from two localities.

Ecology:— Growing among decaying organic material on low granular metamorphic rock of granitic schist facies (Phongphat Prasong, pers. comm), along a waterfall at 146–155 m above sea level.

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to its locality, the Tanintharyi region of Myanmar.

Common name:— Tanintharyi Dan Pan, Tanintharyi balsam. 

Pollination ecology:— A recent comparative study of floral morphology and pollination ecology demonstrated that the closely related and morphologically similar I. daraneenae, is pollinated by bees (Ruchisansakun et al. 2016). The presence of a large floral chamber with a wide entrance are traits associated with bee pollination in Southeast Asian Impatiens (Ruchisansakun et al. 2016). Based on the traits of the new species, we hypothesize that the new species is also bee-pollinated.

Saroj Ruchisansakun, Piyakaset Suksathan, Timotheüs van der Niet, Saw Lwin and Steven B. Janssens. 2017.  Impatiens tanintharyiensis (Balsaminaceae), A New Species from Southern Myanmar. Phytotaxa.  296(2); 171–179. DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.296.2.6

New Flower Species Found in Tanintharyi
https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/new-flower-species-found-tanintharyi.html

[Botany • 2014] Impatiens suksathanii | เทียนสุขสถาน • A New Species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Southwestern Thailand

เทียนสุขสถาน | Impatiens suksathanii Ruchis. & Triboun.

|| academia.edu

Abstract

Impatiens suksathanii Ruchis. & Triboun, a new species from a limestone area in Kanchanaburi Province in Southwestern Thailand, is described and illustrated. This endemic new species is clearly distinguished from the most similar I. namkatensis T.Shimizu by having sessile to very short petioles, linear, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate laminas, and pale pink flowers. Its conservation status is also assessed as Critically Endangered.

Key words: Kanchanaburi province, Semeiocardium, limestone, endemic species

FIGURE 1. Impatiens suksathanii Ruchis. & Triboun.
A. Habit in limestone crevices at the type locality; B. Detail of a branch with flowers.

Photos by Saroj Ruchisansakun | academia.edu

Taxonomy

 Impatiens suksathanii Ruchis. & Triboun, sp. nov.

 Impatiens suksathanii Ruchis. & Triboun is clearly distinguished from the most similar I. namkatensis T.Shimizu by having sessile to very short petioles, linear, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate laminas,and pale pink flowers.

Type :— THAILAND. Kanchanaburi: Thong Phaphum district, Wat Tha Khanun, on limestone rock, ca. 120 m elevation, 5 August 2008, Suksathan et al. 4325  (holotype BK, isotype QBG)

FIGURE 2. Impatiens suksathanii Ruchis. & Triboun.
A. Habit; B–C. Flowers; D. Outer lateral sepals; E. Lower sepal; F. Dorsal petal; G. Lateral united petals; H. Fruit (B–H. share the same scale bar).

Drawn by Saroj Ruchisansakun | academia.edu

Phenology:— Flowering July to October.

Distribution:— Endemic to Southwestern Thailand (Kanchanaburi province).

Ecology:— Growing in crevices on open limestone cliffs, 100–400 m elevation.

Proposed IUCN conservation assessment:— Critically Endangered (CR B2 ab(iii,v)) following the criteria of IUCN (2012). This species is only known from two small populations from two localities, neither of which currently has any formal protected status. One locality is in the grounds of a temple in Thong Phaphum district that receives a lot of visitors and the other one is in the grounds of a university. Moreover, the entire population is estimated to contain fewer than 100 individuals.

Etymology:— The plant is named in a honour of Dr. Piyakaset Suksathan, an outstanding plant taxonomist from Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in Thailand who has been working on the family Balsaminaceae for the Flora of Thailand for a decade. He also encouraged the first author to start his phylogenetic study on the genus Impatiens for his Master’s degree.

Saroj Ruchisansakun, Pramote Triboun and Thaya Jenjittikul. 2014. A New Species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Southwestern Thailand. Phytotaxa. 174(4): 237–241. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.174.4.5

academia.edu/7815812/A_new_species_of_Impatiens_Balsaminaceae_from_Southwestern_Thailand

Sheng-Xiang Yu, Steven B. Janssens, Xiang-Yun Zhu, Magnus Lidén, Tian-Gang Gao and Wei Wang. 2015. Phylogeny of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae): integrating molecular and morphological evidence into a new classification. Cladistics.  DOI: 10.1111/cla.12119