Caulokaempferia burttii K. Larsen & Jenjitt.
• White-flowered Caulokaempferia from Southern Laos
Synonym: Jirawongsea burttii (K.Larsen & Jenjitt.) Picheans.
A new species of Caulokaempferia (Zingiberaceae) from Laos
K . LARSEN & T . JENJITTIKUL
Abstract: The genus Caulokaempferia (Zingiberaceae) is recorded for the first time from Laos with the description and illustration of the new species C. burttii.
Keywords: Caulokaempferia, Laos, new species, Zingiberaceae.
I N T R O D U C T I O N
The genus Caulokaempferia K. Larsen (Zingiberaceae) consists of a dozen tiny species from humid environments: mossy rocks along streams, wet rock walls and swampy areas. It was established by the first author (Larsen, 1964) and further species were described by Larsen & Smith (1972) and Larsen (1973). Intensive collecting in recent years in the mountainous regions of northern Thailand and Myanmar has revealed a number of undescribed species of Caulokaempferia (Larsen, 2003). Recently, material of an undescribed species collected in Laos was discovered at the flower market in Bangkok, where it had been brought by local traders from Champassak Province in Laos.
Caulokaempferia has now been recorded from northern India, Bhutan, northern Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Named in honour of B.L. Burtt who, through his comprehensive taxonomic and biogeographic studies of Zingiberaceae, has contributed immensely to a better understanding of the diversity of the family in SE Asia.
Distribution. So far known only from the type collection from the Bolovens Plateauin Champassak Province. It is also said by local market traders to have been found in Attopeu Province covering the eastern slopes of the Bolovens Plateau, but the authors have not seen any material from there.
Larsen, K, T Jenjittikul. 2004. A new species of Caulokaempferia (Zingiberaceae) from Laos. Edinburgh J.Bot. vol. 60: 3, pp. 509-512. : http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/Abstract/53005863.pdf
