Abstract
Two new species of Kaempferia L., namely Kaempferia napavarniae Saensouk, P. Saensouk & Boonma, and Kaempferia sakonensis Saensouk, P. Saensouk & Boonma, are discribed here. The production of terminal inflorescences, covered by leaf sheaths, makes both species fall into the subgenus Kaempferia. The first species were found only in Nakhon Sawan Province, Northern Thailand, and the second species were found only in Sakon Nakhon Province, Northeastern Thailand. Living specimens and spirit specimens of both new species were compared to the existing allied species, but they differed and were never reported in taxonomic treatment before. Thus, we claimed both of them as new species to science .... The descriptions with their illustrations, ecology, etymology, distributions, and a revised key to species of Kaempferia subgenus Kaempferia in Thailand for facilitating identification are also prepared.
Keywords: Kaempferia roscoeana, Kaempferia larsenii, Kaempferia maculifolia, Nakhon Sawan, Kaempferia pardi, Sakon Nakhon, taxonomy, Zingiberales
Kaempferia napavarniae Saensouk, P. Saensouk & Boonma, sp. nov.
– subgenus Kaempferia
Diagnosis: The new species is similar to K. roscoeana Wall. but differs in having pubescent leaf sheaths (vs. glabrous leaf sheath); leaf adaxially green with several deep dark green spots, pubescent on both surfaces (vs. leaf adaxially green with mottled dark green, glabrous on both surfaces); bracts triangular and pubescent (vs. oblong and glabrous); calyx 2.5–2.9 cm long, apex mucronate, sparsely hairy (vs. c. 2 cm long, apex bifid, glabrous); anther crest broadly ovate, c. 5.5 × 5 mm(vs. ovate, c. 1.5 × 1.5 mm); epigynous glands c. 10 mm long (vs. c. 3 mm long).
Ecology: It grows in sandy loam soil, well-drained, in the mixed-deciduous forest, at an elevation 200–300 m above sea level.
Etymology: The specific epithet “napavarniae” is chosen to honor Associate Professor Dr. Napavarn Noparatnaraporn, who is a specialist in Biodiversity in Thailand.
Kaempferia sakonensis Saensouk, P. Saensouk & Boonma, sp. nov.
– subgenus Kaempferia
Diagnosis: The new species is similar to K. larsenii Sirirugsain having leafless sheaths sparsely hairy (vs. glabrous); leaf sheaths pubescent (vs. glabrous); petiole sessile (vs. 1 cm long); ligule emarginate, 2.5–3.2 mm long, each lobe apex rounded to truncate, pubescent (vs. broadly triangular, c. 1 mm long, each lobe apex acute, glabrous); number of leaves 2 (vs. 2–4 leaves); lamina ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 12–17 × 4.5–8cm, apex mucronate, base attenuate, upper surface dark red, midrib dark red, lower surface dark red, upper surface glabrous, lower surface pubescent (vs. elliptic-linear to linear, 6–9 × 0.5–1 cm, apex acute, base cuneate, upper surface green or green with various shade of reddish tinged along the veins, midrib green or red, lower surface paler green, both surfaces glabrous); peduncle c. 1 cm long (vs. sessile); bracts lanceolate, 3.5–5 × 0.8–1.5 cm, apex mucronate, mucro c. 1–1.4 mm long, pubescent (vs. linear, c. 3 cm × 0.3 cm, apex acute, glabrous); bracteoles 2.3–3.4 cm long (vs. c. 1.5 cm long); calyx 3.5–3.7 cm long, apex mucronate, white with reddish tinge at apex (vs. c. 3 cm long, apex bifid, white); corolla lobe 2.1–2.4 × 0.38–0.5 cm (vs. c. 1.4 cm × 0.25 cm); dorsal corolla lobe apex mucronate (vs. apex blunt); lateral staminodes 1.67–1.75 × 1.1–1.2 cm (vs. c. 1.4 × 0.7 cm); labellum bilobed, deeply divided about 3/5 of the length, each lobe asymmetrical obcordate or broadly obovate, 2.1–2.2 × 1.55–1.76 cm, pale purple with white at the base, dark purple at sinus to base (vs. bilobed, divided to the base, each lobe obovate, c. 1.7 × 0.7 cm, purplish pink with white at base); filament subsessile, c. 1 mm long (vs. sessile); anther c. 5 mm long (vs. c.2 mm long); anther thecae c. 3 mm long (vs. c.1 mm long); anther crest suborbicular c. 5 × 5 mm, apex emarginate (vs. obovate, c. 3.7 × 2.7 mm, apex rounded); ovary 3.5–4 × 2.5–3 mm (c. 3 × 1 mm); epigynous glands c. 4 mm long (c. 2.5 mm long).
Ecology: It grows in sandy loam soil, well-drained, in the deciduous forest, at an elevation 200–400 m above sea level.
Etymology: The specific epithet is named according to the province name of their natural habitat in Akat Amnuay District, Sakon Nakhon Province, Northeastern Thailand.
Piyaporn Saensouk, Surapon Saensouk and Thawatphong Boonma. 2022. Two New Species of Kaempferia Subgenus Kaempferia (Zingiberaceae: Zingibereae) from Thailand. Biodiversitas. 23: 4343-4354.