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| Syzygium triflorum T.T.Hoang, Kim Thanh, S.Tagane & D.H.Cuong, in Cuong, Thanh, Hiep, Huyen, Hoang et Tagane, 2025. |
Abstract
Syzygium triflorum T.T.Hoang, Kim Thanh, S.Tagane & D.H.Cuong, sp. nov., from Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, Vietnam, is described and illustrated. The new species is distinguished from related species, Syzygium skiophilum, by its having 4-angled and reddish-grey twigs, oblong leaves with an attenuate apex, less secondary veins of 26–30 pairs, exclusively axillary inflorescences, lanceolate-ovate bracts, sessile flowers, obconical hypanthium (slightly pyriform in flower buds) and more stamens of 18–28. The flowers and fruits were observed in the rainy season, July 2024. This new species grows under a mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forest dominated by Dacrydium elatum and Dacrycarpus imbricatus.
Key words: Flora, Indochina, Kon Chu Rang Nature Reserve, Myrtales
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| Syzygium triflorum T.T.Hoang, Kim Thanh, S.Tagane & D.H.Cuong A immature fruit in lateral view B immature fruits in top view C hypanthia in lateral view (after petals and most stamens had fallen off) D hypanthia with calyx disc and styles in top view (after petals and most stamens had fallen off) E inflorescence in top view, showing flowers before anthesis (left and right) F inflorescence in lateral view (3 flowers in cluster) G leafy branches H leaves, adaxial (upper) and abaxial (bottom) surface. Photos: H. T. Truong and H. C. Dang. |
Syzygium triflorum T.T.Hoang, Kim Thanh, S.Tagane & D.H.Cuong, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Syzygium triflorum could be confused with S. skiophilum (Duthie) Airy Shaw distributed in Thailand, Malay Peninsula and Borneo (Airy Shaw 1949; Parnell and Chantaranothai 2002; Ashton 2011). Generally, S. triflorum is similar to S. skiophilum because they both show small tree habit and short cymose inflorescences with tiny flowers. However, S. triflorum differs from S. skiophilum in having 4-angled and reddish-grey twigs (vs. terete and blackish-brown in S. skiophilum), oblong leaf blades (vs. elliptic-lanceolate, obovate or oblanceolate), fewer secondary veins (26–30 pairs vs. ca. 45 or 14–18 pairs), exclusively axillary inflorescences (vs. temirnal and axillary), lanceolate-ovate bracts (vs. linear), sessile or subsessile flower (vs. with short pseudostalk ca. 1 mm long), obconical hypanthium (slightly pyriform in flower buds) (vs. funnel-shaped) and more stamens (18–28 vs. 8 stamens) (Table 1, Fig. 3).
Etymology. The species epithet refers to its number of flowers in a inflorescence, which is usually in a cluster of three.
Vernacular. Trâm ba hoa (three-flowered syzygium),
Trâm hoa nhỏ (tiny-flowered syzygium)
Dang Hung Cuong, Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Nguyen Huu Hiep, Dang Ngoc Huyen, Thanh Truong Hoang and Shuichiro Tagane. 2025. Syzygium triflorum (Myrtaceae), A New Species from Vietnam. PhytoKeys. 255: 75-83. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.255.143043
