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| Capparis montis-aquae Fici & Sy, in Fici et Sy, 2025. |
Summary
Capparis montis-aquae, a new species from limestones of the Da Nang Province, Vietnam, is described and illustrated. The new species is an erect shrub, characterised by complete glabrescence of the vegetative and reproductive parts, the presence of cataphylls at the base of the twigs, stipular thorns straight, small or in some cases lacking, leaves coriaceous, elliptic or narrowly obovate, flowers in lateral or terminal, few-flowered racemes, petals large, white, ovary ribbed and a knob-shaped stigma. The new species is related to C. brachybotrya, a species from Indonesia, but C. brachybotrya differs in slightly recurved thorns, an acuminate leaf apex, up to 20-flowered racemes, puberulous pedicels, longer sepals, shorter petals, puberulous outside, more stamens and a smaller ovary. The affinities of the new species are discussed and its conservation status is provisionally assessed.
Key Words: Capparis sect. Monostichocalyx, diversity, ecology, limestone, Marble Mountains, Thuy Son
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| Capparis montis-aquae. A flowering branch; B flower; C dissected flower showing sepals and petals; D gynophore and ovary. All from Fici et al. 2445 (holotype PAL). drawn by silvio fici. |
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| Capparis montis-aquae. A habitat; B habit, individual plant; C inflorescences; D flower; E flowering branches; F inflorescence, showing flowers at different stages. photos: Silvio Fici. |
Capparis montis-aquae Fici & Sy, sp. nov.
Recognition. Related to Capparis brachybotrya Hallier f., but differs in several characters, such as the stipular thorns straight (vs slightly recurved in C. brachybotrya), leaf apex rounded, acute or retuse (vs acuminate), racemes up to 4-flowered (vs up to 20-flowered), pedicels glabrous (vs puberulous), sepals 8 – 11 mm long (vs c. 11 – 14 mm), petals 20 – 28 mm long, glabrous (vs 12 – 20 mm, puberulous outside), stamens c. 56 – 78 (vs (80 –) 100 – 160) and ovary 3.5 – 4 × 1.5 – 2 mm (vs 2 – 3 × 1 mm).
Etymology. The specific epithet is named after the toponym Thuy Son, meaning “Water Mountain”.
Silvio Fici and Dan Thuong Sy. 2025. Capparis montis-aquae, A New Species of Capparaceae from Da Nang Province, central Vietnam. Kew Bulletin. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12225-025-10293-w [17 June 2025]
