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| Microchirita maxima Triboun, Thamwanna & Kaewkarn, in Triboun, Kaewkarn, Thamwanna, Khorngton et Middleton, 2025. หยาดไวยบุตร || https://journal.NSM.or.th |
Abstract
A new species of Microchirita from Northern Thailand, Microchirita maxima Triboun, Thamwanna & Kaewkarn, is described and illustrated. It is diagnosed against the other species in Thailand with axillary bracteate inflorescences. Their seed morphologies are also provided.
Keywords: new species, limestone, Microchirita, Gesneriaceae, Thailand
Microchirita maxima Triboun, Thamwanna & Kaewkarn sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Microchirita maxima is similar to M. glandulosa C.Puglisi, M. involucrata (Craib) Yin Z.Wang and M. rupestris (Ridl.) A.Weber & Rafidah in having bracteate inflorescences. It differs from M. glandulosa and M. rupestris by having a generally taller stem, the bracts are free (vs joined across the stem at the very base in M. glandulosa and fused into a tube in M. rupestris), often longer pedicels (5–35 mm long in M. maxima vs 8–12 mm long in M. glandulosa and 0.1–15 mm long in M. rupestris), and a yellow stripe on the ventral surface of the corolla (vs lacking in M. glandulosa and M. rupestris). It also differs from Microchirita involucrata in the bract margin (serrate or serrulate in M. maxima vs entire in M. involucrata), wider calyx lobes (1.4–1.5 mm wide in M. maxima vs 0.7–1.4 mm in M.
involucrata) and the paler purplish flowers.
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the large size of the plant and the rather tall stem.
Vernacular. Yad wai ya but (หยาดไวยบุตร), name given here.
Pramote Triboun, Theerawat Kaewkarn, Supitcha Thamwanna, Sirinan Khorngton and David J. Middleton. 2025. Microchirita maxima, A New Species of Microchirita (Gesneriaceae) from Thailand. Thailand Natural History Museum Journal. 19(1): 1–7. https://journal.NSM.or.th/en/node/262
