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| Curcuma princeps Soonthornk. & Škorničk. in Soonthornkalump, Puangpairote, Niwesrat, Ongsakul et Leong-Škorničková, 2025. กระเจียวชมพูสิรินธร | Tropical Natural History. Supplement 8 |
Abstract
Curcuma princeps, a new species from the Curcuma subgen. Curcuma (Zingiberaceae: Zingiberoideae) from southwestern Thailand is described and illustrated. For the diagnostic purpose it is compared to the morphologically closest species Curcuma petiolata. Detailed description based on living flowering material, colour plates, notes on the distribution, habitat and phenology are provided. The provisional IUCN conservation status is proposed as Endangered for this species, based on the IUCN guidelines and criteria.
Keywords: Curcuma petiolata, Kanchanaburi, Sangkhla Buri, subgenus Curcuma, Zingiberoideae
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| Curcuma princeps Soonthornk. & Škorničk. A.Plant habit (inset: close up of an inflorescence); B. Rhizome with slender lateral branch; C.Detail of stamen from front, back and side views; the base of filament includes4 mm of androecial tube; D.Flower dissection, from left: bracteole, flower, calyx, ovary with epigynous glands attached, floral tube (longitudinally dissected), lateral staminodes with dorsal lobe in between (upper part), lateral lobes with labellum in between (lower part) and stamen in the centre. Basal part of labellum, staminodes and filament include ca. 4 mm of androecial tube. Scale bars: A= 10 cm, B= 2 cm, C= 3 mm, D= 1 cm. All from type. Photographed by Sutthinut Soonthornkalump. |
Curcuma princeps Soonthornk. & Škorničk. sp. nov.
Diagnosis.–Similar to Curcuma petiolata Roxb.in colour and shape of the flowers, but differs by the size of the main rhizome 2–3.5 × 2–3 cm and lateral branches long, slender and horizontally creeping, up to 0.5–1.1 cm in diam. (vs main rhizome 5–8 × 3–5 cm, lateral branches short, 1.5–2 cm in diam., arranged in palmate pattern and usually pointing upwards), lamina 17–31.5 × 10–16 cm, adaxially glabrous, abaxially densely puberulous (vs lamina 25–45 × 12–23 cm, glabrous on both sides or with a few hairs along secondary veins), thyrse not longer than 12 cm, composed of 12–15 fertile bracts and 4–5 comabracts (vs thyrse 13–30 × 6–8 cm, composed of 20–50 fertile bracts and 5–10 coma bracts), cincinnus 1–4 flowers (vs cincinnus of 3–6 flowers) (Table 1).
Sutthinut Soonthornkalump, Tidarat Puangpairote, Sira Niwesrat, Annop Ongsakul and Jana Leong-Škorničková. 2025. Curcuma princeps (Zingiberaceae), A New Species from Southwestern Thailand. Tropical Natural History. Supplement 8; 182-187 [2025-10-14]
