DSpace at VNU: Orchidantha stercorea sp nov (Lowiaceae) from Vietnam

All protologues and type specimens and other herbarium material of closely related species have been examined at K, P, SING, VNM, but the new material did not match any Orchidantha so fa

Orchidantha stercorea sp nov (Lowiaceae) from Vietnam

Hu˜’u Ða˘ng Traˆ`n and Jana Leong-Sˇkornicˇkova´

H Ð Traˆ`n (tranhuudang@gmail.com), Univ of Science, Vietnam National Univ., 227 Nguyen Van Cu, Q5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

J Leong-Sˇkornicˇkova´, the Herbarium, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, 259569 Singapore

Orchidantha stercorea H Ð Traˆ`n & Sˇkornicˇk (Lowiaceae), a new species from the Kha´nh Ho`a province, Vietnam is described and illustrated It is related to two other species known from Indochina, O laotica K Larsen and O vietnamica

K Larsen A tabulated comparison as well as a key to the species are provided An improved description and colour plates

of O vietnamica, which was earlier described from poor herbarium material only, is also included

The family Lowiaceae with a single genus Orchidantha is

native to southeast Asia with the highest diversity of species

in Borneo So far, 18 species has been described from south

China (Wu 1964, 1997, Fang and Qin 1996), Laos (Larsen

1961), Vietnam (Larsen 1973), Thailand (Larsen 1961,

Jenjittikul and Larsen 2002), Malaysia (Scortechini 1886,

Ridley 1893, 1924, Schumann 1900, Henderson 1933,

Holttum 1970), Singapore (Holttum 1970), and Borneo

(Larsen 1993, Nagamasu and Sakai 1999, Pedersen 2001)

Lowiaceae comprises herbs growing in lowland evergreen

forests and sometimes also in clearings (Larsen 1998) The

species tend to have rather small areas of distribution

(Pedersen 2001)

During exploration of central Vietnam in August 2008

and September 2009, the first author found an Orchidantha

species growing in a moist and shady area in a bamboo

forest, near a waterfall All protologues and type specimens

and other herbarium material of closely related species have

been examined at (K), (P), (SING), (VNM), but the new

material did not match any Orchidantha so far described

Only two other species have been described from

Indochina, i.e O laotica K Larsen and O vietnamica K

Larsen, both based on herbarium material only The

description of Orchidantha laotica (Larsen 1961) was based

on Kerr’s collection from near Vientiane (A F G Kerr

21284, K!) Orchidantha vietnamica was described a decade

later (Larsen 1973) from rather poor herbarium material

consisting of a single sheet, which included only two leaves

and a single flower (M Schmid s.n 9 Nov 1960, holotype:

P!) In 2008 during our fieldwork for ‘Flora of Cambodia,

Laos and Vietnam’, we re-collected Orchidantha vietnamica

from the type locality in Da Hoai (Tran et al 51; E, P,

RUPP, SING, VNM, Natl Univ of Laos) To aid in

identification of Orchidantha species in Vietnam, we also

include here a detailed description and colour plates of

O vietnamica

Orchidantha stercoreaH Ð Traˆ`n & Sˇkornicˇk

sp nov (Fig 1) Orchidanthae laoticae similis, sed elatior (ad 120 cm vs

80 cm); petioli ad 70 cm longi (vs ad 45 cm); bractea ovarii extensione aequilonga vel brevior (vs longior); petalum laterale asymmetricum, margine in parte exteriore in dimidio superiori dentato (vs symmetricum, margine apicem versus dentato); labellum 3.3
3.9 cm longum, atroviolaceum ad medio nigro accedens, basi macula luteocremea (vs 2.0
2.5 cm longum, brunneum vitis flavidis)

Type: Vietnam, Kha´nh Ho`a Province, Yang Bay waterfall, 80
100 m a.s.l., 12811?12.8ƒN, 108854?54.4ƒE, 20 Sep

2009, Tran 192 (holotype: VNM, isotype: SING)

English translation of Latin diagnosis

Similar to O laotica, but taller (up to 120 cm vs 80 cm), petioles up to 70 cm (vs up to 45 cm), floral bract as long as

or shorter than ovary extension (vs bract longer than ovary extension), lateral petal asymmetric, margin toothed at upper half on outer side (vs symmetric, margin toothed at the tip), labellum 3.3
3.9 cm long, dark violet approaching black towards the middle, with a yellow
cream patch at base (vs labellum 2.0
2.5 cm long, brown with yellowish stripes)

Rhizomatous herb Rhizome erect, ca 0.8 cm in diameter, light brown externally, cream white internally Stem short, embedded in the ground Leafy shoot 60
120 cm tall Leaves 5
8 per shoot; petiole 21
70 0.4
0.6 cm, green, glabrous; lamina ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, unequal, 28
50 8

12 cm, green on both sides, shiny, glabrous, coriaceous, attenuate at base, acute at apex, with mid-vein pale green, impressed above, prominent beneath Inflorescence central, branched, embedded in the ground Flowers with smell similar to dung Bracts ovate, 0.9
2.4 0.5
1.2 cm, cream

Nordic Journal of Botany 28: 299
303, 2010 doi: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2009.00704.x,

#The Authors Journal compilation # Nordic Journal of Botany 2010 Subject Editor: Henrik Ærenlund Pedersen Accepted 14 January 2010

Figure 1 Orchidantha stercorea H Ð Traˆ`n & Sˇkornicˇk sp nov (A) habit, (B) close-up of flower with a dung bee, (C) close-up of ovary, stigmas in different angles, anthers and lateral petals, (D) flower dissection

to brownish, glabrous Floral bract ovate, 3.0
3.2 1.5

2.1 cm, cream at base, tinged maroon towards apex,

glab-rous Ovary ovate to obovate, 7
83
4 mm, cream, glabrous,

3-locular, with axillary placentation Ovary extension 3.0

3.2 0.20
0.25 cm, cream, glabrous Dorsal sepal

ovate-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, apex mucronate, 3.5
3.9 1.2
1.6

cm, cream with a red tinged patch in the middle abaxially,

glabrous, arching, forming a claw-like structure Lateral

sepals ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, apex mucronate,

over-lapping and forming a boat-shaped structure that supports

the labellum, 3.4
4.1 1.1
1.5 cm, cream at base, greenish

or maroon towards apex, glabrous Lateral petals asymmetric

obovate, margin toothed in upper half on the outer side,

15
17 4.0
4.5 mm, dark violet, glabrous, covering

sta-men and style Labellum boat-shaped with main veins

elevated above, 3.3
3.9 1.0
1.4 cm, dark violet

app-roaching black towards the middle, with a yellow
cream

patch at base, turning dark brown with age, glabrous

Stamens five, 7
8 mm long, filament 3.5
4.0 mm, cream,

glabrous, anther thecae 3.5
4.0 mm, dehiscing

longitudin-ally, glabrous, introse Style 4.5
7.0 mm long, cream,

glabrous, stigma 3-lobed, median lobe 6
7 0.8
1.0 mm,

lateral lobes 5.0
6.7 1.8
2.5 mm, overlapping each

other, cream, all finely fimbriate at margin Secretion tissue

cordate, 3.0
3.5 2.0
2.6 mm, brownish, decurrent along

the style Fruit not seen

The measurements and descriptions provided are based

on living and spirit material Tran 192 (holotype: VNM,

isotype: SING) and Tran 120 (SING)

Habitat, ecology, phenology, etymology and conservation

status

Growing as an undergrowth in bamboo forests near the

Yang Bay waterfall, 80
100 m a.s.l Prefers moist habitat

Flowering occurs in Aug
Sep, fruiting not seen The

specific epithet is derived from the Latin word ‘stercoreus’

and relates to the rather unpleasant dung-like smell of the

flowers, which attracts dung flies No vernacular names or

uses are known Proposed IUCN conservation assessment:

‘Data Deficient’ (DD), based on the fact that Orchidantha

stercorea is only known from the type locality (IUCN 2001)

Similar species

Orchidantha stercorea is similar to O vietnamica and

O laotica Its differences from O laotica were elaborated above in the diagnosis Orchidantha vietnamica is smaller than O stercorea, reaching only 80 cm (vs 120 cm) and has shorter petioles (10
27 cm vs up to 70 cm) However, the flowers of O vietnamica are twice as big and the flower parts are more slender The colouration of the flowers is similar in the two species, but the lateral petals of

O vietnamica are whitish cream with slight violet tinge, while those of O stercorea are dark violet For more details see Table 1, Fig 1, 2

Orchidantha vietnamicaK Larsen (1973,

pp 345
350, Pha

˙m 2003, p 432, our Fig 2) Rhizomatous herb with short stem embedded in the ground Leafy shoot up to 80 cm tall Leaves ca 8 per shoot; petiole 10
27 0.6
0.8 cm, green, glabrous; lamina lanceolate, unequal, 30
44 6
9 cm, green on both sides, shiny, glabrous, coriaceous, attenuate at base, acute at apex; mid-vein pale green, impressed above, prominent beneath Inflorescence central, embedded in the ground Flower with rotten beef smell Bracts obovate, 1.2
4.00.7
1.8 cm, cream Floral bract lanceolate, 5.0
6.5 1.0
1.5 cm, red tinged, glabrous Ovary ovate to obovate, ca 7
8 2.5
3.0

mm, cream, glabrous, 3-locular, with axillary placentation Ovary extension ca 7
80.25
0.30 cm, cream, glabrous Dorsal sepal narrow lanceolate, 6.4
7.6 1.3
1.4 cm, cream, dark cream at apex, glabrous Lateral sepals lanceolate, overlapping and forming a boat-shaped structure that supports the labellum, 7.5
8.0 1.2
1.4 cm, cream, dark cream at apex, glabrous Lateral petals asymmetric obovate, margin toothed in upper half on outer side, 15

17 2.0
4.5 mm, whitish cream with patches tinged with violet, glabrous, covering stamen and style Labellum lanceolate with main veins elevated above, 6.5
7.8  2.0
2.2 cm, violet approaching dark violet towards the

Table 1 Comparison of characters of Orchidantha stercorea sp nov., O laotica and O vietnamica.

Characters O stercorea O laotica O vietnamica

Leafy shoot (cm) up to 120 up to 80 up to 80

Petiole (cm) up to ca 70 up to 45 10
27

Lamina (cm) 28
508
12, ovate-lanceolate to

lanceolate, unequal

35
5010
15, lanceolate, unequal 30
446
9, lanceolate,

unequal Floral bract (cm) 3.0
3.21.5
2.1 ca 41 5.0
6.51.0
1.5

Ovary extension (cm) 3.0
3.2, cream ca 2.5, greenish white 7
8, cream

Dorsal sepal (cm) 3.5
3.91.2
1.6, ovate

lanceolate to lanceolate

ca 30.5, linear lanceolate 6.4
7.61.3
1.4, narrow

lanceolate Lateral petals (mm) 15
174.0
4.5, asymmetric

obovate, margin toothed in upper half on outer side, dark violet

ca 104, symmetric, margin toothed at tip

15
172.0
4.5, asymmetric, margin toothed in upper half on outer side, whitish cream with violet tinged patches

Labellum (cm) 3.3
3.91.0
1.4, dark violet

approaching black towards the middle, with a yellow
cream patch

at base, boat-shaped

2.0
2.5, brown with yellowish stripes, boat-shaped

6.5
7.82.0
2.2, violet approaching dark violet towards

the middle, lanceolate

Figure 2 Orchidantha vietnamica K Larsen (A) habit, (B) close-up of flower, (C) close-up of stigmas in different angles, anthers, lateral petals and seeds, (D) close-up of lateral petals with stigma, (E) flower dissection and fruit

middle, turning brown with age, glabrous Stamens five,

8
10 mm long; filament 2.5
3.0 mm, cream, glabrous;

anther thecae 5.0
5.5 mm, dehiscing longitudinally,

glab-rous, introse Style ca 7
9 mm long, white, glabrous;

stigma 3-lobed, median lobe 6.5
7.0 0.6
0.7 mm, lateral

lobes 5.5
6.0 1.2
1.3 mm, cream, all fimbriate at

margin Secretion tissue cordate, ca 3.5 2.1 mm, whitish

cream, decurrent along the style Fruit ovate, ca 2.8 1.5

cm, tinged with red, glabrous, dehiscing longitudinally

Seed globose, 3
4 mm in diameter, brown, shortly hairy;

aril filiform, white Both flowering and fruiting occurs in

Jun
Jul

The measurements and descriptions provided are based

on living and spirit material Tran et al 51 (E, P, RUPP,

SING, VNM, Natl Univ of Laos)

Key toOrchidanthaspecies in Vietnam and Laos

1 Labellum
6.5 cm long; ovary extension
7 cm

long .O vietnamica

Labellum B4 cm long; ovary extension B3.2 cm

long 2

2 Plant up to 80 cm; petiole up to 45 cm long; floral

bract longer than ovary extension; lateral petal

sym-metric, margin toothed in upper half on both sides;

labellum 2.0
2.5 cm long, brown with yellowish stripes

O laotica

Plant up to 120 cm; petiole up to 70 cm long; floral

bract as long or shorter than ovary extension; lateral

petal asymmetric, margin toothed in upper half on

outer side; labellum 3.3
3.9 cm long, dark violet with a

yellow-cream patch at base O stercorea

Acknowledgements
The first author thanks Singapore Botanic

Gardens for financial support to visit the herbarium for the current

study; Prof Le Cong Kiet and Dr Tran Triet for their

encouragement; Prof Nguyen Thien Tich for guiding, survey in

central Vietnam and his support We thank curators of the K, P,

SING and VNM herbaria for letting us examine specimens in

their care, SEP project 350 for funding Zingiberaceae expedition

2008 in Vietnam We are grateful to Dr J F Veldkamp (L) for

translating the diagnosis into Latin The Asian Zingiberaceae

Information Centre at the Singapore Botanic Gardens is acknowl-edged for providing protologues and related references

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