Kaempferia noctiflora Nopporncharoenkul & Jenjitt., 2017

Nopporncharoenkul, Nattapon & Jenjittikul, Thaya, 2017, Kaempferia noctiflora (Zingiberaceae), a new species from Northern Thailand, Phytotaxa 316 (1), pp. 67-72 : 67-70

Kaempferia noctiflora Nopporncharoenkul & Jenjitt. , sp. nov.

Similar to Kaempferia rotunda in its flowers and inflorescences, but differs in the nocturnal anthesis, pure white flowers and pale green to tinged purplish red leaves, usually with purplish red patch along the midvein.

Type:— THAILAND. Chiang Mai: Mae On, 600–610 m elevation, 23 May 2015, Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul NNSB-340 (holotype BKF, isotypes E, SING, QBG, Suan Luang Rama IX herbarium (include spirit)) Fig. 1 , 2 & 3 .

Perennial herb. Rhizome subglobose, ca. 1.2 cm long, ca. 1.3 cm in diameter; roots fibrous-fusiform with terminal tubers, 1.5–3.5 cm long, 0.8–1.0 cm in diameter. Leafy shoot 5–12 cm tall with 3–4 leaves; pseudostem erect, 3.0– 4.5 cm long; bladeless sheaths 1–2, 3.0– 4.5 cm long, green to purplish red, apex rounded, hairy; ligule broadly triangular, 2–3 mm long, pale green to purplish red, hairy, membranous; petiole short, ca. 1 cm long, pale green to purplish red, with a few sparse hairs; lamina ovate to elliptic, 10–17 × 7–10 cm; adaxially pale green to tinged purplish red, usually with tinged purplish red patch along the midvein, slightly plicate, glabrous; abaxially purplish red, pubescent; base acute; margin entire to slightly crenate, light purple band along the margin; apex acuminate to cuspidate. Inflorescence emerging directly from rhizome before the leafy shoots, fusiform-ovoid, ca. 3.5 cm long, ca. 1.2 cm in diameter; peduncle subsessile to 1 cm long, glabrous; bracts ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 1.0–3.5 × 2.0–3.0 cm, apex acute to acuminate, green sometimes with purple at apex, hairy; bracteoles lanceolate, ca. 1.7 cm × 6 mm, apex bilobed, apex of each lobe acute, glabrous. Flowers 3–7; calyx tubular, 5.0– 5.6 cm long, ca. 5 mm in diameter, slightly trilobed with 2 small teeth at apex, split on one side 7–10 mm long from apex, pale yellow, glabrous, membranous; corolla tube 6.5–7.0 cm long, ca. 2 mm in diameter, white, glabrous; dorsal corolla lobe lanceolate-oblong, 4.0– 4.5 cm × 4–5 mm, apex aristate (ca. 4 mm long), hooded, white, glabrous; lateral corolla lobes lanceolate-oblong, 3.5–4.0 cm × 4–5 mm, apex aristate to acute, slightly concave, white, glabrous; lateral staminodes erect with deflexed distal half of the labellum, oblong-elliptic, 3.0–4.0 × 1.2–1.5 cm, apex acute, white; labellum broadly obovate, bilobed divided to 1/2– 2/3 of labellum length, 3.5–4.0 × 2.2–3.5 cm, sinus ca. 2 cm in depth, pure white or white with pale yellow patch from the base to sinus; each lobe obovate, 2.0–2.3 × 1.5–1.6 cm, apex acute, round to slightly bilobed, partly overlapping. Stamen 12–15 mm long; filament flat, ca. 1.0–2.0 mm × 1.6–2.2 mm, white, glabrous; anther thecae 5.0–6.0 × 1.0– 1.2 mm; anther crest oblong, 7–10 × 3–5 mm, apex shallowly bilobed to deeply to the anther crest base, apex of each lobe acute to acuminate. Pistil ca. 8 cm long. Ovary cylindrical, ca. 6 mm long, ca. 2–2.3 mm in diameter, trilocular, creamy yellow, sparsely hairy; ovules numerous, placentation axile; stylodial glands 2, filiform, 4–5 mm long, creamy yellow. Style ca. 7 cm long. Stigma crateriform, 2.5–3.0 mm × 1.5 mm, stigma cup margin ciliate at front and sparsely hairy at back. Fruits ellipsoid, 1.8–2.0 × 0.8–1.0 cm, yellowish green to green, trivalvate capsule, glabrous. Seeds 12–19(–28) per capsule, obovoid to ellipsoid, 5.0–7.5 × 2.0–3.0 mm, dull greenish yellow to brown, partly coated with fleshy white laciniate aril.

Phenology:— Flowering occurs from late May to June at the beginning of the rainy season while seed maturation occurs around July. Leaves emerge in June around two weeks after the end period of flowering.

Ecology:— This species grows on clay loamy soil with decayed rocks in the shade in dry deciduous forest on hills at 400–650 m elevation.

Distribution & IUCN preliminary assessment:— Kaempferia noctiflora is endemic to Northern Thailand. Currently, four populations have been found, all in Chiang Mai province. The population size is around a few hundred adult individuals in each locality. However, several populations of this species have been found in community forests and agricultural plantations. Therefore, this endemic new taxon should be considered as vulnerable (VU D1) following the categories and criteria of IUCN version 11 (2014).

Etymology:— The specific epithet “ noctiflora ” refers to the blooming time. The flowers open fully at night (around 7 P. M.).

Vernacular names and uses: —This species is locally called “Proh Bai Muang” [Proh = Peacock ginger ( Kaempferia ), Bai Muang = purple leaves]. The name refers to the leaf colour of this species which is usually tinged purplish red on the upper surface, particularly along the midvein, and purplish red lower surface. Young rolled leaves are eaten as a fresh vegetable or cooked in traditional food.

Additional specimens examined:— THAILAND. Chiang Mai: Mae Rim, 13 June 2015, Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul, NNSB-361 (BKF). Phrao, 4 June 2016, Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul, NNSB-463 (BKF). Mae On, 11 June 2016, Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul, NNSB-465 (BKF, QBG). Mueang Chiang Mai, 13 June 2016, Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul, NNSB-468 (BKF, QBG).

Note: — Kaempferia noctiflora is another precocious flowering Kaempferia species from Northern Thailand, belonging to subgen. Protanthium. It is closely similar to K. rotunda in habit and its flowers, but differs in having pure white flowers with nocturnal anthesis which wither before early morning, whereas K. rotunda is a diurnal species (flowers fully open around 7 A.M.). The leaves of K. noctiflora are unique and obviously distinguished from other Kaempferia species by their ovate to elliptic laminae, pale green to tinged purplish red on upper surface, usually with tinged purplish red patch along the midvein, and purplish red lower surface. The morphological characters of K. noctiflora , K. rotunda and K. grandifolia are compared and shown in Table 1 and a key to the precocious flowering Kaempferia species of Thailand is also provided.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Kaempferia noctiflora. A. Natural habitat (arrow shows K. noctiflora). B. Inflorescences. C. Leaves with a tinged purplish red patch along the midvein. D. Flower (fully opens at dusk around 7 P.M.). E. Mature fruit and seeds. Photographed by N. Nopporncharoenkul.

FIGURE 2. Kaempferia noctiflora. A. Inflorescence and flowers. B. Whole plant. C. Flower (side and front views). D. Flower dissection (from left): flower without corolla lobes, staminodes and labellum (front and side views), calyx, corolla tube (with ovary and anther), corolla lobe (cl), lateral staminode (ls) and labellum (l). E. Detail of anther and anther crest (front, back and side views). F. Detail of pistil (from left): pistil, stigma and style (front and side views) and ovary with stylodial glands. G. Fruit and seeds with white aril. Photographed by N. Nopporncharoenkul.

FIGURE 3. Kaempferia noctiflora. A. Flower in front view. B. Calyx tube. C. Dorsal corolla lobe. D. Lateral corolla lobe. E. Lateral staminode. F. Labellum. G. Detail of anther and anther crest (front, back and side views). H. Detail of stigma (front, back and side views). I. Detail of ovary and stylodial glands (front, back and side views). Drawn by T. Jenjittikul.