Camellia laotica (Gagnep.) T.L. Ming, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 21(2): 153. 1999.

Zhao, Dongwei, 2024, Taxonomic revision of Camellia (Theaceae) in Thailand, PhytoKeys 239, pp. 29-57 : 29

5. Camellia laotica (Gagnep.) T.L. Ming, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 21(2): 153. 1999.

Thea laotica ≡ Thea laotica Gagnep., Notul. Syst. (Paris) 10: 128. 1942. Lectotype (first-step designated by Sealy [1958: 222]; second-step designated by Zhao et al. [2017a: 176]): LAOS. Savannakhet: entre Lang a xinhxa ne et L. xoan, 10 April 1927, E. Poilane 13693 (P 04511456! Image: https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/p04511456).

Description.

Shrubs up to 5 m tall. New branchlets puberulous; terminal buds pubescent. Petioles 2-5 mm long, puberulous; leaf blades elliptic to oblong, 4-9 × 1-4.3 cm, thinly coriaceous, abaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, especially along midrib, adaxially glabrous, midrib and secondary veins abaxially elevated and adaxially channelled, secondary veins 6-8 on each side of midrib, base attenuate, margin sparsely serrulate, apex attenuate to shortly caudate. Flowers solitary or up to 3 in a cluster. Pedicels 7-14 mm long, glabrous or puberulous at base. Bracteoles 2, opposite or alternate, caducous. Sepals 3-4, persistent, sub-orbicular or broadly ovate, 3-8 × 6-9 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially sericeous, margin ciliolate. Petals 5, white, broadly ovate to obovate, 8-12 × 5-7 mm, glabrous on both surfaces, margin ciliolate. Stamens numerous, 5-7 mm long; filaments glabrous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous. Style 1, 5-7 mm long, glabrous, apically 3-5-lobed for 1-2 mm. Capsule globose, 12-20 mm in diam.; pericarp 2-3 mm thick. Seeds glabrous when immature Fig. 7 .

Phenology.

Flowering October, fruiting April-August.

Distribution and habitat.

Camellia laotica is distributed in the evergreen or mixed deciduous forests at elevations of 400-750 m in Laos and Thailand (Fig. 2 ).

Additional specimens examined.

Ubon Ratchathani: Khong Chiam, Ban Na Klang Pho, Dong Na Tham forest, ca. 400 m, 24 October 1998, Wongprasert s.n. (BKF SN121590, BKF SN121591; Fig. 7 ).

Notes.

Gagnepain (1942) described the species based on three gatherings, including Poilane 13268, 13693 and 13743. Sealy (1958) suggested that Poilane 13268 and 13693 represented C. laotica whereas Poilane 13743 was a distinct species, which was subsequently given a name, C. sealyana T.L. Ming by Ming (1999). Sealy (1958) and Ming (2000) supplied a short description of C. laotica , without the characters of flowers, based on two gatherings (Poilane 13268 & 13693) in Laos. I add an account of flowers and provide a detailed description above.

Camellia laotica is a new record to Thailand. It is represented by a single collection, Wongprasert s.n. at BKF (Fig. 7 ). The specimen was collected in Eastern Thailand, along Thai-Laos border (Fig. 2 ). The leaves of C. laotica in Thailand seem to be narrower than those of the syntypes (Poilane 13268 & 13693) from Laos, and they do not bear cork-warts on the abaxial surface by which C. sealyana (cork-warts present) can be distinguished (Fig. 7 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of Camellia taxa in Thailand: C. caudata (Pink square), C. connata (Purple star), C. furfuracea (Pink plus), C. kissi (Blue dot), C. kissi var. confusa (Brown diamond), C. laotica (Red star), C. sinensis var. assamica (Green triangle), C. suddeeana (Red dot) and C. taliensis (Blue plus).

Figure 7. Dry specimens of Camellia laotica, Wongprasert s. n. at BKF A specimen sheet B branchlet with flower buds C a flower bud D a flower E, F flower fragments showing sepals and gynoecia. Scale bars: 5 mm (C, D); 3 mm (E, F). The minimum graduation of the rulers in A, B represents 1 mm.