Geocharis globosa Zulaspita & Nurainas, 2024

Nurainas, Nurainas, Zulaspita, Witri, Febriamansyah, Thoriq Alfath, Syamsuardi, Syamsuardi & Poulsen, Axel Dalberg, 2024, A recircumscription of Geocharis (Zingiberaceae) as a result of the discovery of a new species in Sumatra, Indonesia, PhytoKeys 244, pp. 15-22 : 15-22

Geocharis globosa Zulaspita & Nurainas sp. nov.

Fig. 2

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to G. aurantiaca , G. rubra and G. radicalis by the flowers spreading in all directions from an erect flowering shoot but differs from all of these by the labellum being incised only halfway from apex (not deeply or completely divided), and having a smooth and glabrous surface to the ovary and globose fruits (Table 2 ).

Type.

Indonesia. West Sumatera province, Tanah Datar District, Andaleh village , 0 ° 26 ' 38.96 " N, 100 ° 27 ' 20.41 " E, 1149 m elevation, 26 March 2022, Witri Zulaspita et al. WZ 29 (Holotype ANDA; isotype SING) .

Description.

Terrestrial, evergreen herb, forming clumps of 3–5 leafy shoots. Rhizome subterranean, 0.5–1.0 cm diam., aromatic; scales triangular, 4–6 × 2.5–3 cm, longitudinally ribbed, pale red with whitish green when fresh, pale brown when dry, lanate. Leafy shoots 2–2.5 m tall, 8–21 leaves per shoot, 13–15 cm apart; base 3.0– 3.5 cm diam., bright pink; sheath dark green with irregular small horizontal white bars joining the longitudinal ribs, pubescent; ligule shortly bilobed, to 1.5 cm long, dark green, tomentose; petiole canaliculate, 1.0– 1.5 cm long, green, glabrous; lamina narrowly ovate to oblong-elliptic, 48–58 × 9–10 cm, green adaxially and pale green abaxially, longitudinal ribbed, puberulent above, pubescent abaxially at margin, base attenuate, margin entire, apex caudate (1.5–2 cm long). Flowering shoot arising from rhizome, 10–14 cm distance from the base of the leafy shoot, ascending to erect, 10–25 cm long with 10–45 flowers distributed evenly in all directions, 5–15 flowers open at a time, rachis 7–15 long; peduncle 3–8 × 0.5 cm, red, glabrous; peduncular bract broadly ovate, 1.5–3 × 1–1.5 cm, pale red with irregular small horizontal white bars joining the longitudinal ribs, apex subapically mucronate; floral bract soon falling off, narrowly elliptic, 5–9.5 × 2.0– 3.5 cm, reddish-brown, glabrous, subapically mucronate. Bracteole narrowly elliptic, slit to base on one side, 5–7 mm long, transparent, caducous, apex irregularly bilobed, glabrous. Flower slender, 5–6 cm long; flowering pedicel 0.5–2 cm long, red, glabrous; calyx tubular, 2.0–2.5 × 0.5 cm, trilobed, puberulent, red; corolla tube 2.0–2.5 × 0.3 cm, bright pink, hirsute; dorsal corolla lobe oblong-elliptic, 1.5–2.0 × 0.5 cm, apex rounded, yellowish to red, glabrous, lateral corolla lobes oblong-elliptic, 1.5 cm × 0.3 cm, apex rounded, yellowish-red, glabrous; staminal tube ca. 5 mm long; labellum linear, bilobed, split half from apex, 10–15 × 4–5 mm, crimson with yellow edges, apex obtuse, glabrous; stamen 23–28 mm, reddish yellow, glabrous; filament 18–22 × 6–10 mm (incl. fusion with staminodes) free part 2–3 mm long, flattened, lateral staminodes tooth-like, ca. 2 mm long, pale violet, glabrous; anther 5–6 × 3–4 mm, white, puberulent, thecae, dehiscent through their entire length, pubescent; anther crest rounded, c. 1 mm long, slightly trilobed, dark-red, glabrous; ovary globose, 7 × 7 mm, smooth, red, puberulent; epigynous gland bipartite, rounded, 2 × 2 mm, yellowish, glabrous; style c. 5.5 cm long, pinkish white, setose; stigma clavate (with a lateral knob), pinkish white, ostiole apical, semi-circular, 0.5 mm across, margin ciliate. Fruit globose to slightly ellipsoid, 2–4 × 2–3 cm, reddish-orange, glabrous. Seeds irregular, ca. 6 × 5 mm (immature), aril white.

Distribution and habitat.

Endemic to Sumatra and known only from the type locality (Mt. Marapi, West Sumatra). Montane forest, moist forest understorey.

Phenology.

Flowering in March to June and fruiting in July to September.

Etymology.

The epithet refers to the shape of the fruit.

Conservation status and preliminary IUCN Red List assessment.

G. globosa is only known from the type locality of Mt Marapi, Andaleh, West Sumatra. The population of G. globosa has so far only been found at Andaleh in the border zone between Mount Merapi Nature Park and local agricultural areas. Following the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2022), G. globosa we assess here preliminarily the status as Critically endangered ( CR) based on EOO <100 km 2 (B 1), limited geographic range (B 1 + a, b) and a population of less than 20 individuals (D).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes).

Indonesia. Sumatra. West Sumatra province, Tanah Datar District, Andaleh village , 0.442992756 ° S, 100.4552318 ° E, 1149 m elev., 2 July 2022. fruiting, W. Zulaspita et al. WZ 30 ( ANDA) ; Tanah Datar District, Andaleh village , 0.442119833 ° S, 100.4542314 ° E, 1149 m elev, 2 July 2022, fruiting, W. Zulaspita et al. WZ 31 ( ANDA) ; Tanah Datar District, Andaleh village , 0.440810449 ° S, 100.4549408 ° E, 1149 m elev., 30 July 2022, fruiting, W. Zulaspita et al. WZ 32 ( ANDA) ; Tanah Datar District, Singgalang village , Trails to Mount Tandikek , 0.449753522 ° S, 100.3396321 ° E, 1195 m elev., 24 September 2023, flowering and fruiting .

Notes.

Geocharis globosa is easily recognized by the completely smooth fruits, which are unlike any other known species of the genus. In Sumatra, it is most similar with G. radicalis that also has an erect flowering shoot with flowers pointing in all directions.

Further studies are needed to evaluate the usefulness of any vegetative characters, especially the ligule and petiole. The importance of pickled flowers and fruits must again be emphasized as previously pointed out by Khaw (2001) and Poulsen (2006). With only limited information about the detailed flower structure and generally lacking pickled flowers, there is yet much to learn about the floral morphology and its variation in Geocharis .

Figures

Figure 2. Geocharis globosa Zulaspita & Nurainas, sp. nov. A habit B sheath (with tessellate pattern), ligule and base of leaf blade C inflorescence D flower dissection E infructescence F fruit G seeds with and without aril. Photographs by T. A. Febriamansyah, edited by A. D. Poulsen.