identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
03FC87CC7A74FFC9FE0AC90AFAF9FDD5.text	03FC87CC7A74FFC9FE0AC90AFAF9FDD5.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Melastoma calcicolum Souvannakhoummane & Tanaka & Souladeth & Tagane & Dang & Yamamoto & Yamazaki & Pham & Phonepaseuth & Vongthavone & Phengmala & Kongxaisavath & Sengthong 2026	<div><p>Melastoma calcicolum Souvann. &amp; Tagane sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77372121-1</p><p>Figs 1, 3</p><p>Diagnosis</p><p>Similar to Melastoma saigonense (Kuntze) Merr., but differs in its terete young twigs (vs. (sub) quadrangular), narrower leaves (ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, length/width ratio 2.8–4.1 vs. ovate to elliptic, length/width ratio 1.8–2), penicillate emergences spaced apart (vs. densely covered by penicillate emergences), stalk of emergences on hypanthium 1–1.5 mm long (vs. 3–5 mm long), glabrous sepals except for ciliate margins (vs. outer surface densely covered with bristles), and longer styles (20–25 mm long vs. 15–20 mm long).</p><p>Etymology</p><p>The specific epithet refers to the limestone habitat.</p><p>Type material</p><p>Holotype LAOS • Khammouane Province, Hinboun district, Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area, Khoun Kongleng walking trail; 203 m a.s.l.; 6 Sep. 2024; Tagane et al. Z1704; holotype: FOF [FOF0007160]; isotypes: KAG [KAG188367], VNM.</p><p>Paratypes LAOS • Khammouane province, Hinboun district, Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area, Khoun Kongleng walking trail; 194 m a.s.l.; 6 Sep. 2024; Tagane et al. Z1693; FOF [FOF0007159] • same data as for preceding; KAG [KAG188355], VNM .</p><p>Vernacular name eøນø້ęຂຸນກøງOiǝງ En R Khoun Kongleng (meaning: ʻKhoun Kongleng's Melastoma ʼ).</p><p>Description</p><p>Deciduous shrubs, up to 2.5 m tall. Twigs terete, densely covered with light pale yellow, lanceolate, ascending bristles when young, older twigs grayish to brown, terete, glabrescent to sparsely covered with bristles; internode 0.4–2.4 cm. Leaves opposite, crowded at the top of twigs; lamina ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, (2–)3.5–8 × (0.5–) 0.9–2.9 cm, length/width ratio 2.8–4.1, base obtuse to rounded, rarely cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, acumen up to 1.5 cm long, adaxial surface grayish green, minutely scabrid with conspicuously abundant elongate wavy spicule-like rows of crystalliferous cells which are typically proximal to long hairs, hairs 0.4–1.2 mm long, abaxial surface dull yellowbrown to light yellowish brown, covered with bristles 0.4–1.2 mm long on the midrib and longitudinal nerves, and 0.3–0.5 mm long on the secondary veins; longitudinal nerves running from base to apex 4 in addition to the midrib, impressed adaxially, prominent abaxially; secondary veins subparallel, 0.8–1.5 mm apart, inconspicuous adaxially, slightly prominent abaxially; tertiary veins branching into a conspicuous reticulate network; petioles, slightly concave adaxially, 0.4–1.8 cm long, ca 1 mm in diameter, indumentum as in young twigs. Inflorescences terminal cymes of three (rarely five) flowers, or flowers solitary. Pedicels slender, 5–10 mm, ca 2.5 mm in diameter, with white fine soft strigose hairs. Bracts two, caducous, dull yellow brown with dark-purple margin, ovate to broadly ovate, 4–6 × 2.5–5 mm, densely covered with light yellow, lanceolate, appressed bristles except on the dark-purple marginal portion, apex acute. Hypanthium narrowly funnel-shaped or campanulate, 6–12 × 6–8 mm, densely covered with light pale yellow bristles and dark reddish penicillate emergences, penicillate emergences 0.5–2 mm long, stalk of emergences 1–1.5 mm long, spaced apart between penicillate emergences, crowned by 40–56 bristles; bristles 0.5–1.2 mm long; sepals 5, pink to light green to dark purple, narrowly triangular, 8–10 × 2–2.5 mm, glabrous except for ciliolate margins, apex narrowly attenuate; intersepalar emergences penicillate, 4–5 mm long, crowned by 40–56 bristles; bristles 0.5– 1.2 mm long; hypanthium stalk ca 1 mm long, reddish brown. Petals 5, broadly obovate, 24–30 × 20–26 mm, purple, glabrous on both surfaces except for a few bristles near the apex, apex broadly obtuse. Stamens anisomorphic comprising 5 longer stamens and 5 shorter stamens; longer stamens 35–42 mm long; filaments 17–30 mm long, yellowish; anthers 8–12 mm long, pale purple, connectives 10–15 mm long, strongly incurved, with a yellow basal bifurcate extension, glabrous; shorter stamens 20–22 mm long; filaments 14–18 mm long, yellowish; anther 8–9 mm long, linear-rostrate, pale purple; connective not prolonged, with a yellow basal bifurcate extension, glabrous. Pistil 32–35 mm long; ovary ovoid to ellipsoid, 8–10 × 6–8 mm, greenish, densely covered with bristles at upper part; style filiform, slightly curved apically, 20–25 mm long, glabrous, stigma blunt. Fruits baccate, subglobose to ellipsoid, 9–12 × 7–9 mm, with persistent hypanthium scales as described above.</p><p>Distribution, habitat and phenology</p><p>This species is so far known only from the type locality in Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area, Hinboun District, Khammouane Province, central Laos. It grows on an exposed limestone hilltop, where it is associated with Terminalia calamansanai (Blanco) Rolfe ( Combretaceae), Phyllanthus mirabilis Müll.Arg. ( Phyllanthaceae), Tetrastigma fruticosum Soulad., Phonep. &amp; Tagane ( Vitaceae), Falconeria insignis Royle ( Euphorbiaceae), Pouzolzia zeylanica var. calcicola Friis &amp; Wilmot-Dear ( Urticaceae), Paraboea sp. ( Gesneriaceae), Pandanus sp. ( Pandanaceae), Dracaena sp. ( Asparagaceae), and Aetheolirion stenolobium Forman ( Commelinaceae). Flowering is from August to September and fruiting from September to November. The leaves are deciduous from the late dry season in October to the beginning of the rainy season in May.</p><p>Preliminary conservation status</p><p>Melastoma calcicolum sp. nov. is known only from the type locality, where we observed one population with about 80 mature individuals. Despite being in a protected area, it is slightly exposed to disturbs caused by ecotourism activities such as the construction of restaurants and walkways. The Area of Occupancy (AOO) is 4 km 2. The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) can be regarded as the area of Phou Hin Poun NPA, 500 km 2, as the same type of exposed limestone karst habitat can be seen widely in the NPA, and the species could be locally abundant. Given this situation, it is preliminarily assessed as Endangered (EN) under the IUCN criteria B2a, b (iii).</p><p>Notes</p><p>The penicillate hypanthium emergences are a good character for this species. In Indochina, only M. saigonense and M. orientale have similar hypanthium emergences. However, the new species is easily distinguished from M. saigonense by the characters provided in the diagnosis above, and from M. orientale by its larger flowers. In addition, the habitats of the three species are completely different: M. calcicolum sp. nov. is restricted to exposed limestone rocks, whereas M. saigonense and M. orientale grow on dry or swampy ground, in exposed places with full sun or exposed grasslands (Meyer 2001).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FC87CC7A74FFC9FE0AC90AFAF9FDD5	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Souvannakhoummane, Keooudone;Tanaka, Nobuyuki;Souladeth, Phetlasy;Tagane, Shuichiro;Dang, Van-Son;Yamamoto, Takenori;Yamazaki, Kaito;Pham, Quoc Trong;Phonepaseuth, Phongphayboun;Vongthavone, Thyraphon;Phengmala, Kajonesuk;Kongxaisavath, Deuanta;Sengthong, Anousone	Souvannakhoummane, Keooudone, Tanaka, Nobuyuki, Souladeth, Phetlasy, Tagane, Shuichiro, Dang, Van-Son, Yamamoto, Takenori, Yamazaki, Kaito, Pham, Quoc Trong, Phonepaseuth, Phongphayboun, Vongthavone, Thyraphon, Phengmala, Kajonesuk, Kongxaisavath, Deuanta, Sengthong, Anousone (2026): Two new species of Melastoma L. (Melastomataceae) from Limestone Karst, Khammouane Province, central Laos. European Journal of Taxonomy 1034: 1-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2026.1034.3141, URL: https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/3141/14009
03FC87CC7A73FFCBFE4FC825FAB4F9A2.text	03FC87CC7A73FFCBFE4FC825FAB4F9A2.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Melastoma souladethianum Souvann. & Nob. Tanaka 2026	<div><p>Melastoma souladethianum Souvann. &amp; Nob.Tanaka sp. nov.</p><p>urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77372122-1</p><p>Figs 2, 3</p><p>Diagnosis</p><p>Similar to Melastoma pellegrinianum (H.Boissieu) Karst.Mey., but it differs in having terete young branches (vs. quadrangular in M. pellegrinianum), inflorescences with 2–4 flowers (vs. more than 15), hypanthia sparsely covered in bristles with sparse strigose hairs (vs. bristles without strigose hairs).</p><p>Etymology</p><p>The specific epithet honors Dr. Phetlasy Souladeth, curator of the FOF herbarium of the National University of Laos, who led our field trips and is an excellent plant taxonomist. She has greatly contributed to elucidating the flora of Laos and has described more than 30 new species and recorded over 100 species to Laos’ flora.</p><p>Type material</p><p>Holotype LAOS • Khammouane Province, Khounkham District, The Rock Viewpoint at Phou Pha Marn, limestone karsts; 455 m a.s.l.; 19 Mar. 2024; Tagane et al. Z1213; holotype FOF [FOF0007123]; isotypes KAG [KAG187615], VNM.</p><p>Paratypes LAOS • Khammouane Province, Khounkham District, The Rock Viewpoint at Phou Pha Marn, limestone karsts; 455 m a.s.l.; 9 Sep. 2024; Tagane et al. Z1915; FOF [FOF0006984] • same data as for preceding KAG [KAG188567], VNM • same locality as for preceding; 2 July 2022, Souladeth et al. PPM16; FOF; • same locality as for preceding; 454 m a.s.l.; 8 Mar. 2025, S. Tagane et al. Z2396; FOF [FOF0007645], KAG [KAG201118], VNM .</p><p>Vernacular name eøນø້ęeoi̊ດຊົuoi̻ En R Phetsomphou (meaning: purple diamond’s Melastoma ʼ).</p><p>Description</p><p>Deciduous shrubs, up to 2.5 m tall. Twigs terete, slightly zigzag, older twigs grayish to brown, glabrous; younger twigs green, sparsely covered with bristles and narrowly linear scales of 1–1.5 mm long at the base. Leaves opposite, crowded at the top of twigs, lamina lanceolate, 8–12 × 3–5.5 cm, base slightly cordate to rounded, margin denticulate, apex acuminate; adaxially surface dark green, covered with white strigose hairs which are longer (0.4–1 mm long) and incurved along the margins, abaxially surface light green, sparsely covered with white strigose hairs which are denser on the midrib, longitudinal veins and secondary veins (0.4–1.2 mm long); longitudinal nerves running from base to apex, 4–6 in addition to the midrib, prominent abaxially; secondary veins subparallel, 4–10 mm apart, adaxially inconspicuous, abaxially immersed in the lamina; tertiary veins branching into a conspicuous reticulate network; petioles 2–3.5 cm long, ca 1 mm in diameter, covered by strigose hairs of 0.4–1.4 m long. Inflorescences cluster on terminal twigs with 2–4 flowers. Pedicels slender, 2–6 mm, ca 3 mm in diameter, with dark red to brown fine soft strigose hairs. Bracts rosetted, caducous, lanceolate, 6–10 × 2–3.5 mm, strigose with light green to pink hairs. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, 10–15 × 8–12 mm, sparsely covered with dense bristles and sparsely strigose hairs, bristles 6–12 mm long, up to 0.5 mm wide at the base, apex markedly acuminate, margin entire; sepals 5, broadly triangular to lanceolate, 3–3.5 × 4–6 mm, apex markedly acuminate, pink to light green, with sparse minute bristles on margins and apex. Petals 5, broadly obovate, 28–30 × 20–25 mm, purple, with minute bristles on outside surface, apex acute to obtuse. Stamens anisomorphic comprising 5 longer stamens and 5 shorter stamens; longer stamens 40–45 mm long; filaments 27–35 mm long, yellowish; anthers ca 10–12 mm long, purple; connective strongly incurved, 18–25 mm long, with a basal bifurcate yellow extension, glabrous; shorter stamens 10–15 mm long, filaments yellowish, ca 6–10 mm long, linear-rostrate; anthers dark purple, connective not prolonged, with a yellow basal bifurcate extension, glabrous. Pistil ca 35 mm long; ovary ovoid to ellipsoid, 8–12 × 5–6 mm, greenish, densely covered with bristles from middle part to apex; style filiform, curved apically, 27–32 mm long; stigma truncate. Fruits dry capsule, dehiscent, splitting longitudinally from apex, ellipsoid to cup shaped, 10–14 × 6–8 mm, strigose to glabrescent; seeds numerous, brownish.</p><p>Distribution, habitat and phenology</p><p>Melastoma souladethianum sp. nov. is so far known only from the type locality in Phou Pha Marn limestone karst, Khounkham District, Khammouane Province. It grows in open areas on limestone karst, where it is associated with Sterculia sp. ( Malvaceae), Phyllanthus mirabilis Müll.Arg. ( Phyllanthaceae), Microchirita sp. ( Gesneriaceae), Ficus sp. ( Moraceae) and Pentacme siamensis (Miq.) Kurz ( Dipterocarpaceae). Flowering is from March to April, and fruiting from May to June. The leaves come out in May at the beginning of the rainy season and fall in January in the middle of the dry season.</p><p>Preliminary conservation status</p><p>To date, we have observed only one population with fewer than 20 mature individuals. Neither seedlings or saplings could be observed, not even during the rainy season. The area of occupancy (AOO) is 4 km 2 and the extent of occurrence (EOO) follows the area of the Phou Pha Marn Karst, which is 32 218 km 2. This species is preliminarily assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under categories B2 and D.</p><p>Notes</p><p>Melastoma souladethianum sp. nov. blooms from March to May (dry season), before the emergence of its leaves. In contrast, most other species of Melastoma in Laos and the surrounding region flower in the rainy season and into the beginning of dry season from June to the end of October and while in leaf. This specific character might be an adaptation to the survival and reproduction under the severe environment of the limestone karst. Phylogenetic studies including M. souladethianum, sp. nov. with related taxa, as well as ecological studies, including pollination syndromes and seed dispersal strategies, may provide further interesting insights into the reproductive strategy, evolution and speciation of Melastoma .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FC87CC7A73FFCBFE4FC825FAB4F9A2	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Souvannakhoummane, Keooudone;Tanaka, Nobuyuki;Souladeth, Phetlasy;Tagane, Shuichiro;Dang, Van-Son;Yamamoto, Takenori;Yamazaki, Kaito;Pham, Quoc Trong;Phonepaseuth, Phongphayboun;Vongthavone, Thyraphon;Phengmala, Kajonesuk;Kongxaisavath, Deuanta;Sengthong, Anousone	Souvannakhoummane, Keooudone, Tanaka, Nobuyuki, Souladeth, Phetlasy, Tagane, Shuichiro, Dang, Van-Son, Yamamoto, Takenori, Yamazaki, Kaito, Pham, Quoc Trong, Phonepaseuth, Phongphayboun, Vongthavone, Thyraphon, Phengmala, Kajonesuk, Kongxaisavath, Deuanta, Sengthong, Anousone (2026): Two new species of Melastoma L. (Melastomataceae) from Limestone Karst, Khammouane Province, central Laos. European Journal of Taxonomy 1034: 1-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2026.1034.3141, URL: https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/3141/14009
03FC87CC7A7FFFC5FF5ECB07FAEDFBCB.text	03FC87CC7A7FFFC5FF5ECB07FAEDFBCB.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Melastoma L.	<div><p>Key to the species of Melastoma in Laos</p><p>1. Hypanthium with penicillate or stellate emergences ......................................................................... 2</p><p>– Hypanthium with simple scales, bristles, or hairs ............................................................................. 4</p><p>2. Hypanthium 3–6 mm long; petals 6–8 mm long .......................................... M. orientale Guillaumin</p><p>– Hypanthium 6–13 mm long; petals 15–30 mm long ......................................................................... 3</p><p>3. Young twigs (sub)quadrangular; lamina ovate to elliptic; stalk of emergences on hypanthium 3–5 mm long.............................................................................................. M. saigonense (Kuntze) Merr.</p><p>– Young twigs terete; lamina ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate; stalk of emergences on hypanthium 1–1.5 mm long................................................................ M. calcicolum Souvann. &amp; Tagane sp. nov.</p><p>4. Fruits apically dehiscent dry capsule................................................................................................. 5</p><p>– Fruits longitudinally or transversely dehiscent fleshy capsule .......................................................... 6</p><p>5. Young branches terete.................................... M. souladethianum Souvann. &amp; Nob.Tanaka sp. nov.</p><p>– Young branches quadrangular....................................... M. pellegrinianum (H.Boissieu) Karst.Mey.</p><p>6. Hypanthium covered with spreading bristles ................................................... M. sanguineum Sims</p><p>– Hypanthium covered with appressed scales ...................................................................................... 7</p><p>7. Branches covered with scales ........................................................................... M. malabathricum L.</p><p>– Branches pilose ............................. M. malabathricum subsp. normale (D.Don) Karst.Mey.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FC87CC7A7FFFC5FF5ECB07FAEDFBCB	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Souvannakhoummane, Keooudone;Tanaka, Nobuyuki;Souladeth, Phetlasy;Tagane, Shuichiro;Dang, Van-Son;Yamamoto, Takenori;Yamazaki, Kaito;Pham, Quoc Trong;Phonepaseuth, Phongphayboun;Vongthavone, Thyraphon;Phengmala, Kajonesuk;Kongxaisavath, Deuanta;Sengthong, Anousone	Souvannakhoummane, Keooudone, Tanaka, Nobuyuki, Souladeth, Phetlasy, Tagane, Shuichiro, Dang, Van-Son, Yamamoto, Takenori, Yamazaki, Kaito, Pham, Quoc Trong, Phonepaseuth, Phongphayboun, Vongthavone, Thyraphon, Phengmala, Kajonesuk, Kongxaisavath, Deuanta, Sengthong, Anousone (2026): Two new species of Melastoma L. (Melastomataceae) from Limestone Karst, Khammouane Province, central Laos. European Journal of Taxonomy 1034: 1-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2026.1034.3141, URL: https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/3141/14009
