Zingiber meghalayense Sushil K.Singh, R.Kumar & Mood, 2013

Kumar, Ramesh, Mood, John, Singh, Sushil K. & Sinha, B. K., 2013, A new species of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) from Northeast India, Phytotaxa 77 (4), pp. 61-64 : 61-63

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.77.4.2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AF87BC-FFE2-025C-66B8-FA4D968D2A03
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Zingiber meghalayense Sushil K.Singh, R.Kumar & Mood
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Zingiber meghalayense Sushil K.Singh, R.Kumar & Mood View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )

Similar to Zingiber rubens Roxb. , but differs in having much larger leaves c. 45.0 × 7.5 cm, linear bracts with rounded apices, larger lateral staminodes, labellum and white anther extension.

Type:— INDIA, Meghalaya: Garo Hills, Nokrek Biosphere Reserve , c. 800 m, 26 March 2011, R . Kumar 104078 (holotype ASSAM, isotype CAL) .

Deciduous herbs c. 2.0− 2.5 m. tall. Rhizomes subsurface, small, creamy yellow inside, roots many, fleshy, without tubers. Stems erect, thick, basal sheaths green. Leaves 20 or more in one plane (distichous), petioles c. 5 mm, glabrous, ligule c. 5 mm, bilobed, apices round, villous, coriaceous, green, margins hyaline; laminae 40−45 × 7.0− 7.5 cm, oblong-lanceolate, bases attenuate, tips acuminate, glabrous. Inflorescences radical, procumbent, several per plant, capitate to semiglobose, peduncles 7−9 cm, sheaths 2.5−3.0 × 1.0 cm, obovate, reddish, glabrous; spikes ovate or subglobose, 4−7 × 3−4 cm long, bracts loosely imbricate, involute, thin, numerous, 3−4 × 0.5 cm, linear, apices rounded, red, bracteoles 2.0 × 0.6 cm, lanceolate, reddish, glabrous. Flowers many, 7−8 cm long, calyx 1.0− 1.2 cm, tubular, shortly tridentate, unilaterally split, pinkish white, glabrous; corolla tube slender, 4−5 cm long, pinkish cream, glabrous, corolla lobes subequal, dorsal 3.0−3.2 × 0.8 cm, lanceolate, apex acute-acuminate, laterals 2.5−2.8 × 0.5 cm.; labellum 2.50−2.75 × 1.5−2.0 cm, trilobed, all creamy, light yellow, linear fold lines, glabrous, center lobe broadly ovate, apex acute, margin slightly wavy, side lobes short, adnate, yellow, darker yellow apices; anther 1.2 cm long with a short crest, 7− 8 mm long, yellow, connective c. 1 cm long, light yellow, thecae parallel; style filiform, stigma white with an circular apical aperture surrounded by stiff hairs; pollen ovate with lamellate surface; epigynous glands c. 4 mm long, linear; ovary 3 × 2 mm, glabrous. Fruit ovate, trilocular, each section indented toward the apex, 4 × 2 cm, glabrous, red.

Distribution:— Currently known only from the type locality.

Ecology:— Zingiber meghalayense grows on sandy soils along the margins of mixed evergreen forests at c. 800 m. elevation.

Etymology:— Named for the Indian state of Meghalaya.

Phenology:— Flowers from August through September.

Conservation status:— Unknown at this time.

Notes:— The only other similar Zingiber species in Meghalaya is Z. rubens ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). When comparing these species vegetatively, both are tall (c. 2 m) clumping plants, but in Z. meghalayense the leaves are much longer and wider with a short ligule. Considering fertile plants, both species have radical inflorescences on short peduncles, which emerge from the rhizome at the base of the stem (therefore belonging to the Cryptanthium Horan. group). In Z. meghalayense the spikes have loosely imbricating, linear, dull red bracts with a rounded apex, whereas in Z. rubens the bracts are more appressed, lanceolate and bright red with an acuminate apex. The flower of Z. rubens is overall white with a red striped labellum and very small, yellow lateral staminodes. In contrast, the flower of the Z. meghalayense is creamy white to light yellow with prominent, acute lateral staminodes. As this new taxon has only been found in one location, further explorations will be required to gather more information on the distribution, ecology and conservation status.