Globba poomae Sangvir. & M.F.Newman, 2021

Sangvirotjanapat, Sunisa & Newman, M. F., 2021, Eight new species of Globba (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand and Lao PDR, Phytotaxa 505 (2), pp. 139-156 : 152-155

Globba poomae Sangvir. & M.F.Newman , sp. nov. (Section Ceratanthera )

Globba poomae is similar to Globba leucantha Miq. ( Fig. 2B , Table 1) in its prolonged cincinni with well-spaced flowers but differs by its medium size, leafy stem c. 5 mm diam. (vs stout plant, leafy stem c. 10 mm diam.), undulate blades (vs plicate), inflated calyx (vs not inflated), and triangular appendages with broad base (vs linear appendages, attached at base of thecae).

Type: THAILAND. Nakhon Si Thammarat, Tham Phannara temple, 8 August 2005, Pooma R., Phattarahirankanok K., Sirimongkol K. & Poopath M. 5557 (holotype BKF! [ SN 174405], isotype E! [ E00646941 ], L! [ L.3933204]). Fig. 8 .

Herb 40–80 cm tall. Leafy stem c. 5 mm diam.; leaf sheaths c. 4 bladeless, pubescent, green with red tinge; ligule bilobed, lobes obtuse, 2 mm long, pubescent or glabrous, green with paler margin; blades 6–10, undulate, elliptic, 13–25 × 3–6.5 cm, base obtuse, apex caudate, puberulent below, glabrous above, sessile, green or sometimes silver variegated on veins. Inflorescence erect, lax, conical, 12–16 × 5–9 cm; peduncle 1–2 cm long beyond leaf sheaths, green; rachis green; bracts caducous, narrowly elliptic, c. 5 × 2 mm, green, apex acute; bracteoles caducous, obliquely elliptic, c. 3 × 2 mm, keeled, yellow, apex acute to mucronate; cincinni lax, 2–7 cm long, green, 4–9 flowers on each, flowers 5 mm apart. Flowers 2.2–3.0 cm long; ovary ellipsoid, 2–3 mm long, ridged, green; style filiform, exserted beyond anther; stigma geniculate, ostiole ciliate; calyx infundibuliform, c. 2 mm long, inflated, yellow, apex trilobed, lobes acute; floral tube c. 10 mm long, hairy, base white, tip yellow; dorsal corolla lobe elliptic, c. 4–6 × 2.5 mm, hooded, yellow, apex obtuse or shortly mucronate; lateral corolla lobes ovate, 4–5 × 3 mm, shallowly hooded, yellow, apex acute; lateral staminodes linear, c. 5–7 × 1 mm, longer than lateral corolla lobes, yellow with darker tip, apex acute; labellum oblong, c. 6 × 3 mm, base obtuse, yellow with no coloured spot, apex bilobed, lobes obtuse, darker yellow; nectar tube c. 3 mm long, opening pore broad, c. 5 × 2 mm; stamen: filament c. 20 mm long, yellow with darker tip; anther elliptic, c. 2 × 2 mm, connective tissue and appendages yellow; appendages 2, triangular, c. 3 × 1 mm, held at c. 45° to anther thecae, base broad, apex acuminate. Fruit globose, c. 7 mm in diam. Bulbils produced on peduncle, light green.

Etymology: The epithet ‘ poomae ’ has been given in honour of Dr. Rachun Pooma, Director of the Forest Herbarium, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, who has collected many specimens of Globba in Thailand, including the types of Globba longiligulata , G. newmanii , and G. poomae .

Distribution: Endemic to Thailand.

IUCN assessment proposed: Least Concern(LC). Globba poomae occurs in Surat Thani (personal communication) and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces, southern Thailand. It is locally common in limestone areas and rubber plantations. Moreover, it is also found in Khao Luang National Park where it is not threatened. It is therefore assessed as of Least Concern.

Ecology: Grows on limestone bedrock in partial shade.

Specimen examined: THAILAND. Surat Thani, 20 November 2020, Sangvirotjanapat 803 ( BKF) . Nakhon Si Thammarat: Nop Phitum, Khao Luang National Park, 625 m, 3 February 1966, Hennipman 3817 ( BKF, L); ibid., 23 August 1967, Iwatsuki et al. T8417 ( AAU, BKF); ibid., 25 January 1966, Hansen B . & Smitinand T . 12063 ( AAU, BKF, C), ibid., 24 Aug. 1995, Larsen et al. 45980 ( AAU, BKF); ibid., 864 m, 17 March 2010, Chamchumroon et al. 3639 ( BKF) .

Notes: Globba poomae is recognised by its inflated calyx. The oblong labellum consists of a firm base and obtuse lobes. Furthermore the opening pore on the labellum is rather broad.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Globba expansa Wall. ex Horan. B. G. leucantha Miq. C. G. nisbetiana Craib. Photographs by S. Sangvirotjanapat.

FIGURE 8. Globba poomae Sangvir. & M.F.Newman (Pooma et al. 5557 (A & B); Sangvirotjanapat 803 (C–E)) A. Inflorescence at early anthesis B. Inflorescence at late anthesis C. Flowers on cincinni D. Flower, side view. E. Dorsal corolla lobe. F. Lateral corolla lobes. G. Lateral staminodes. H. Labellum. I. Anther thecae and appendages. J. Ovary, calyx, floral tube and filament. Scale bars:A & B = 5 cm; C, D & E = 1 cm; E–J = 5 Photographs A-B. by Rachun Pooma; C–D. by Siddharath Saigal; E–J. by Sangvirotjanapat S.