Wurfbainia globosa Kaewsri, 2022

Kaewsri, W. & Sangvirotjanapat, S., 2022, SIX NEW SPECIES OF WURFBAINIA (ZINGIBERACEAE) FROM THAILAND, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 79 (369), pp. 1-23 : 10-13

3. Wurfbainia globosa Kaewsri , sp. nov.

Similar to Wurfbainia villosa (Lour.) Škorničk. & A.D.Poulsen but differs in its ligule apex bilobed (vs round or emarginate), calyx apex bilobed (vs trilobed) and labellum apex bilobed (vs shallowly trilobed) (see Table 1 ).

– Type: Thailand, Uthaithani , Ban Rai District , Huai Khakhaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Huai Mae-dee Wildlife Protection Unit, 215 m altitude, 1 vi 2004, Kaewsri 027 (holotype BKF!; isotypes BK!, E!). Figures 6 , 7 .

Terrestrial herb, creeping, leafy shoot slender, 1.2–1.7 m tall. Leaf sheaths yellow green, glabrous; ligule apex bilobed, 1–2 mm long, with 2 transversal ridges and axil hairy, leathery; blades 16–26, oblong, 15–32 × 6–7.5 cm, base attenuate, apex acuminate, tip caudate, 1.5–2 cm long, surfaces glabrous, sparsely pubescent, petiole sessile. Inflorescence arising from rhizome, obovate, c.3–5 × 1.5–3 cm; peduncle 6–10 cm long; peduncular bracts ovate, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–0.6 cm, hooded, apex acuminate, pale brown; fertile bracts hooded, ovate-oblong, c.2 × 0.7 cm, apex acuminate or mucronate, pale brownish cream, soon decaying, submembranous; bracteoles tubular, c. 1 cm long including ovary, apex bilobed, shallowly split on one side, creamy white, membranous, outer surface glabrous, base pubescent. Flower c. 3.8 cm long, white; ovary cylindrical, c.3 × 3 mm, surface with white pubescence; style c. 3 cm long; stigma small bulbous, margin glabrous; epigynous glands c. 2 mm long; calyx tubular, c. 1.5 cm long including ovary, apex bilobed and shallowly split c. 7 mm on one side, outer surface glabrous, base pubescent; floral tube c. 2.5 cm long including ovary, creamy white, pubescent; dorsal corolla lobe hooded, oblong, c.1.5 × 0.5 cm, apex blunt; lateral corolla lobes hooded, oblong, c.1.5 × 0.4 cm, apex blunt; lateral staminodes absent; labellum spathulate, c. 2 cm in diameter, hooded, base cuneate, apex bilobed and reflexed, white with yellow band along centre and broader at apex, reddish veins on each side of band; stamen: filament c. 8 mm long, ribbon-like, shallowly concave; anther c.5 × 3 mm, dehiscing lengthwise; anther crest trilobed, c.5 × 2 mm, white, central lobe c.3 × 2 mm, rounded and emarginate, reflexed, lateral lobes c.1 × 1 mm, auriculate, erect. Fruits 3–5 per infructescence (only one maturing and larger than the others), globose, c. 1.8 cm in diameter, covered with stout spines, bright green when young turning red when ripe, stalk c. 2 mm long; seeds not seen.

Phenology. Flowering and fruiting between April and August.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality (see Figure 3 ).

Habitat. Dry evergreen forest under shrubs or trees at 215 m altitude.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the globose fruit.

Proposed IUCN conservation category. Least Concern (LC). This species is common in Huai Mae-dee Wildlife Protection Unit, Huai Khakhaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Ban Rai District Uthai Thani Province. The population faces no major threats, and there are more than 500 mature individuals. Wurfbainia globosa is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

This species is easily recognised by the differing sizes of the fruits on each infructescence. There is one large fruit along with smaller ones (see Figures 6 K and 7 B ).

Figures

Figure 3. Species distribution map. The unbroken-line box indicates the localities of Wurfbainia ellipticarpa, W. globosa and W. longiflora. The dashed-line box indicates the localities of Wurfbainia geostachyoides, W. parviflora and W. yingyongii.

Figure 6. Wurfbainia globosa Kaewsri, sp. nov. A, Leaves; B, inflorescence and infructescence; C, flower; D, bract; E, bracteole; F, calyx; G, corolla (dissected); H, labellum; I, stamen; J, stigma; K, fruit. Drawn from Kaewsri 027 by W. Kaewsri.

Figure 7. Wurfbainia globosa Kaewsri, sp. nov. A, Flower; B, infructescence. Both photographs of the type collection (Kaewsri 027), taken by W. Kaewsri.