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11
Boonma
et al.
Kaempferia nigrifolia
(Zingiberaceae),
a new species from Central Thailand
Boonma T.1, Saensouk S.2* & P. Saensouk3
1Brio Garden, 53 M.5 Ban Mai Village, Phikun Ok, Ban Na District, Nakhon Nayok – 261 10, Thailand
2Plant and Invertebrate Taxonomy and its Applications Unit Group, Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute,
Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai District, Maha Sarakham – 441 50, Thailand
3 Plant and Invertebrate Taxonomy and its Applications Unit Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science,
Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham – 441 50, Thailand
*E-mail: surapon.s@msu.ac.th
RHEEDEA
Journal of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy
Vol. 30(2): 270–277 (2020)
ISSN: 0971-2313 (Print edition)
ISSN: 2582-2438 (Online edition)
https://dx.doi.org/10.22244/rheedea.2020.30.02.02
Received: 31.05.2020; Revised & Accepted: 14.12.2020
Published Online: 31.03.2021
Abstract: Kaempferia nigrifolia Boonma & Saensouk, a
new species of Zingiberaceae from Central Thailand, is
described and illustrated along with photographs, notes
on its distribution and habitat. An identification key to
the species of Kaempferia in Thailand is also presented.
Keywords: Kaempferia, New species, Taxonomy,
Thailand, Zingiberaceae.
Introduction
Kaempferia L. (Zingiberaceae) commemorates the
German physician and traveler Engelbert Kaempfer
(1651–1716), the first westerner who collected plant
specimens in Thailand (Larsen & Larsen, 2006).
Based on the position of the inflorescence, the genus
is divided into two subgenera: subgen. Kaempferia
(Baker, 1890) and subgen. Protanthium (Horan.)
Baker (Insisiengmay et al., 2018). Species in subgen.
Kaempferia produce terminal inflorescences while
those in subgen. Protanthium produce inflorescences
directly from the rhizome (Insisiengmay et al.,
2018). Sirirugsa (1992) recognized fifteen species
of Kaempferia from Thailand. Subsequently, about
forty species were reported by Boonma et al. (2020)
and Jenjittikul and Larsen (2020). While
investigating the species diversity of Zingiberaceae
in Thailand, specimens of an undescribed species
of Kaempferia similar to K. pulchra Ridl. was found
in Saraburi province, Central Thailand. After
comparing and examining species with similar
characteristics, we found that this specimen did not
match any existing taxa, hence it is described and
illustrated here as new to science. A key to species
of Kaempferia in Thailand is provided for facilitating
their identification.
Materials and Methods
Live specimens of Kaempferia were collected from
the field in Wihan Daeng District, Saraburi
Province, Central Thailand, between 2018 and
2019 and measurements of the plant parts were
taken. The protologues of morphologically similar
species (Baker, 1890; Ridley, 1899; Holttum, 1950)
and type specimens housed in various herbaria (BK,
BKF, KKU, QBG) in Thailand, including digital
images available online were compared.
Taxonomic treatment
Kaempferia nigrifolia Boonma & Saensouk, sp.
nov. Figs. 1–3
The new species is similar to K. pulchra Ridl. but differs
in having sessile leaves, shorter (c. 1 cm long) peduncle,
broadly obovate light purple staminodes with white spot
at base, longer than labellum, deeply divided light purple
labellum with a white spot at the base and obovate lobes,
sessile stamens and white triangular anther-crest which
is bend to the back and lower than the plane of the petals.
Type: THAILAND, Saraburi Province, Wihan
Daeng district, 70–185 m, 03.08.2018, T. Boonma
14 (holo KKU!; iso QBG!, BKF!, BK!).
Vol. 31(1):
ISSN: (Print edition)
ISSN: (Online edition)
https://dx.doi.org/
Vol. 31(1): 11–17 (2021)
ISSN: 0971-2313 (Print edition)
ISSN: 2582-2438 (Online edition)
https://dx.doi.org/10.22244/rheedea.2021.31.01.02
12
Kaempferia nigrifolia
,
a new species from Thailand
Fig. 1.
Kaempferia nigrifolia
Boonma & Saensouk:
a. Plants in natural habitat;
b.
Leaf–upper surface; c. Leaf–lower surface; d. Flower–
oblique top view; e. Flower–side view; f. Flower–top view; g. Anther with crest; h. Comparison of flowers of
K. nigrifolia
and
K. pulchra
–top
views (a-g from
T. Boonma
14; photos by Thawatphong Boonma)
13
Boonma
et al.
Fig. 2.
Kaempferia nigrifolia
Boonma & Saensouk:
a.
Habit–top view; b. Habit–oblique side view; c. Inflorescence; d. Bract; e. Bracteole;
f. Flower with calyx and ovary; g. Calyx and ovary; h. Corolla dorsal lobe; i. Corolla lateral lobes;
j. Lateral staminodes; k. Labellum; l. Anther
with crest and stigma; m. Ovary with epigynous glands (from
T. Boonma
14; drawn by Thawatphong Boonma).
14
Kaempferia nigrifolia
,
a new species from Thailand
Perennial herbs, c. 3 cm tall. Rhizome vertical,
ovoid, brown outside, pale yellow inside, lightly
fragrant, c. 2.5 × 1.5 cm, with several fibrous roots
bearing tubers. Cataphylls 2–3, lanceolate, apex
acuminate, dark reddish-brown, green at base, 1–
3 cm long, hairy. Leaves 2, sessile, flat or horizontal
on the ground; sheaths 2.5–3 cm long, green or
green with reddish-brown, hairy; ligule
membranous, 1–3 × c. 10 mm, bi-lobed with
rounded apex, sparsely hairy; lamina orbicular to
sub-orbicular, 12–16(–18) × 11.5–14(–16) cm, base
cuneate or sub-cordate, apex acute, margins entire,
widely undulate with dark reddish-brown along
the margins, upper surface black or black with light
grey markings, sparsely hairy (mostly at the midrib-
base), obviously embossed veins, lower surface
grey-green with reddish-brown, veins hairy.
Inflorescence enclosed by two cataphylls; peduncles
less than 1.4 cm long, white with light pale green
at tip, glabrous. Bracts lanceolate, 2.8–3.3 × 1.1–
1.7 cm, mucronate to acute at apex, green with
brownish green at tip and pale green at base, hairy.
Bracteoles lanceolate, 11.5–12.3 × c. 4 mm,
translucent white, bi-lobed; lobes 5–6 mm,
acuminate at apex, sparsely hairy. Flowers 24–27.
Calyx tubular, translucent white, c. 2.3 cm long,
with one deep incision c. 6 mm, apex acute, hairy.
Corolla tube white, c. 3.5 cm long; dorsal lobe
lanceolate, white, c. 1.5 × 0.32 cm, apex little
hooded, acuminate; lateral lobes lanceolate, white,
c. 1.3 × 0.35 cm, apex little hooded, acuminate,
glabrous. Staminodes 2, broadly obovate, obtuse at
apex, c. 1.9 × 1.5 cm, light purple above with white
spot at base, white below, glabrous. Labellum light
purple above with a white spot at base, white below,
deeply divided to the edge of white spot; lobes
obovate, c. 1.75 × 1.4 cm, apex rounded. Stamens
sessile, white, glabrous; anthers c. 3.2 mm long;
anther-crest triangular and bend to the back, c. 1.3
× 1 mm, lower than the plane of the petals,
acuminate at apex, white, glabrous. Ovary spheroid,
3.5–4 × c. 2.5 mm, densely hairy; style filiform, c. 4
cm long, slender, white; stigma obconic, c. 1 × 0.8
mm, creamy white, 2-lipped, lips equal, ciliate, cilia
c. 0.4 mm long; epigynous glands 2, c. 3 mm long,
slender, white. Capsules sub-globose to prolate
spheroid, c. 1.2 × 1 cm, densely hairy, light purple
with purple veins, brown when old; seeds c. 3 × 2
mm, brown with white arils.
Vernacular name: ‘Nillakan’ in Thai language, refers
to its black leaves.
Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from late May to
September and fruiting from August to late
October.
Habitat: Occurring at elevations of 70–185 meters
above sea level, growing in sandy loam soil, moist
and close to the watercourse in a deciduous forest.
Etymology: The specific epithet ‘nigrifolia’ is derived
from two Latin words; ‘nigrum’ meaning ‘black and
folia’ meaning ‘leaves referring to its black leaves.
Fig. 3. Map showing the distribution of
K. nigrifolia
Boonma &
Saensouk in Thailand.
15
Boonma
et al.
Table. 1 Morphological comparison of K. nigrifolia and K
.
pulchra
Characters K
.
nigrifolia
Boonma & Saensouk K
.
pulchra Ridl.
Leaves Orbicular to sub-orbicular, flat, or horizontal Ovate, blunt, spreading out usually flat on the
on the ground, black or black with light grey ground, dark olivaceous black with grey markings
markings adaxially and dark reddish-brown above, glabrous
along the margins, sparsely hairy
(mostly at the midrib-base)
Petioles Absent c. 7. 42 cm long
Peduncle 1.4 cm long,white with light pale green at tip c. 7. 62 cm long, green
Corolla lobes Lanceolate, apex little hooded, acuminate Linear, obtuse, reflexed
Staminodes Broadly obovate, light purple with a white spot Obovate, mauve, as long as labellum
at base, longer than labellum
Labellum Light purple above with pure white spot at base, Mauve with the base pale yellowish white,
lower surface white; deeply divided to the edge deeply bilobed; lobes oblong, apices rounded
of white spot; lobes obovate, apex rounded to obtuse
Stamen Sessile With very short filament
Stigma Lips equal Lower lip prolonged
Anther crest White, triangular and bend to the back, lower White with mauve tip, long-linear, apex rounded,
than the plane of the petals, apex acuminate recurved
Distribution: Hitherto endemic to Central Thailand
(Fig. 3).
Key to the species of
Kaempferia
in
Thailand
1. Inflorescence terminal from pseudostem,
appears along with leaves (subgen. Kaempferia)
........................................................................ 2
1. Inflorescence directly from rhizome, appears
before the new leave (subgen. Protanthium)..
...................................................................... 26
2. Leaves erect from the ground....................... 3
2. Leaves horizontal near the ground............. 13
3. Lamina filiform, linear or less than 4 cm broad
........................................................................ 4
3. Lamina lanceolate to orbicular, broader than
4 cm, ............................................................. 8
4. Leaves villous below ..................... K. spoliata
4. Leaves glabrous ............................................. 5
5. Staminodes absent .....................K. sisaketensis
5. Staminodes present........................................ 6
6. Ligules present; leaves elliptic-linear to linear,
0.5–1 cm broad ............................... K. larsenii
6. Ligules absent; leaves filiform, less than 0.5 cm
broad .............................................................. 7
7. Leaves up to 14 cm; anther-crest not divided
or crenate ........................................... K. fallax
7. Leaves 15–20 cm long; anther-crest divided .
.......................................................... K. filifolia
8. Petioles 1 cm long...................................... 9
8. Petioles > 2 to 10 cm long .......................... 10
9. Ovary glabrous; leaf-blade green, glabrous on
both surfaces with wavy margins ...................
................................................... K. angustifolia
9. Ovary sparsely hairy; leaf-blade green with
dark green spots above, pubescent on both
surfaces with entire margin ...... K. maculifolia
10. Ovary glabrous; leaves glabrous on both
surfaces with purple coloration at margins....
....................................... K. mahasarakhamensis
10. Ovary hairy; leaves pubescent below......... 11
11. Leaves tomentose on both surfaces; labellum
pubescent ....................................K. koontermii
11. Leaves glabrous above, pubescent below;
labellum glabrous ........................................ 12
16
Kaempferia nigrifolia
,
a new species from Thailand
12. Labellum shallowly divided or emarginate;
staminodes oblong, 1–1.3 × c. 0.3 cm ............
...................................................... K. parviflora
12. Labellum divided to the base; staminodes
broadly obovate or sub-orbicular, 1.5–2 × 1–
1.7 cm .............................................. K. elegans
13. Staminodes light brown or white .............. 14
13. Staminodes lilac, purple or violet ............... 21
14. Staminodes light brown..........K. saraburiensis
14. Staminodes white ........................................ 15
15. Labellum purple .......................... K. marginata
15. Labellum white ........................................... 16
16. Leaves dull green with dark blotches.............
............................................................. K. pardi
16. Leaves green without dark blotches .......... 17
17. Labellum white with yellow spot at base .. 18
17. Labellum white with purple, lilac, or red .... 19
18. Leaves glabrous on both surfaces ...................
.......................................................K. roscoeana
18. Leave glabrous above and pubescent below..
...................................................... K. koratensis
19. Calyx and ovary hairy; labellum white,
sometimes with a darker reddish patch at the
inner base of each lobe with longitudinal white
line at the base of lobes .......... K. phuphanensis
19. Calyx and ovary glabrous; labellum white with
purple blotch at center or with purple marking
at base........................................................... 20
20. Bracts hairy ....................................... K. laotica
20. Bracts glabrous ............................... K. galanga
21. Calyx and ovary hairy................................. 22
21. Calyx and ovary glabrous ........................... 24
22. Stigma capitate, deep red purple; anther crest
reniform; leaves glaucous, green ..... K. glauca
22. Stigma 2-lipped, creamy white or white;
anther crest triangular or linear; leaves dark
olivaceous black with grey markings above or
black or black with light grey markings ... 23
23. Peduncles less than 1 cm long; stamens sessile;
anther crest triangular and bend to the back;
staminodes broadly obovate, light purple with
white spot at base, longer than labellum;
labellum light purple with pure white spot at
base; leaves sessile, black or black with light
grey markings, sparsely hairy above ..............
....................................................... K. nigrifolia
23. Peduncles c. 7.6 cm long; stamens with very
short filament; anther crest very long linear
apex entire rounded, recurved; staminodes
obovate, mauve, as long as labellum; labellum
lilac with the base pale yellowish-white spots;
leaves petiolate, dark olivaceous black with
grey markings above, glabrous above ...........
.......................................................... K. pulchra
24. Calyx acute at apex ......... K. picheansoonthonii
24. Calyx bifid at apex ...................................... 25
25. Staminodes oblong, purple; labellum obovate-
cuneate, purple ............................. K. siamensis
25. Staminodes obovate, pink to light purple;
labellum broadly obovate, pink to purple with
two deep purple spots in the center ...............
.......................................................... K. minuta
26. Leaves horizontal, near the ground............ 27
26. Leaves erect, pseudostem well developed ... 29
27. Leaves sparsely hairy above ..... K. lopburiensis
27. Leaves glabrous above ................................ 28
28. Staminodes broadly obovate, light purple;
labellum light purple with deep purple at base
...................................................... K. udonensis
28. Staminodes oblong, white; labellum white
with pale yellow spot at base, obovate ...........
.................................................... K. grandifolia
29. Leaves less than 5 cm wide ..... K. graminifolia
29. Leaves more than 5 cm wide ...................... 30
17
Boonma
et al.
30. Rhizome producing several shoots ................
...................................................... K. caespitosa
30. Rhizome producing a single shoot ............ 31
31. Petioles more than 5 cm long..................... 32
31. Petioles sessile to sub-sessile or up to 5 cm long
...................................................................... 33
32. Labellum white to purple with deep purple at
the center with prominent yellow patch from
the base to sinus.......................... K. simaoensis
32. Labellum white to purple with deep purple at
the center without yellow patch ... K. rotunda
33. Anthesis nocturnal, flower opens around 06
pm ................................................................ 34
33. Anthesis diurnal, flower opens around 05 .....
...................................................................... 35
34. Staminodes and labellum laid on the same
plane; sinus depth two-third of labellum
length; anther crest with irregular tridentate
apex, the middle tooth shorter and wider than
the outers ....................................... K. albiflora
34. Staminodes upright with deflexed distal half
of the labellum; sinus depth half of labellum
length; anther crest with bilobed apex, usually
with two small teeth between lobes ...............
....................................................... K. noctiflora
35. Leaves glabrous above ..................... K. aurora
35. Leaves scabrous or sparsely hairy above .... 36
36. Ovary glabrous; staminodes white to purple,
broadly obovate to oblong, erect with deflexed
distal half of the labellum; labellum deep purple
toward the base, apically bilobed, lobes
narrowly obovate, rounded at apex to slightly
emarginated ............................ K. kamolwaniae
36. Ovary scabrous; staminodes light pink, broadly
ovate, apex acute, laid on the same plane with
labellum; labellum light pale pink with dark
pink towards and almost reaching the base with
white at base, respectively, deeply bilobed, each
lobe obovate, apex rounded and slightly acute
at tip ................................................ K. takensis
Acknowledgments
Authors are grateful for the financial support from
Mahasarakham University 2020 and the National
Science and Technology Development Agency
(FDA-CO-2563-11240-TH). We would like to
thank Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute,
Mahasarakham University, Brio Garden, and our
family for their facilities during this study and Dr.
Jolyon Dodgson, UK for suggestions to improve
the manuscript.
Literature Cited
BAKER J.G. 1890. Kaempferia L. In: HOOKER J.D. (ed.),
The flora of British India. Volume 6. L. Reeve & Co.,
London. pp. 218–224.
BOONMA T., SAENSOUK S. & P. SAENSOUK 2020.
Two new species of Kaempferia L. (Zingiberaceae) from
Thailand. Taiwania 65(3): 371–381. https://doi.org/
10.6165/tai.2020.65.371
HOLTTUM R.E. 1950. Zingiberaceae of the Malay
Peninsula. Gardens Bulletin Singapore 13: 1–249.
INSISIENGMAY O., NEWMAN M.F. & T. HAEVERMANS
2018. (2581) Proposal to conserve the name Kaempferia
rotunda (Zingiberaceae) with a conserved type. Taxon
67(1): 207–208. https://doi.org/10.12705/671.19
JENJITTIKUL T. & K. LARSEN 2020. Two new species
of Kaempferia (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand. Natural
History Bulletin of the Siam Society 64(1): 17-23. https://
doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.712
LARSEN K. & S. SAKSUWAN LARSEN 2006. Gingers of
Thailand. Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, The Botanical
Garden Organization, Chiang Mai.
RIDLEY H.N. 1899. The Scitamineae of the Malay
Peninsula. Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic
Society 32: 107.
SIRIRUGSA P. 1992. Taxonomy of the genus Kaempferia
(Zingiberaceae) in Thailand. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany)
19: 1–15. https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/
ThaiForestBulletin/article/view/25067
... There are about 40 species of Kaempferia in Thailand (Sirirugsa 1992;Boonma et al. 2020Boonma et al. , 2021Jenjittikul and Larsen 2020;Nopporncharoenkul et al. 2021;Saensouk 2021a, 2021b). Currently, 13 species are recognized in Kaempferia subgenus Protanthium which 12 species were distributed in Thailand, there are Kaempferia rotunda L. (Linnaeus 1753), K. simaoensis Y.Y. ...
... The measurements of the plant parts were taken by vernia calipper and ruler. The protologues of morphologically similar species (Linnaeus 1753;Nopporncharoenkul et al. 2020;Saensouk and Saensouk 2021) and type specimens were deposited in various herbaria, such as BK, BKF, KKU, QBG in Thailand, including digital images available online were compared. Table 1 This new species is closely related to K. aurora Noppornch. ...
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Neotypes are designated for five names in Kaempferia (Zingiberaceae) from Lao PDR, namely K.attapeuensis Picheans. & Koonterm, K.champasakensis Picheans. & Koonterm, K.gigantiphylla Picheans. & Koonterm, K.sawanensis Picheans. & Koonterm and K.xiengkhouangensis Picheans. & Phokham.
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Several Kaempferia species, endemic to Thailand, are rare and therefore entitled to conservation status; other species are widely cultivated. We conducted extensive cytogenetic investigation of this genus to elucidate the botanical and taxonomic characterization of these plants. The study included 42 accessions belonging to 15 Kaempferia species and four undescribed taxa from regions throughout Thailand, and one species from Laos. We determined chromosome numbers from root-tip cells collected from germinating rhizomes ex situ, but examined meiosis in flowers collected from the wild. The mitotic analyses verify that 2n chromosome numbers range from 22 (diploid, 15 taxa), 33 (triploid, three species), 44 (tetraploid, five taxa) to 55 (pentaploid, one species). Four taxa included accessions with different ploidy levels. The meiotic analyses demonstrated that all 14 diploid accessions investigated displayed normal meiosis, forming 11 bivalents, indicating the base chromosome number x=11 for this genus. Meiotic figures were obtained from one triploid and four tetraploid accessions. The triploid showed 11 trivalents, most likely indicating autotriploidy. Two tetraploid accessions showed regular meiotic figures consisting of 22 bivalents, probably indicating allopolyploidy originating from interspecific hybrids, a hypothesis that is consistent with observations of plant morphology. The other two tetraploid accessions belong to the same species and show mostly irregular meiotic figures. Cytogenetic information is useful for evaluating fertility and hybridity in the genus. Good seed set was observed among diploid and tetraploid accessions. Triploid and pentaploid plants, on the other hand, do not set seeds, but produce large clusters of vegetatively-propagated rhizomes.
Labellum shallowly divided or emarginate
  • . . . Labellum Glabrous
labellum glabrous........................................ 12 12. Labellum shallowly divided or emarginate; staminodes oblong, 1-1.3 × c. 0.3 cm............
24 22. Stigma capitate, deep red purple; anther crest reniform; leaves glaucous, green
  • K Calyx
K. galanga 21. Calyx and ovary hairy................................. 22 21. Calyx and ovary glabrous........................... 24 22. Stigma capitate, deep red purple; anther crest reniform; leaves glaucous, green..... K. glauca Literature Cited BAKER J.G. 1890. Kaempferia L. In: HOOKER J.D. (ed.), The flora of British India. Volume 6. L. Reeve & Co., London. pp. 218-224.