Akaniaceae, a new family record for Lao

Abstract

A collection from Phou Chom Voy Provincial Protected Area, Bolikhamxai, represents the first records for the family Akaniaceae as well as the genus Bretschneidera and the species Bretschneidera sinensis in Laos. Here we report the new and extended distributional range. A detailed description and photographs are provided for easy identification.

Full text

THAI FOREST BULL., BOT. 49(2): 231–235. 2021.
DOI https://doi.org/10.20531/tfb.2021.49.2.10
© 2021 Forest Herbarium
INTRODUCTION
The high moist mountainous area “Phou Chom
Voy”, part of the Annamite Mountain Range, is
located in the Phou Chom Voy Provincial Protected
Area of Bolikhamxay Province. It extends to the
Laotian-Vietnamese border and encompasses the
Khamkeut and Xaychamphone Districts. “Phou
Chom Voy” has been shown to have a rich biodiversity
and natural water resources, as well as potential
recreational and tourist opportunities. It is a diversity
hotspot of taxa, home to moist and clouded high
montane evergreen forests, at elevations of 800–
1,820 m asl. The area is difcult to access and probably
contains many endemic and unexplored species. At
present, scientic data of the ora from this area are
insufcient (V. Lamxay pers. comm.).
In the past few years, there were two new records
of orchids for Laos, namely Odontochilus elwesii
C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f. and O. putaoensis
X.H.Jin,
L.A.Ye & A.T.Mu. (Lanorsavanh et al., 2019).
A year
later, the new species, Begonia phouchomvoyensis
Lanors., Lamxay & Souvann., was discovered from
the same area (Lanorsavanh et al., 2020).
Botanical surveys in the Phou Chom Voy
Provincial Protected Area were undertaken between
2018 to 2021. Some plant collections, identied with
Akaniaceae, a new family record for Laos
SOULIVANH LANORSAVANH1,*, VICHITH LAMXAY1, SAWAI MATTAPHA2,
KEOOUDONE SOUVANNAKHOUMMANE1, KHAMFA CHANTHAVONGSA1 & SOMCHANH BOUNPHANMY1
ABSTRACT
A collection from Phou Chom Voy Provincial Protected Area, Bolikhamxai, represents the rst records for the family Akaniaceae as
well as the genus Bretschneidera and the species Bretschneidera sinensis in Laos. Here we report the new and extended distributional
range. A detailed description and photographs are provided for easy identication.
KEYWORDS: Brassicales, Bretschneideraceae, extended distribution, Indo-China.
Accepted for publication: 11 October 2021. Published online: 25 October 2021
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, National University of Laos, Vientiane, Laos.
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, Udon Thani 41000, Thailand.
* Corresponding author: s.lanorsavanh@nuol.edu.la
Hemsley (1901), Niyomdham (1991), Lu & Boufford
(2005) and Gardner et al. (2007), appeared to be
Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl. (Akaniaceae), a new
family, genus and species record for Laos. Vouchers
are deposited in the Biology Herbarium of the
National University of Laos and distributed to the
National Herbarium of Laos (HNL).
Bretschneidera Hemsl. was formerly placed
in the family Sapindaceae by Hemsley (1901) and
later in Bretschneideraceae with a possible close
relationship to Hippocastanaceae and Sapindaceae
(Boufford et al., 1989; Tobe & Peng, 1990; De
Craene et al., 2002; Lu & Boufford, 2005). More
recently, proof was provided that the genus has to
be included in the family Akaniaceae Stapf (Soltis
et al., 2000; APG IV, 2016). This position was already
earlier pointed out by Tobe & Peng (1990), Rodman
(1991), Rodman et al. (1993), Tobe & Raven (1995),
Doweld (1996) and De Craene et al. (2002).
Akaniaceae, a small family of owering plants
classied in the order Brassicales, comprises two
monotypic genera, Akania Hook.f., a native species
of Australia, and Bretschneidera, conned to South-
East Asia (Lu & Boufford, 2005; APG IV, 2016).
The family is characterized by combinations of
being a tree, having compound leaves, opposite to

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subopposite leaflets, absence of stipels, bisexual
owers, campanulate calyces with 5 lobes, corolla
with 5 lobes, a superior ovary with 3–5 locules, axile
placentation and capsular fruits.
The genus Bretschneidera differs from Akania
by having imparipinnate leaves (vs paripinnate in
Akania), entire leaet margins (vs serrate in Akania),
a racemose inorescence (vs paniculate inorescence
in Akania), zygomorphic owers (vs actinomorphic
owers in Akania) and presence of a oral disk (vs
absent in Akania).
In this communication, we report Bretschneidera,
a monotypic genus, and Bretschneidera sinensis as
new records for Laos. Previously, the species was
reported ranging from India, southern China and
northern Vietnam to confined areas in Northern
Thailand (Doi Phu Kha National Park, Nan Province;
Niyomdham, 1991; Gardner et al., 2007; Kumar
et al.,
2017),
but now it is known to have a wider
distribution, extending into Laos. The species was
not yet recorded in the plant check-list of Laos
(Newman et al., 2007; Jin et al., 2016), and the online
check-list, which is continuously updated by the
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (https://padme.
rbge.org.uk/laos/list/). Although, it was assumed to
occur in Laos by Lu & Boufford (2005); Wang et al.
(2018), but no specimen was recorded yet.
NEW RECORD
Akaniaceae Stapf, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew, 1912:
380. 1912; C.Bayer & O.Appel in Kubitzki, Fam.
& Gen. Vasc. Pl. 5: 21. 2002; APG IV, Bot. J. Linn.
Soc. 181: 18. 2016; Chamch. et al., Threat. Pl.
Thailand. 25. 2017. Type: Akania Hook f.
Trees. Leaves alternate, paripinnate or impari-
pinnate; stipules present or absent; veins pinnate;
stipels absent. Inorescence racemose or paniculate,
axillary or terminal, erect; bracts present. Flowers
bisexual, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, 5-merous,
white or pink. Calyx broadly campanulate, 5-lobed.
Petals 5, convolute or imbricate. Stamens 5–10;
laments liform, hairy; anthers dorsixed, opening
length-wise. Disk absent or present. Ovary superior,
3–5 locules; placentation axile; ovules 2 per locule,
pendulous; style longer than stamens; stigma capitate
,
small.
Fruit a capsule, ellipsoid-globose to subglobose
to ovoid or obovoid to pyriform; loculicidally
dehiscent. Seeds red or yellow, ellipsoid-globose to
ovoid, compressed, without endosperm and aril.
Two genera: Akania and Bretschneidera. The
rst genus is native to Australia. Only Bretschneidera
was previously recorded from India, S China,
Taiwan, N Thailand and N Vietnam. It is now also
known for Laos.
Bretschneidera Hemsl., Hooker’s Icon. Pl. 28(1):
2708. 1891; L.L.Lu & Boufford in C.Y.Wu &
P.H.Raven, Fl. China 8: 197. 2005; C.Bayer &
O.Appel in Kubitzki, Fam. & Gen. Vasc. Pl. 5: 23.
2002; Chamch. et al., Threat. Pl. Thailand: 25.
2017. Type: Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl.
Tree
10–25 m
tall. Bark grey-brown
, young twigs
with lenticels and leaf scars. Leaves imparipinnate,
with 8–31 leaets; venation pinnate; stipules present,
caducous; leaets opposite or lower ones alternate,
margin entire. Inflorescence racemose, terminal.
Flowers zygomorphic. Calyx 5-lobed. Petals 5,
imbricate, free, adnate at middle to upper part of
calyx tube, upper petal hood-like, covering stamens
and style. Stamens 8 (4+4). Disk present. Ovary
3-locular, hairy; ovules pendulous; style apically
bent abruptly downward.
A monospecic genus; Bretschneidera sinensis
;
previously known from India, S China, Taiwan,
N Thailand and N Vietnam, it is now also known
for Laos.
Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl., Hooker’s Icon.
Pl. 28: t. 2708. 1901; Gagnep. in Lecomte, Fl.
Indo-Chine, Suppl. 1: 1001. 1950; Santisuk, Nat.
Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 37(2): 173. 1989; Niyomdham
in Smitinand & K.Larsen, Fl. Thailand 5(3): 239.
1991; L.L.Lu & Boufford in C.Y.Wu & P.H.Raven,
Fl. China 8: 197. 2005. Type: China, Szemao,
Yunnan, at 5,000 ft., A. Henry 11651 (lectotype K
[K000681003!], designated by Kumar et al. 2017;
isolectotypes A [A00050653!], K [K000681002!]).
Fig. 1.
— Bretschneidera yunshanensis Chun & F.C.How,
Acta Phytotax. Sin. 7(1): 68. 1958. Type: China,
Hunan, Hengshan, Fangkwang, Tzu, 9 May 1955,
K.H. Chu 99 (holotype SCBI).

AKANIACEAE, A NEW FAMILY RECORD FOR LAOS (S. LANORSAVANH ET AL.) 233
Leaves: petioles 11–17.2 cm long; rachis 11–21
cm long, pubescent; ultrajugal part 1.4–4.2 cm long,
slightly greenish, reddish adaxially, sparsely hairy,
glabrescent. Leaets 7–17; petiolules 3–9 mm long;
lamina obliquely lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate,
ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, 6–19.5 × 2.7–7.7 cm,
chartaceous, base obtuse to rounded to cuneate, apex
acuminate to acute or caudate, adaxial surface green
to somewhat pale green, glabrous, abaxial surface
grey, minutely pubescent, lateral veins 10–16 pairs.
Racemes 12–30 cm long, hairy. Flowers pink or
pink-white or rose-white. Pedicels 2–3.2 cm long,
hairy. Calyx broadly campanulate, 1.1–1.7 × 2–2.5
cm; lobes broadly triangular, 2–3 mm long, hairy
Figure 1. Bretschneidera sinensis Hemsl.: A. Leafy twig with inorescences; B. Bark; C. Flowers; D. Corolla with 5 lobes (dissected).
E. Calyx (corolla lobes removed) showing inside of calyx, attachment of ovary and stamens (above) and outside of calyx with minute
lobes (below). F. Stamens. Scale bars: 1 cm. All from SL2157 by S. Lanorsavanh.

THAI FOREST BULLETIN (BOTANY) VOL. 49 NO. 2
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on both sides. Petals broadly spatulate to obovate,
1.8–2.7 × 1.5–2.2 cm, base cuneate, apex weakly
notched; upper petal pink to white, becoming darker
with age, red striate. Stamens: laments 2.2–2.5 cm
long, hairy at base, curving downward apically;
anthers oblong, 5–6.5 × 1.5–2 mm. Disk annular.
Ovary ellipsoid-globose to subglobose to ovoid or
obovoid, 3–4 × ca 3 cm; style 2.2–2.4 cm long, hairy;
stigma ca 1 mm diam. Fruit not seen.
Distribution.— See under genus.
Ecology & Phenology.— In Laos collected
near a stream in evergreen forest at ca 1,100 m alt.
Flowering in March.
Vernacular.— ດອກພວງບົວຈອມວອຍ (Dok
phuang boua chom voy).
Specimens examined.— Laos: Bolikhamxai,
Khankeut District, Nahueng Village, Phou Chom
Voy Provincial Protected Area, 18°25′10.3″N,
105°03′13.4″E, 1,084 m, 3 Mar. 2021, Lanorsavanh
et al. SL2157 (HNL, NLS=National University of
Laos, Faculty of Natural Science).
Conservation status— The species is present
with less than a 100 individual trees in Laos over an
area of ca 10 km2 that is only at one site a Protected
Area; therefore, in Laos it is rare and Endangered
(Sun, 1998).
Note.—
Bretschneidera sinensis
is characterized
by its imparipinnate leaves, erect racemes, 5-lobed
corolla, corolla lobes broadly spathulate to obovate,
base cuneate, upper petal hood-like covering the
stamens and the style, 8 stamens and a 3-locular
ovary.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the staff of
the Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural
Science, National University of Laos and the
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Udon
Thani Rajabhat University, Thailand, for use of their
facilities during the study and the staff of the herbaria
for their collaboration. We are especially grateful
to the Environment Protection Fund (EPF) under
the Project of Capacity Enhancement of Laos’s
Natural Sciences, in the Sub-Project Number PICE-
LENS2-010, for supporting the eld survey at Phou
Chom Voy Provincial Protected Area. We also express
our gratitude to Pongkham Phommachan for assisting
during the eld work. Finally, thanks to Jeffrey Nash
who kindly reviewed the English and two reviewers
for helpful comments for improving the manuscript.
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