Ann. Bot.

Fennici 56: 221–226 ISSN 0003-3847 (print)  ISSN 1797-2442 (online)

Helsinki 2 April 2019 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2019

Alpinia vietnamica (Zingiberaceae), a new species from

central Vietnam

Hồng Trường Lưu1,2, Hữu Đăng Trần1,*, Thành Lực Nguyễn1,

Quốc Bình Nguyễn3 & Jana Leong-Škorničková4

1)
Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1 Mạc Đĩnh Chi
Street, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam (*corresponding author’s e-mail: tranhuudang@
gmail.com)
2)
Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology,
18 Hoàng Quốc Việt, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội, Vietnam
3)
Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoàng
Quốc Việt Street, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội, Vietnam
4)
Herbarium, Singapore Botanic Gardens, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore 259569

Received 4 Dec. 2018, final version received 8 Mar. 2019, accepted 14 Mar. 2019

Lưu H.T., Trần H.Đ., Nguyễn T.L., Nguyễn Q.B. & Leong-Škorničková J. 2019: Alpinia vietnamica
(Zingiberaceae), a new species from central Vietnam. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 56: 221–226.

Alpinia vietnamica H.Đ. Trần, Luu & Škorničk. sp. nova (Zingiberaceae : Alpinieae)
from the sect. Alpinia subsect. Catimbium with rugose leaves is described here. It
occurs in central Vietnam and has been previously misidentified as A. rugosa described
from Hainan, China. A detailed description, illustrations, as well as notes on distribu-
tion, ecology and phenology of the new species are given.

Alpinia (Roxburgh 1810) is the largest and most
widespread genus in the Zingiberaceae with
some 230 species occurring in S and SE Asia
and extending to the Pacific and Australia (Smith
1990, Larsen et al. 1998). Although Alpinia is
known to be highly morphologically diverse
and proven to be polyphyletic (cf. e.g., Kress
et al. 2005, 2007, De Boer et al. 2018), no
new formal classification has been proposed
yet. The currently accepted infrageneric clas-
sification proposed by Smith (1990), which rec-
ognises two subgenera and 11 sections, is still
used. Alpinia sect. Alpinia subsect. Catimbium
consists of about 33 species worldwide (Smith
1990, Kress et al. 2005). Twelve species of this
subsection are known to occur in Vietnam (Lê et
al. 2017, Lý 2017), although no recent revision
of Alpinia in Vietnam has been done, and some
of the names reported are misapplied. Among
these, A. rugosa — the only species in subgenus
Catimbium known to have narrow and promi-
nently rugose leaves — was originally described
from Hainan, China (Zou et al. 2012) and only
recently added to the flora of Vietnam by Leong-
Škorničková and Newman (2015: photo with
caption only) and Lê et al. (2017). As we explain
below, A. rugosa represents one of these misap-
plied names and the species does not occur in
Vietnam. The existence of the Vietnamese taxon
with rugose leaves in central Vietnam (e.g., Ngọc
Linh Nature Reserve in Quảng Nam Province,
Kon Plong forests in Kon Tum Province, Bạch
Mã National Park in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province)
has been known for over 10 years, however most
of these records (including ours) consisted of
sterile or fruiting collections.
222 Lưu et al.  •  ANN. BOT. FENNICI  Vol. 56
During our most recent surveys in the Sơn Trà
peninsula (Đà Nẵng City) and Tây Giang District
(Quảng Nam Province) in 2017 we encountered
this species in flower and fruit. We noted that,
unlike A. rugosa, the species in Vietnam has
persistent bracteoles. Based on flower dissections
and detailed comparison with A. rugosa there is
no doubt that the collections from central Viet-
nam actually represent a distinct and yet unde-
scribed species, which we name below as Alpinia
vietnamica (Fig. 1). Revision of the herbarium
material at P revealed the existence of numer-
ous historical specimens of this species collected
from Vietnam, some of which are over 100 years
old (see additional specimens studied and Fig. 2).
The descriptions are mainly based on living
flowering material and follow in style and level
of detail our recent papers (e.g., Lưu et al. 2017,
Trần et al. 2018). General plant terminology in
this paper follows that in Beentje (2016).
Alpinia vietnamica H.Đ. Trần, Luu &
Škorničk., sp. nova (Figs. 1 and 2)
Type: Vietnam. Quảng Nam Province, Tây Giang District,
15°51´16´´N, 107°21´16´´E, 1090 m a.s.l., 16 April 2017
Trần Hữu Đăng & Nguyễn Thành Lực TG-129 (holotype
SGN; isotypes SGN, SING, VNMN). — Paratypes: Viet-
nam. Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Bạch Mã N.P., Đồng Truồi,
16°14´44.98´´N, 107°43´13.05´´E, 162 m a.s.l, 3 May 2012
Leong-Škorničková et al. JLS-1632 (E, PR, SING, VNMN);
Bạch Mã, March 1939 Poilane s.n. (P), 28 June 1916 Eber-
hardt 3021(P); 4 km from Bạch Mã Peak, 16°12´3.38´´N,
107°50´52.84´´E, 1065 m a.s.l, 4 May 2012 Leong-
Škorničková et al. JLS-1649 (SING, VNMN), 22 April 2003
L. Averyanov et al. HLF-1280 (HN, LE, MO); A Lưới
District, Hồng Kim Commune, close to A Nor waterfall,
708 m a.s.l., 7 June 2014 Leong-Škorničková et al. JLS-2800
(SING, VNMN); Nam Đông, 7 April 2007 L. Averyanov et
al. HAL-10994 (HN, LE, MO), 24 March 2005 L. Avery-
anov et al. HAL-6814 (HN, LE, MO); Đà Nẵng City, Sơn
Trà Nature Reserve, 16°07´47.3´´N, 108°15´34.2´´E, 509 m
a.s.l., 23 April 2017 Trần Hữu Đăng & Nguyễn Thành Lực
ST-62 (SGN, SING, VNMN); Liên Chiểu, 1000 m a.s.l., 21
November 1923 Poilane 7680 (P); Quảng Nam Province, 21
March 1939 Poilane 29513 (P); Trà My, southwest of Quảng
Nam, 19 February 1941 Poilane 31357 (P); village of Mang
Tra, 1500 m a.s.l., 27 February 1941 Poilane 31873 (P).
Etymology. The species is named after the country
where it was first found.
Clump-forming herb with 3–9(16) pseu-
dostems. Rhizome creeping, 1–1.5 cm in diam.,
cream to greenish externally, cream to light
brown internally. Leafy shoot 0.6–1 m long,
often inclined ca. 45°, 7–9 leaves per shoot,
leafless at basal 1/3 to 1/2, shoots ca. 2–5 cm
apart; sheathing bracts 3–4 per pseudostem,
5–30 cm long, green with reddish tinge when
young, turning green and eventually brown and
papery with age, finely reticulate. Ligules entire
to bilobed, 5–7 mm long, hirtellous at margin;
petioles canaliculate, ca. 3.5–5 cm long, gla-
brous. Lamina oblong, 22–42 ¥ 6–8 cm, rugose,
glabrous adaxially, puberulent abaxially; apex
acuminate, acumen 2–3 cm long; base cordate,
often oblique; margin undulate, entire, hyaline,
semi-translucent white. Inflorescence termi-
nal raceme, erect, 15–25 cm long, with 13–29
flowers sparsely arranged on rachis, 7–19 mm
apart, 1–3 flowers open simultaneously; pedun-
cle mostly hidden within pseudostem, visible
part extending beyond pseudostem 1–4 cm long,
puberulous, spike 13–24 cm long. Peduncular
bract one, ca. 7 cm long, green with brownish
red tinge, caducous. Fertile bracts absent. Pedi-
cel 4–8 mm, hirsute, bearing single flower. Brac-
teole tubular, persistent until fruiting, 29–32 ¥
7–9 mm, with unilateral slit 9–13 mm long, dark
red, externally puberulent, apex bilobed, lobes
2–4 mm long, margin ciliate. Flower ca. 5.8–
6.2 cm long. Calyx tubular, 24–27 ¥ 7–9 mm,
with unilateral slit 14–15 mm long, apex 2
lobed, lobes ca. 1–3 mm long, dark red, puber-
ulent externally, glabrous internally. Floral
tube 18–20 mm long, funnel-shaped, ca. 3.5
mm wide at base, ca. 6.5 mm wide distally,
externally white, glabrous, internally white at
base, pinkish red distally, hirsute at throat area.
Dorsal corolla lobe obovate, concave, 32–36 ¥
19–22 mm, white, sometimes with reddish
tinge at apex, glabrous; lateral corolla lobes
oblong, slightly concave, 32–37 ¥ 10–11 mm,
white, margin ciliate. Labellum ovate, 3-lobed,
42–48 mm long, 40–43 mm wide (measured at
broadest point of basal lobes), 22–29 mm wide
(measured at apical lobe), basal lobes with very
dense red stripes running from base to margin,
sides with ca. 3 mm warm yellow margin, apical
lobe pale yellow with branched stripes running
from base towards the margin, margin finely
crisped, apex sometimes sub-lobed, sub-lobes
slightly overlapping. Lateral staminodes subu-
ANN. BOT. FENNICI  Vol. 56  •  Alpinia vietnamica, a new species from central Vietnam 223

Fig. 1. Alpinia vietnamica (A, B, C, F, H and I from the holotype; D, E and G from the paratype H.Đ. Trần & T.L.
Nguyễn ST-62 (SGN, VNMN, SING). — A: Habit. — B: Leaves, adaxial and abaxial view. — C: Inflorescence. — D:
Young infructescence. — E: Close-up of flower. — F: Ligule. — G: Young fruit. — H: Flower dissection. — I: Stamen
(side, front and back view).
224 Lưu et al.  •  ANN. BOT. FENNICI  Vol. 56
late, 3–5 mm long, red with yellow apex, basally
with a few hairs. Stamen 37–39 mm long; fila-
ment ca. 20 mm long, red at base, turning cream
towards apex, with sparse glandular hairs abaxi-
ally; anther 18–19 mm long, ca. 7.3 mm broad,
connective tissue yellow, covered with dense
glandular hairs; thecae dehiscing longitudinally
for the entire length. Epigynous glands two, apex
slightly lobed, cream, 2.5–3 mm long, ca. 2 mm
Fig. 2. Alpinia vietnamica.
Specimen Eberhardt 3021
(P00439543) deposited
at P. Item ID: http://coldb.
mnhn.fr/catalognumber/
mnhn/p/p00439543.
broad. Ovary ovoid, 5.5–6.5 ¥ 4.5–5 mm, green,
densely pubescent. Style ca. 6 cm long, white,
red at base, hairy near the stigma; stigma club-
shaped, ca. 1.5 mm long, 3 mm wide; ostiole cil-
iate. Infructescence lax, fruits spaced 1.5–3 cm.
Fruit a globose capsule, upon ripening reluc-
tantly dehiscent by three valves (under pressure),
1.8–2.4 cm in diam., with persistent calyx and
often with remnant bracteole, green when young,
ANN. BOT. FENNICI  Vol. 56  •  Alpinia vietnamica, a new species from central Vietnam 225

presumably ripening to orange or red, ca. 8–10

seeds in each locule. Seeds (measured from
young fruit) ca. 2.5 ¥ 2 mm, green (presumably
dark brown when fully ripe), entirely covered in
semi-translucent whitish aril. Flowering from
February to June, fruiting from April to August.
Distribution and habitat. Alpinia vietnamica
is known to occur in central part of Vietnam,
from Thừa Thiên-Huế Province (A Lưới and
Bạch Mã National Park) to southern part of
Quảng Nam Province in Trà My (Fig. 3). It
is also found in Kon Tum Province in Kon
Plong area (M.S. Nuraliev, photographic doc-
umentation) and in Măng Đen area (second
author’s pers. obs.). It grows in humid areas
along streams in evergreen forests, from 160 m
to 1100 m a.s.l. The species is locally rare and
usually found growing in one or a few small
clumps, and only seldom in larger clumps with
up to 20 shoots. While populations in Bạch Mã
National Park, Ngọc Linh National Park and
Sơn Trà Nature Reserve are legally protected, all Fig. 3. Distribution map of Alpinia vietnamica and A.
those known in the other locations are scattered, rugosa in Vietnam and China (Hainan). Distribution
unprotected and threatened by ongoing habitat records of A. vietnamica and A. rugosa supported by
loss due to farming. specimens at B, HN, LE, MO, P, SING, SGN, or VNMN
are marked with symbols with black border, and the dis-
Alpinia vietnamica is morphologically most
tribution record of A. vietnamica based on our observa-
similar to A. rugosa in the plant size, rugose leaf tion is marked with a red dot without black border.
blades, shape of inflorescence and flower colour-
ation, but differs from it by its moderately rugose
leaves, laxer inflorescence, presence of large and robust, 2–3 m tall, with 50–90 cm long leaf
persistent bracteoles, longer pedicels (4–8 mm), blades mostly more than 10 cm wide, pubescent
and 3-lobed labellum (vs. prominently rugose to puberulent on both sides, larger and more
leaves, more densely flowered inflorescence, robust inflorescences with grooved rachis and
absence of bracteoles, 3–4 mm long pedicels and densely crowded with sessile flowers, and brac-
entire labellum in A. rugosa). teoles which are papery already during anthesis.
In Vietnam, A. vietnamica can hardly be con-
fused with any other species of the subsection
Catimbium. The overall plant size, lax inflores-
cence, and especially shape and coloration of Acknowledgements
the flower is similar to the recently described
A. newmanii (Lý 2017), but A. vietnamica can The Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Tech-
be distinguished by the rugose lamina with a nology Development (NAFOSTED) funded LHT (grant
no. 106-NN.03-2016.77) and NQB (grant no. 106-NN.03-
cordate and often oblique base, green rachis and 2015.47). Research of THĐ and NTL in Sơn Trà Nature
bright red bracteoles (compared with smooth Reserve was supported by the Vietnam Ministry of Sci-
lamina with cuneate base, dark red rachis and ence and Technology (project no. ĐTĐL.CN-26/15) and
white bracteoles in A. newmanii). Although A. in Tay Giang forests by Tay Giang District (contract no.
blepharocalyx (often misidentified as A. kwang- 27/HĐ-NN&PTNT). Research of JL-Š was supported by
National Park Boards, Singapore. JL-Š thanks Prof. Leonid
siensis, cf. Wu & Chen 1978) has a somewhat Averyanov and Maxim Nuraliev for sharing a considerable
rugose lamina with a cordate base, hirsute ligules number of localised images from many years of their field-
and an upright inflorescence, it is much more work in Vietnam. We also thank the Asian Zingiberaceae
226 Lưu et al.  •  ANN. BOT. FENNICI  Vol. 56
Information Centre at Singapore Botanic Gardens and the
Zingiberaceae Resource Centre at the Royal Botanic Garden
Edinburgh (https://padme.rbge.org.uk/ZRC/) for providing
protologues and various Zingiberaceae related references.
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