Camchaya bolavenensis (Asteraceae: Vernonieae), a new species from Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos

A new species Camchaya bolavenensis (Asteraceae: Vernonieae: Centrapalinae) from Dong Hua Sao National Protected Area located in Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos, is described and illustrated. It resembles C. gracilis and C. thailandica in morphology but distinguished by its basally decumbent stem, margin of lamina with distinct (1–)2–3 teeth, 2–4 mm long on each side, invisible secondary veins, and a capitulum with 10–30 of florets

Population Genetic Structure of a Bamboo Taxon, Pleioblastus Sect. Pleioblastus, in the Ryukyu Islands Formed by Geohistory and Human Activity

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CAMELLIA HOABINHENSIS (THEACEAE: SECT. CHRYSANTHA), A NEW YELLOW-FLOWERED SPECIES FROM NORTHERN VIETNAM

A new species, Camellia hoabinhensis (section Chrysantha, Theaceae), is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from a lowland forest on limestone hills in Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam. The species is characterized by its small habit to 4.5 m tall, large flowers 9.0–9.5 cm in diameter with 18–19 light yellow petals, and hairy filaments, ovaries, and styles. A comparison of the new species with similar species, C. euphlebia, C. impressinervis, C. phanii, and C. velutina, is provided. The IUCN conservation status of the proposed species is Data Deficient (DD)

Phylogeography of Juniperus Species (Cupressaceae) with a Disjunct Distribution in the Island Areas of Japan

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Aporosa tetragona Tagane & V. S. Dang (Phyllanthaceae), a new species from Mt. Hon Ba, Vietnam

A new species, Aporosa tetragona Tagane & V. S. Dang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Mt. Hon Ba located in the Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam. This species is characterized by tetragonal pistillate flowers and fruits, which are clearly distinguishable from the other previously known species of the genus. The morphology and phylogeny based on rbcL and matK of this species indicated that the new species belongs to section Appendiculatae Pax & K. Hoffm

A new species of Eustigma (Hamamelidaceae) from Hon Ba Nature Reserve, Vietnam

A new species of Hamamelidaceae, Eustigma honbaense H.Toyama, Tagane & V.S.Dang, sp. nov., is described from Hon Ba Nature Reserve, Vietnam. This species is similar to Eustigma oblongifolium Gardner & Champ., but differs from it in having entire leaves, longer infructescences, capsules with a longer apical part and seeds with a larger hilum. A description, preliminary conservation assessment, illustration and photographs of the new species are provided, as well as an updated key to the genus Eustigma

Garcinia hopii (Clusiaceae), a new species from Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, southern Vietnam

A new species, Garcinia hopii H.Toyama & V.S.Dang is described from Bidoup Nui Ba National Park, southern Vietnam. This species is similar to Garcinia hendersoniana Whitmore but differs from that species in having larger leaves, clustered pistillate flowers, a greater number of sterile anthers and a larger stigma of young fruits. A description, preliminary conservation assessment, illustration, photographs and DNA barcodes of the new species are provided, as well as an updated key to Garcinia sect. Hebradendron in Indochina

First molecular phylogenetic insights into the evolution of Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae, Poales)

Eriocaulon is a genus of c. 470 aquatic and wetland species of the monocot plant family Eriocaulaceae. It is widely distributed in Africa, Asia and America, with centres of species richness in the tropics. Most species of Eriocaulon grow in wetlands although some inhabit shallow rivers and streams with an apparent adaptive morphology of elongated submerged stems. In a previous molecular phylogenetic hypothesis, Eriocaulon was recovered as sister of the African endemic genus Mesanthemum. Several regional infrageneric classifications have been proposed for Eriocaulon. This study aims to critically assess the existing infrageneric classifications through phylogenetic reconstruction of infrageneric relationships, based on DNA sequence data of four chloroplast markers and one nuclear marker. There is little congruence between our molecular results and previous morphology-based infrageneric classifications. However, some similarities can be found, including Fyson’s sect. Leucantherae and Zhang’s sect. Apoda. Further phylogenetic studies, particularly focusing on less well sampled regions such as the Neotropics, will help provide a more global overview of the relationships in Eriocaulon and may enable suggesting the first global infrageneric classification

Two new species of <i>Sonerila</i> Roxb. (Melastomataceae) from Laos

Two new species of Sonerila Roxb. (Melastomataceae), S. erectifolia Phonep., Soulad. &amp; Tagane sp. nov. from southern Laos, and S. souvannii Phonep. &amp; Soulad. sp. nov. from central Laos, are described and illustrated. Comparisons with morphologically similar species are presented, along with ecological information and preliminary conservation status. A key to the species of Sonerila in Laos is also provided.</p

Strobilanthes bolavenensis K. Yamaz., Tagane & Soulad. 2021, sp. nov.

Strobilanthes bolavenensis K. Yamaz., Tagane & Soulad., sp. nov. Figs. 2 & 3. Type:— LAOS. Champasak Province, Dong Hua Sao National ProtectedArea [Bolaven Plateau], Paksong District, near Nong Luang Village; in lower montane forest, 15°04′22.14″N, 106°12′20.71″E, 1167 m, 18 December 2019, Souladeth P ., Tagane S., Kongxaysavath D., Rueangruea S., Somran S., Suyama Y., Suzuki E. L3452 [fl. & young fr.] (holotype FOF!, isotype: KAG [KAG155816!]). Strobilanthes bolavenensis is most similar to S. guangxiensis endemic to Guangxi, China in having purple corolla and hairy simple spike inflorescence but distinguished by its smaller plant height up to 30 cm tall (vs. ca. 1 m tall), rachis of inflorescence sparsely puberulent (vs. densely pubescent), bracts and bracteoles covered with short appressed yellowish brown hairs near apex adaxially (vs. glabrous), larger calyx length 1.4–1.6 cm long (vs. 1 cm long), and calyx acute at apex (vs. acuminate). Perennial herb, 30 cm tall. Stems erect, terete, ca 5 mm in diam. at base, dull brownish yellow to dark yellow-green, densely covered with short appressed brown hairs when young, glabrescent, lenticellate. Leaves opposite, subequal or sometimes slightly anisophyllous; blades papery, lanceolate to ovate, or narrowly elliptic, (1.3–)3.8–13 × (0.7–) 2–4 cm, length/width ratio (1.9–)2.4–2.9, apex acute to acuminate, margin subentire to slightly crenate, recurved when dry, base cuneate, symmetric, adaxially dark green, glabrous, with linear cystoliths 0.1–0.2 mm long (visible under stereoscopic microscope), abaxially light pale green, covered with short brown hairs, especially denser on midrib and secondary veins, midrib prominent abaxially, secondary veins 4–9 pairs, prominent abaxially, tertiary veins scalariformreticulate; petioles (0.2–) 0.4–1.6 cm long, covered with short appressed brown hairs. Inflorescence spike, on terminal and on old stems behind leaves, 3.4–8.9 cm long, 4–10-flowered, peduncle subsessile, rachis sparsely puberulent, internode 0.8–1 cm long; inflorescence bracts oblong-lanceolate, ca. 1 × 0.4 cm, apex acuminate, margin ciliate, adaxially covered with short appressed yellowish brown hairs near apex, covered with linear cystoliths, abaxially covered with dark brown glands and 2 types yellowish brown hairs, the longer hairs ca. 0.6 mm long, the shorter ones ca. 0.1 mm long; bracts persistent, spathulate-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.2–0.4 cm, apex acuminate, margin ciliate, adaxially covered with short appressed yellowish brown hairs near apex, covered with linear cystoliths, abaxially covered with glands and 2 types of yellowish brown hairs; bracteole 2, oblong-lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.2–0.3 cm, margin ciliate, adaxially covered with linear cystoliths, near apex part with short appressed yellowish brown hairs, abaxially densely covered with glands and 2 types yellowish brown hairs. Calyx 1.4–1.6 cm long, 5-lobed almost to base, outside covered with 2 types of yellowish-brown hairs, glabrous inside; tube 2–3 mm long; lobes subequal, linear, 1.2–1.3 cm, accrescent in fruit, up to 1.9 cm long, apex acute. Corolla purple, funnel-shaped, ca. 4.1 cm long, ca. 0.9 cm in diam., membranous, glabrous outside, pilose to throat inside, 5-lobed; lobes broadly elliptic, ca. 6 mm long, apex emarginate. Stamens 4, didynamous; the shorter pairs of filaments ca. 2 mm long, glabrous; the longer pairs ca. 5 mm long, glabrous inner side and pilose only outer side, anthers ca. 2.8–3 mm long, dorsifixed, attached at lower 1/3. Ovary narrowly obovoid, 3.7–4 mm long, ca. 0.9 mm in diam., densely hairy at apex, style 2.5 cm long, pilose except near base, stigma, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous. Capsule (immature) narrowly ellipsoid-ovoid, 10 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm in diam., sparsely covered with glangular hairs. Seeds (immature) 4, suborbicular, 1.5–2 mm in diam., strongly fattened, light yellow brown, pubescent. Distribution and habitat:— LAOS, known only from the type locality. Strobilanthes bolavenensis was found in hill evergreen forests at 1167 m elevation, where it grows with Hymenasplenium excisum (C. Presl) S. Linds. (Aspleniaceae), Cornopteris opaca (D. Don) Tagawa (Athyriaceae), Cyclosorus ciliatus (Wall. ex Benth.) Panigrahi (Thelypteridaceae), Canscora andrographioides Griff. ex C. B. Clarke (Gesneriaceae), Sonerila yunnanensis Jeffrey ex W. W. Sm. (Melastomataceae). Etymology:— This specific epithet “ bolavenensis ” refers to the type locality of this species. Vernacular name:— Hom Bolaven [ຫ້ອມບໍລະເວນ]. Phenology:— Flowering specimens were collected in December. Preliminary conservation assessment:— Critically Endangered (CR). Strobilanthes bolavenensis is known only from a single population with ca. 10 mature individuals in Bolaven Plateau, at elevation of 1167 m, though we had intensive floristic inventories in the area seven times in 2018–2020 (e.g. Nagahama et al. 2019, Souladeth et al. 2020, Suddee et al. 2020, Tagane et al. 2021a, b, Yamazaki et al. 2021). This situation satisfies the CR (critically endangered) status in criterion D of IUCN Red List Categories (IUCN 2012). Note:— In Laos, 27 species of Strobilanthes have been known, among which S. bolavenensis is easily distinguished from them by a combination of small plant habit (30 cm tall), abbreviated simple spike inflorescence 3.4–8.9 cm long, bracts adjacent to rachis, and bracts and bracteoles densely covered with yellowish brown hairs abaxially. Strobilanthes bolavenensis is phenotypically most similar to S. guangxiensis in having lenticellate twigs, purple corolla, simple spike inflorescence with flowers paired and on two sides of spike, and bracts imbricate in spike. However, it is clearly distinguished from S. guangxiensis by the diagnosis mentioned above. In addition, S. bolavenensis is different from S. guangxiensis in having smaller cystoliths on adaxial side of lamina (0.1–0.2 mm long vs. 0.2–0.5 mm long in S. guangxiensis), inflorescence on terminal or on old stem behind leaves (vs. terminal and in axils of leaf base), and larger ovary 3.7–4 mm long (vs. ca. 3 mm long). For detail comparison, see Table 1.Published as part of Yamazaki, Kaito, Souladeth, Phetlasy & Tagane, Shuichiro, 2021, Strobilanthes bolavenensis, a new species of Acanthaceae from Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos, pp. 152-158 in Phytotaxa 513 (2) on pages 154-157, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.513.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/530860