全 文 ：Elettariopsis chayaniana ( Zingiberaceae) , a New Species
from Eastern Thailand
?
Piyapong YUPPARACH
( Pharmaceutical Botany and Pharmacognosy Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002 , Thailand)
Abstract: A new species of Elettariopsis fromeastern Thailand, E. chayaniana, is described and illustrated . Key to all
species currently enumerated for Thailand is also provided .
Key words: Elettariopsis chayaniana; New species; Thailand
CLC number : Q 949 Document Code : A Article ID: 0253 - 2700 (2008) 05 - 525 - 03
TheZingiberaceae is one of the important medicinal famili-
es inThailand . Taxonomic studies on this plant group are essen-
tial to set up the baseline information for other related research,
especially in drug development . Some genera, including the ge-
nus Elettariopsis Baker, are not well studied .
Thegenus ElettariopsisBaker is a small genus in the family
Zingiberaceae with 8 - 15 taxa, mainly distributed in southeast
Asia (Mabberley, 1993) . Members of the genus can be distin-
guished fromother genera by their fewer leaves ( usually 1 - 5 ) ,
loosely clasping or forming distinct pseudostem, and separated
flowering shoots, either with clustered flowers in a cincinnus or
with single flowers along a decurrent scape (Holttumn, 1950;
Kam, 1982; Lim, 2003) . However flowers of all recognizedtaxa
are essentially similar in coloration and forms, and resemble
some Amomum species, eg . A. testaceum Ridl ., A. biflorum
Jack, A. uliginosum Koenig ( Holtumn, 1950 ; Lim, 2003;
Picheansoonthon and Yupparach, 2007) .
Recently, five species, E. elan C . K . Lim, E. exserta
(Scort .) Bak ., E. slahmong C . K . Lim, E. smithiae Y . K .
Kam, and E . triloba ( Gagnep .) Loes . , are enumerated for
Thailand and their taxonomic history, including information on
ethnobotany, chemical constituents, and biological activities of
some members the genus were discussed ( Picheansoonthon and
Yupparach, 2007 ) . In this paper, a new species, E. cha-
yaniana, is described and illustrated in this paper .
Elettariopsis chayaniana Yupparach, sp . nov .
Fig . 1 - 5
Type : Picheansoonthon 521 , Khao Tung Sapan Hin, Am-
phoe Khlung, Changwat Chantaburi , Thailand, N 12°45 .033′,
E 102°22.549′, elevation 143 - 561 m, 11 February 2004 ,
Fig . 1 Elettariopsis chayaniana Yupparach
A . plant showing habit, roots, rhizomes, pseudostem, and leaves; B . part
of a leaf , showing a ligule (sideview) ; C . part of a leaf , showing a ligule
(front view) ; D . an inflorescence; E . a flower; F . bract; G . bracteole;
H . calyx tube; I . dorsal corolla lobe; J . & K . lateral corolla lobes; L .
part of a corolla tube and corolla lobes; M . labellum; N . anther and anther
crest, style and stigma (front view) ; O . anther and anther crest, style and
stigma (sideview) ; P . Ovary with stylodial glands and lower part of the
style; Q . fruit; and R . seeds ( drawn by Chalermchoke Boonchit)
云 南 植 物 研 究 2008 , 30 (5) : 525～527
Acta Botanica Yunnanica DOI : 10 .3724?SP. J . 1143 .2008.07291
? ?Received date: 2007 - 12 - 13 , Accepted date: 2008 - 02 - 21
Fig . 2 E. chayaniana in type location ( Photo: Vit-ya Karndee) Fig . 3 E. chayaniana, an infroresent and flowers in detail
Fig . 4 E . chayaniana, showing labellum, stigma and style,
anther crest, and dorsal corolla lobe
Fig . 5 E. chayaniana, showing an ovate reddish
fruit with longitudinal ridges
(BKF holotype including dried and spirit materials; KEP and
SING paratype) .
Diagnosis: E. smithiae similis, sed ligula longiore usque
ad 2 - 4 mmlongis ( nec 1 - 2 mm) , foliis 2 - 4 oblanceolatis, ba-
si obliquis, petiolis 3 - 9 cmlongis, inflorescentia capitata, caly-
cis tubo quamcorollae tubo longiore, connectivi appendice ligu-
lata apice bilobata, fructu ovato cristis longitudinalibus 7 differt .
Description: Perennial herb . Rhizome creeping, slender,
bearing pseudostem at intervals . Pseudostem slender, 26 .2 -
52 .3 cm . Bladeless leaves 2 - 3 . Normal leaves 2 - 4 ; ligule gla-
brous, 2 - 4 mmlong, apex 2-lobed; petiole2 .6 - 11 .8 cm, gla-
brous, channeled; leaf blades lanceolate-oblong, or elliptic,
14 .5 - 28 .5 by 5 .1 - 7 .0 cm, baseobliquely acute, apex acumi-
nate to shortly caudate, margin entire to slightly undulate, both
625 云 南 植 物 研 究 30 卷
sides glabrous . Inflorescence arising from base of pseudostems,
with flowers in an erect dense head, peduncle0 .9 - 2 .5 cmlong .
Bracts 5 - 6 , ovate, light brownish, 1 .0 - 2 .5 cm by 6 - 8 mm .
Bracteole lanceolate, 1 . 5 - 2.1 by 0 .4 - 1 .0 cm . Calyxgreenish,
tubular, 2 . 6 - 3 .0 cm long . Collora tube pinkish, slender,
shorter than calyx, 2. 1 - 2 .5 cmlong; lobes 3 , greenish; dorsal
lobe oblong, 1 . 6 - 1 .8 cm by 5 - 6 mm, hooded, greenish; later-
al lobes greenish, oblong, 1 . 6 - 2 .7 cm by 5 - 6 mm, slightly
hooded . Lateral staminodes absent . Labellumwhite with reddish
base and yellow middle, suborbicular, 1 . 7 - 2.2 by 1 .5 - 1 .7
cm; base clawed, 6 - 8 mmdistal part 3- lobe, median lobe cre-
nate and sometimesslightly emarginate . Filament red c . 5 - 6 by
2 - 3 mm . Anther c . 4 by 2 mm; connective appendagelinear, 5
- 6 by 1 - 2 mm, lower half red, upper half white, apex 2-
lobed . Ovary c . 2 by 2 mm, glabrous, inconspicuously 8-an-
gled; stylodes 2 , slender, 3 - 4 by 1 - 2 mm . Fruit capsule,
ovate, c . 2 . 8 by 1 .5 cm, pinkish brown, with seven longitudi-
nal ridges . Seeds numerous, elliptic-globose, 4 - 5 mm .
Distribution: Found in Khao Sapan Hin Range of Amphoe
Khlung, Changwat Chantaburi , Thailand . So far, only known
from the type locality .
Ecology : It grows under the shadeof driedevergreen forest
at thealtitude of 140 - 560 m .
Vernacular names: Wan Kambang
Use : Medicinal
Ethymology: The specific epithet of this new species is
named in honor of Dr . Chayan Picheansoonthon in recognition of
his contribution to our knowledge of the family Zingiberaceae in
Thailand .
Note: It belongs to the same group of E. elan, E . sl-
ahmong and E. triloba with a clustered-head inflorescences,
while others taxa in Thailand are with an elongated scape . Elet-
tariopsischayaniana can bereadily distinguished by its unique bi-
lobed anther crest ( linear with a bilobed apex) and fruits ( ovate
with seven longitudinal ridges) .
The scent of the leaves is oneof theuseful means of species
differentiations in Elettariopsis . Crushed leaves of E. elan gives
ageranium sweet smell, while E . slahmong yields a distinctive
“stinging bug”odour . However, E. triloba releases hardly dis-
cernible scent . Elettariopsis chayaniana gives distinctive smell
different fromthose three taxa . Analyses on essential oils of Thai
Elettariosis species and molecular phylogenetic studyon members of
the genus found in Thailand and Malay Peninsulaare under way .
Other specimens studied: PY-CP 0021 (same location,
24 February 2006) , PY-CP 0022 , 24 February 2006)
Key to species of the Elettariopsis Baker in Thailand
1 . Scape with flowers in a dense head 2⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Scape with flowers spaced along a decurrent rachis 5⋯⋯
2 . Leaves prominentlyveined E . slahmong⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Leaves not prominently veined 3⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
3 . qAnther crest moreor lest quadratewitha small tooth- like
lobe at the base on each side E. triloba⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Anther crest otherwise 4⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
4 . Leaf base attenuate E. elan⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Leaf base obliquely acute E . chayaniana⋯⋯⋯⋯
5 . 1Leaves 3 - 5 ( - 6) , lanceolate, glabrous and shiny
E. smithiae⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Leaves (1 - ) 2 - 3 , elliptic, coriaceous and dull ,
strongly plicate E . exserta⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
Acknowledgements : This study is a part of the five-year project
entitled“Studies on fundamental botanical knowledge and DNA
fingerprints of theThai medicinal Wan”, financially supportedby
theThai Traditional Medical Knowledge Fund of the Ministry of
Public Health . Theauthor would liketo thank Mr . Poonsak Wat-
charakorn for leading usto thetype location, to Dr . J . F . Veld-
kamp (Leiden) for theLatin diagnosis, to his academic advisor,
Dr . Chayan Picheansoonthon, for his advice, generosity, and
patience, and to the staffs of our research unit: Mr . Chalerm-
chok Boonchit, Mr . Jeeradej Mayoe, Miss . Pornpimon Wongsu-
wan, and Mr . Supachai Koonterm for field assistances . All pho-
tos are taken by Dr . Chayan Picheansoonthon, if not otherwise
stated .
References:
Holt ?tumn RE, 1950 . The Zingiberaceae of the Malay Peninsula . The
Garden Bulletin, Singapore . Vol . XII I Part I , 249
Kam ?YK , 1982 . Thegenus Elettariopsis (Zingiberaceae) in Malaya [ J ] .
Notes RBG Edinb, 40 (1) : 139—152
Lim ?CK , 2003 . Taxonomic notes on Elettariopsis Baker, and new taxa
fromPeninsular Malaysia & Thailand [ J ] . Folia Malaysiana, 4 (3
& 4) : 205—226
Mabb ?erley DJ , 1993 . ThePlant Book . A Portable Dictionary of theHigh-
er Plants [M ] . London: Cambridge University Press, 202
Pich ?eansoonthon C , Yupparach P, 2007 . Notes on thegenus Elettariopsis
Baker ( Zingiberaceae) in Thailand [ J ] . J Thai Trad Alt Med, 5
( 3) : 267—277
7255 期 Piyapong YUPPARACH : Elettariopsischayaniana (Zingiberaceae) , a New Species fromEasternThailand