NOVON 10(1): 90-91. 2000.

Four New Names in Chinese and Vietnamese Zingiberaceae

Herbarium, South China Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wushan, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510650, People’s Republic of China

Department of Systematic Botany, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus, Nordlandsvej 68, DK-8240 Risskov, Denmark

Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166, U.S.A.

Abstract. During preparation of the account of Zingiberaceae for the Flora of China, volume 24, it was noticed that four species are illegitimately named, being later homonyms: Amomum thyrsoideum Gagnepain (1903), not Ruiz and Pavón (1798), A. aurantiacum H. T. Tsai & S. W. Zhao (1979), not Ridley (1920), Hedychium carneum Y. Y. Qian (1994), not Loddiges (1823), and Zingiber truncatum S. Q. Tong (1987), not Stokes (1812). Therefore, the following new names (nomina nova) are proposed here, respectively: A. gagnepainii T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland, A. neoaurantiacum T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland, H. neocarneum T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland, and Z. neotruncatum T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland.

Amomum thyrsoideum Gagnepain (1903) was described from northeastern Vietnam, close to the border with Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Unfortunately, the name is illegitimate under Article 53.1 of the Tokyo Code (Greuter et al., 1994) because an earlier homonym exists: A. thyrsoideum Ruiz & Pavón (1798), described from Peru (now Renealmia thyrsoidea (Ruiz & Pavón) Poeppig & Endlicher). The Asian species will be accepted by Wu and Larsen (in press) in their forthcoming account of Zingiberaceae in the Flora of China, volume 24, as occurring not only in Vietnam, but also in adjacent southwestern Guangxi, agreeing with previous records from Longjin (Longzhou) and Ningming by Tsai et al. (1981: 134) in their account of Chinese Amomum. Therefore, a new name (nomen novum) for A. thyrsoideum is required, and A. gagnepainii T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland is proposed here. Amomum gagnepainii is most similar to A. yunnanense S. Q. Tong (1990: 151), described from Yingjiang in western Yunnan province. Amomum gagnepainii differs from A. yunnanense in having flowers yellow (vs. white), with calyx to only 1 cm (vs. 1.5--2 cm), labellum spatulate-flabellate (vs. oblate), and lateral staminodes dentate, ca. 1 mm (vs. lateral staminodes absent).

Amomum aurantiacum H. T. Tsai & S. W. Zhao (in Tsai & Chen, 1979) was described from Mengla in southernmost Yunnan. The name is illegitimate, as it is a later homonym of A. aurantiacum Ridley (1920), described from Kota Baharu, northern Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia. The Chinese species will be accepted by Wu and Larsen (in press); therefore, the new name A. neoaurantiacum T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland is proposed here. Amomum neoaurantiacum is most similar to A. microcarpum C. F. Liang & D. Fang (in D. Fang, 1978: 49), described from Dongxing in southern Guangxi, very near the coast and the border with Vietnam. Amomum neoaurantiacum differs from A. microcarpum in having ligules 6--7 mm, 2-cleft at apex (vs. 4--10 mm, rounded and entire or rarely emarginate at apex), bracts purple, oblong, ca. 1.2 cm (vs. brown, lanceolate to ovate, ca. 3 cm), and lateral staminodes ca. 1 cm, emarginate at apex (vs. 5--6 mm, entire at apex).

Hedychium carneum Y. Y. Qian (1994) was described from Simao in southern Yunnan. The name is illegitimate, as it is a later homonym of H. carneum Loddiges (1823), described from material cultivated in England that had been introduced from India. The Chinese species will be accepted by Wu and Larsen (in press); therefore, the new name H. neocarneum T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland is proposed here. Hedychium neocarneum is most similar to H. yungjiangense S. Q. Tong (1986: 40), described from Yingjiang in western Yunnan. Hedychium neocarneum differs from H. yungjiangense in having leaves villous abaxially (vs. brownish pubescent only along midvein abaxially), the labellum white, becoming red basally (vs. wholly white), and the filament 5.2--5.7 cm (vs. ca. 1.3 cm).

Zingiber truncatum S. Q. Tong (1987) was described from Jinghong in southern Yunnan. The name is illegitimate, as it is a later homonym of Z. truncatum Stokes (1812), which is itself illegitimate, as a nomenclaturally superfluous synonym of Amomum zedoaria Christmann 1797 (now Curcuma zedoaria (Christmann) Roscoe). Tong’s species will be accepted by Wu and Larsen (in press); therefore, the new name Z. neotruncatum T. L. Wu, K. Larsen & Turland is proposed here. Zingiber neotruncatum is most similar to Z. zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Smith, distributed in Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam (and also widely cultivated). Zingiber neotruncatum differs from Z. zerumbet in having ligules 1--1.2 cm (vs. 1.5--2 cm), the central lobe of the labellum ligule-like (vs. suborbicular or subobovate), and lateral lobes of the labellum inconspicuous, ca. 3 mm (vs. obovate, ca. 1 cm, free almost to base).

Literature Cited