Three new plant species with stunning flowers discovered in Vietnam
A team of botanists led by Dr. Phạm Văn Thế of Tôn Đức Thắng University in Ho Chi Minh City has discovered and described three plant species new to science from Vietnam.
The new species are Thương's forest garlic (Aspidistra thuongiana) and the long-flowered stone lily (Peliosanthes longiracemosa), both in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), and the shining-leaf begonia (Begonia jubar) in the begonia family (Begoniaceae).
All three are small herbaceous plants with attractive flowers and foliage, giving them high ornamental value. The new species were recently described in the botanical journal Phytotaxa.
Flowers of Aspidistra thuongiana. (Photo: Phạm Văn Thế)
Aspidistra thuongiana was found in the earthen (non-limestone) mountains of the former Tây Sơn district, in the former Bình Định province (now part of Gia Lai) in south-central Vietnam. The plant grows to about 40 cm tall, with flower clusters at its base bearing bright yellow blooms. The flowers are small, however, measuring only just over 1 cm across.
The species is named after Dr. Nguyễn Thị Liên Thương of Thủ Dầu Một University. According to the team, this Aspidistra has so far been found only in a small mountain area of Tây Sơn, in low numbers. Only five yellow-flowered Aspidistra species are currently known worldwide; most others have purple flowers, sometimes mixed with white.
Flowers and inflorescence of Peliosanthes longiracemosa. (Photo: Nguyễn Sinh Khang)
Peliosanthes longiracemosa was discovered in the limestone mountains of the former Na Hang district, Tuyên Quang province in northern Vietnam. Although specimens were collected as early as 2011, only now has the team gathered enough evidence to describe it as a new species.
Its leaves reach up to 90 cm tall, and its inflorescence is nearly 60 cm long, bearing green flowers that gradually turn pale yellow.
Peliosanthes species typically have small flowers borne together on a long stalk. An inflorescence up to 60 cm long, however, is a very unusual trait, and the new species is named for it.
The plant and inflorescence of Begonia jubar. (Photo: Đinh Quang Diệp)
Begonia jubar was found in the forests of Nam Ka Nature Reserve in Đắk Lắk province, in Vietnam's Central Highlands. It usually grows in rock crevices and has long rhizomes bearing leaves and flowers up to 55 cm tall.
Its flowers sit on a long stalk that rises above the leaves and are white mixed with pinkish red. Its most distinctive feature is the leaf veins, which stand out brightly against the dark areas of the leaf blade. The species was therefore named "jubar" (Latin for "radiance") after this leaf trait.
Although Begonia jubar lies within Nam Ka Nature Reserve, the site where it was found is being damaged by road construction and faces the potential threat of collection for the ornamental plant trade. The species has therefore been assessed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List criteria.
There is not yet enough information to assess the conservation status of Aspidistra thuongiana and Peliosanthes longiracemosa.
A flowering plant of Begonia modestiflora. (Photo: Nguyễn Văn Cảnh)
According to Dr. Phạm Văn Thế, the team also recorded a new addition to Vietnam's flora: Begonia modestiflora. Previously known from China, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, it has now been found in the buffer zone of Chư Yang Sin National Park in Đắk Lắk province. It has a rather slender stem and small white flowers.
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