Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam

Abstract

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis V. X. Phuong, D. T. Xuyen & Y. G. Wei, is described and illustrated from Vietnam. It is similar to R. asper (Drake) B. L. Burtt and R. evrardii (Pellegr.) B. L. Burtt, but is easily differentiated by leaf blades being ovate–elliptic or obovate, 4–10 × 1.5–3.5 cm, one cyme with only one flower, peduncle linear, 3.0–5.0 cm long, corolla light yellow, 3.0–4.5 cm long, and a pubescent ovary.

Raphiocarpussinovietnamicus (Gesneriaceae), a new species from southern China and central Vietnam

“…Morphologically, the new species can be compared to R. axillaris, a species endemic to northern Vietnam (Middleton et al 2021) by sharing some characters of vegetative organs such as densely pubescent stems and leaves and symmetrical leaf bases, but it is also easily distinguished from the latter in broadly tubular corolla tube and red to purple-red, purplish-yellow corolla outside (versus infundibuliform corolla tube and whitish to pale-pink corolla outside), and subterminal inflorescences in the upper leaf axils (versus axillary inflorescences in the lower leaf axils and leafless stem below these). Furthermore, its corolla outside is sometime purplish-yellow which is similar to those of R. tamdaoensis, another species endemic to northern Vietnam (Phuong et al 2012), but it also clearly differs from that species in a number of leaf shape, indumentum of stem and leaves and corolla characters (Fig. 3).…”

“…and comprises ca 15 species (Vu 2018, Weber et al 2020, Middleton et al 2021, IPNI 2022, POWO 2022). Of which, there are currently nine species of Raphiocarpus recorded from northern and central Vietnam, while seven species recorded from southern and southwestern China (Wang et al 1998, Zhang et al 2010, Phuong et al 2012, Chen et al 2015, Nguyen and Wen 2018, Vu 2018, Wei 2018, Middleton et al 2021, Wen et al 2022). Nearly all species of Raphiocarpus are geobiotic, they are mainly grow on the ground under the moist evergreen forests, and rare in limestone areas.…”

Raphiocarpus Raphiocarpus taygiangensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Central Vietnam

“…The genus Raphiocarpus Chun (1964) from Gesneriaceae family includes about 15 species, distributed from south and southwestern China Wang 2004, Weber 2004;Zhang et al 2010;Chen et al 2015) to central Vietnam (Pham 2000;Phuong 2005;Phuong and Xuyen 2010;Phuong et al 2012;Middleton et al 2021). During last two decades, 7 new taxa were found and described in Vietnam, namely R. asper (Drake) B.L.Burtt, R. axillaris D.J.…”

“…These plants are characteristics of subshrub, opposite leaves spreading along stem, axillary 1-3-flowered cyme, 5-lobed calyx parted from base, 4 fertile stamens arranged in two pairs, and 2-lobed stigma which allows us to assign them representing a species of the genus Raphiocarpus. After consulting relevant literatures (Pellegrin, 1930;Chun, 1946;Weber & Burtt, 1997;Wang et al, 1998;Ho, 2000;Wei et al, 2010;Zang et al, 2010;Phuong et al, 2012;Phuong, 2017;Chen et al, 2015;Middleton et al, 2021) and directly or indirectly examining specimens of the Raphiocarpus in numerous herbaria as E, K, P, LE, PE, IBK, KUN, VNMN, ,…, we considered our plants as a new species, well segregated from all known species of Raphiocarpus by its morphological characters of basally prostrate and distally upright long stem, sericeous hairs on young stem, leaf petiole and adaxial mid-vein, sparsely and minutely serrate leaf margin, axillary inflorescence, sparsely long gland-tipped hairs on the peduncle, pedicel, calyx, outside corolla and pistil, calyx 5-disparted from the base, purplish-white flower with purple stripes inside corolla tube, twining filaments, and dish-shaped stigma formed by 2 semi-orbicular lobes horizontally expanding. Therefore, we conclude that it is a new species as described and illustrated here.…”

A New Species of Raphiocarpus (Gesneriaceae) From Vietnam

“…The genus Raphiocarpus Chun in the Gesneriaceae was described by Chun (1946), but the single species was generally included as a species of Didissandra C.B.Clarke until resurrected and the genus more widely defined by Weber & Burtt (1998). There are currently 14 species distributed in China and Vietnam (Weber, 2004;Zhang et al, 2010;Phuong et al, 2012;Chen et al, 2015). Möller & Clark (2013) note, however, that further work is needed to establish whether Raphiocarpus is monophyletic.…”