Two new generic records in the orchid flora of Myanmar

Abstract

The species diversity of Orchidaceae is believed to be extremely high in Myanmar. Like in other plant groups, little basic inventory work has been done thus far. During floristic surveys conducted in Popa Mountain Park (Mandalay Region), Natma Taung National Park (Chin State), and in the Ywangan area (southwestern Shan State), we encountered two interesting orchid species which were determined to be new generic records in the flora of Myanmar. Thuniopsis cleistogama was previously considered endemic to Yunnan Province (China) and was only known from the type locality. However, here the species is newly reported from two localities in central and western Myanmar. Disperis neilgherrensis is known from several widely scattered localities in tropical and subtropical Asia. This tiny orchid species was discovered in the Ywangan area in the southwestern area of the Shan State of Myanmar. These two species will be valuable additions to the updated checklist of the orchids of Myanmar.

Comparative Chloroplast Genomics and Phylogenetic Analysis of Thuniopsis and Closely Related Genera within Coelogyninae (Orchidaceae)

“…In addition to its significant genetic divergence, several studies have suggested that Thuniopsis exhibits unique morphological features that differentiate it from other members of Coelogyninae ( Li et al, 2015 ; Kang et al, 2019 ; Kurzweil et al, 2020 ). Thuniopsis is superficially similar to Thunia in the elongate leafy stem, carrying distichous, soft and plicate leaves, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by having prominent subterranean corms; much smaller and spurless flowers; prominent stigma and bilobed rostellum.…”

“…f., this species has originally assigned to the member of that genus ( Xu et al, 2010 ). Recently it was considered to be congeneric with a long-lost and rediscovered species in Myanmar formerly classified in the genus Arundina or Dilochia ( Kang et al, 2019 ; Kurzweil et al, 2020 ). Owing to remarkable vegetative similarity in morphology, the species has long been mistakenly identified as a member of other genera for over 100 years.…”

An annotated checklist of Myanmar orchid flora

“…In addition, some literature provides information on specimens from Myanmar that can be cited as specimen-based species occurrences in Myanmar (Kurzweil and Lwin 2015, Tanaka et al 2015, Watthana et al 2015, Aung et al 2017, Jin and Kyaw 2017, Yang et al 2017, Kurzweil and Ormerod 2018, Ding et al 2019, Kang et al 2019, Mu et al 2019, Ya et al 2019.…”

“…As for taxonomic status, we followed the updated classification of Orchidaceae (Chase et al 2015) and all relevant papers of orchid taxonomy and systematics (Pridgeon et al 2001, 2005, Chen et al 2009, Gardiner 2012, Gardiner et al 2013, Jin et al 2014, Vermeulen et al 2014, Raskoti et al 2016, Raskoti et al 2017, Govaerts 2018, Ng et al 2018. In addition, all papers of new species descriptions and new records of Myanmar orchid flora were reviewed to identify the species occurrences and distribution in Myanmar , Roberts et al 2008, Chen et al 2009, Tanaka et al 2010, Ormerod 2012, Pedersen et al 2011, Kurzweil and Lwin 2012a, b, Kurzweil 2013, Kurzweil and Lwin 2014, Aung et al 2017, Jin and Kyaw 2017, Koopowitz et al 2017, Yang et al 2017, Kurzweil and Ormerod 2018, Ding et al 2019, Kang et al 2019, Mu et al 2019, Ya et al 2019.…”

“…At the start of the 21 st century, botanical explorations resumed in Myanmar, with the support of international cooperation for biodiversity conservation and research. As a result, there are discoveries of species new to science and new species records for Myanmar orchid flora over recent years (Ormerod 2005, Tanaka et al 2010, Kurzweil et al 2010, Kurzweil and Lwin 2012a, b, 2014, Kurzweil 2013, Watthana et al 2015, Aung et al 2017, Jin and Kyaw 2017, Yang et al 2017, Kurzweil and Ormerod 2018, Liu et al 2018, Kang et al 2019, Mu et al 2019, Ya et al 2019. In the review on Orchidaceae in the checklist of , there are many species needed to be revised taxonomically due to recent advances in orchid taxonomy and systematics.…”