pok-radbundit

130 Notes on the genus Hedychium J. Konig (Zingiberaceae) known for Thailand The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 33 No. 3 Jul.-Sep. 2008 .. yellowish appendages; ovary green, glabrous, ca. 0.3 by 0.4 cm, wider than long, epigynous glands 2, ca. 0.3 cm long, yellowish, stigma greenish, densely ciliate. Fruits broadly ellipsoid to broadly ovoid, 3.5-4.0 by 2.3-2.50 cm, trilobe, pale reddish/greenish, glabrous. [Figs. 28-32] Distribution. -The plant is distributed in peninsular Malaysia. The plant had been collected from Fraserûs Hill and Camaron Highlands. From our find- ing, the distribution range of this species is extended to Changwat Yala, one of the southern-most province of Thailand. Ecology. -This epiphytic species grows on big trees in open moist evergreen forests. Note. -This species was described (Ridley, 1924) based on the specimen collected from Fraserûs Hill (Malaysia). It was first collected in the Thai territory from Hangus peak in Hala Forest (Changwat Yala) on the Thai-Malaysian border. The plant was brought into cultivation. The cul- tivated plants are growing well and bloom every year. The herbarium specimens were identified compared with the isotype deposited at the Herbarium of the Singapore Botani- cal Garden (SING). The description given was based on the herbarium specimens, the cultivated living plants, and the living plants observed from the type locality on Fraserûs Hill. This species can be recog- nized by the following characters: large broad, glabrous, and overlap- ping bracts, and flowers with long narrow staminodes, and ovate-obo- vate deeply-bilobe labella. Other specimens studied. - Picheansoonthon 168 (BKF), cul- tivated from plants collected on top of Hangus mountain (on the border of Thailand and Malaysia), eleva- tion ca. 1200 m), 22 April 2003; Picheansoonthon 181 (BKF) from cultivated plants from type locality (growing in C.K. Limûs private collection), 9 September 2005. Acknowledgements This research project is financially supported by the Thai Traditional Medical Knowledge Fund of the Ministry of Public Health. The authors would like to thank Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat for his encouragement and support, curators and staffs of BKF, QBG, PSU, SING, K, and P for herbaruim accesses, the staffs of our research group: Mr. Chalermchoke Boonchit, Mr. Jeeradej Mayoe, Mr. Piyapong Yupparach, and Mr. Supachai Koonterm for field assistances. References Baker JG. 1890. Scitamineae. In: Hooker JD, Flora of British India. Vol. 6. London. pp 225-33. Gagnepain. 1908. Zingiberacees. In: Lecomte. Flora Generale de Lû Indochine. Volume 6. pp 70-5. Holttum RE. 1971. Zingiberaceae of the Malay Peninsula. The Gardensû Bulletin (Singapore) 13(1): 72-8. Larsen K. 1965. Studies in Zingiberaceae 5. Hedychium -some new Indochinese taxa. Bot. Tidsskr. 61: 71-79. Larsen K. 1996. A preliminary checklist of Zingiberaceae of Thailand. Thai For. Bull. (Bot.); 24: 35-49. Larsen K, Karsen SS. 2006. Gingers of Thailand. Chiang Mai: Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. pp. 68-74, 165. Picheansoonthon C, Mokkamul P. 2005. Two new species of Hedychium Konig (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand. Folia malaysiana ..