Capparis longgangensis sp. nov. (Capparaceae) from limestone areas in Guangxi,China

A new species of Capparaceae, Capparis longgangensis X. L. Mo & X. S. Lee ex Y. S. Huang is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to C. micracantha DC., but differs from it by the following characteristics: twigs, gynophore, outer surface of sepals and persistent style densely yellow–brown pannose, leaves densely yellow–brown pannose on both surfaces when young, abaxial surface thinly yellow–brown pannose when mature, petal thinly yellow–brown pannose, fruit 5–7 mm long, ca 6 mm in diameter, apical persistent style 3–4 mm long.     

Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam

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.     

Magnolia cattienensis sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from Vietnam

A new species of the family Magnoliaceae, Magnolia cattienensis Q. N. Vu from Cát Tiên National Park, in the Lâm ??ng Province, south of Vietnam is described and illustrated. Magnolia cattienensis is most closely related to M. henryi Dunn, but differs by narrowly cuneate and gradually attenuate bases of the leaves (vs broadly cuneate, not attenuated), pilose pedicles (vs glabrous), and villose peduncles (vs glabrescent), pubescent gynoecium (vs glabrous), and fewer mature carpels (26–30 vs 85–90) with dense trichomes (vs glabrous).     

Aspidistra obtusata sp. nov. (Asparagaceae) from Vietnam

Aspidistra obtusata is described and illustrated as a new species from southern Vietnam. The new species resembles A. truongii, but differs in smaller diameter of perigone (12.6–14.9 mm vs 25–35 mm), shape of tepals (elliptic, obtuse vs triangular‐ovate) and pistil (widely obconic vs mushroom‐shaped). A molecular characterization of the new species (based on data of plastid psbA‐trnH and nuclear 5S‐NTS regions) is also given, and compared with the most similar congeners.     

Archaeobotany of capers (Capparis) (Capparaceae)

The origins of capers, their use and cultivation are discussed. Capers seeds and charcoal are often recovered from archaeological sites of the Mediterranean and West Asia. These are referred to as C. Spinosa L. This is mostly a group of cultivars restricted to localities surrounding the Western Mediterranean and some places in the Eastern Mediterranean. Identification of the findings is discussed in terms of seed morphology, present distribution and ancient uses of C. aegyptia Lam., C. sicula Veill., C. cartilaginea Decne, C. orientalis Veill., C. decidua (Forssk.) Edgew. and other species. Citations of Capparis in early Rabbinic, Mesopotamian and Greco-Roman texts are presented. Received June 3, 2002 / Accepted October 8, 2002 Correspondence to: D. Rivera     

Curcuma pambrosima sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam

Curcuma pambrosima (Zingiberaceae), a new species from central Vietnam, is described and illustrated.     

Michelia xianianhei sp. nov. (Magnoliaceae) from northern Vietnam

Michelia xianianhei Q. N. Vu, a new species of Michelia from Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam is described and illustrated. Michelia xianianhei is closely related to M. balansae (Aug. DC.) Dandy but differs mainly in the young twigs, petioles, terminal buds and brachyblasts being densely greyish silky hairy, 9–11 yellowish tepals, bigger fruit, and shorter fruiting gynophore.     

Alpinia newmanii sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam

Alpinia newmanii, a new species from central Vietnam, is described and illustrated. A morphological comparison with the most closely related species and a key to the species of Alpinia subsection Catimbium in Vietnam are provided.     

Asarum yentuense sp. nov. (Aristolochiaceae) from Vietnam

A new species, Asarum yentuense N. Tuan & Sasamoto (Aristolochiaceae), is described from Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. This species belongs to A. subgen. Heterotropa sect. Longistylis and is most similar to Asarum petelotii, A. glabrum, A. reticulatum and A. magnificum var. dinghuense, but is differentiated by morphology, including the length of the calyx tube and lobes, and phenology.     

Maclurochloa tonkinensis sp. nov. (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

Maclurochloa K. M. Wong (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) is a genus of clambering bamboos with dry caryopses. It was thought to be monotypic in Peninsular Malaysia, but here we report one more species from Vietnam which is new to science: Maclurochloa tonkinensis H. N. Nguyen et V. T. Tran sp. nov. Maclurochloa tonkinensis is most similar to M. montana (Ridl.) K. M. Wong from which differs mainly by having internodes 50–58 × 3.0–3.5 cm and culm leaves with auriculate sheaths and erect blade.     

Dendrocalamus parvigemma sp. nov. (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

A new species of Dendrocalamus Nees from Vietnam, D. parvigemma N. H. Xia, V. T. Nguyen et V. L. Le, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to D. latiflorus Munro and D. yunnanicus Hsueh & Li, from which it differs by having a very small and nearly circular culm bud, dense, 1.4–1.6 cm long, palea with bristles and apex split in 2, narrowly lanceolate ovary, and sheath ligule 5 mm heigh and irregularly serrulate.     

Schizostachyum yalyense sp. nov. and S. ninhthuanense sp. nov. (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam

Two new species of Schizostachyum Nees (Poaceae: Bambusoideae): S. yalyense N. H. Xia, V. T. Tran et H. N. Nguyen and Schizostachyum ninhthuanense N. H. Xia, V. T. Tran et H. N. Nguyen (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) are described and illustrated from Vietnam. Schizostachyum yalyense is similar to S. lima (Blanco) Merrill, but differs by culm sheaths with a concave apex 4–5 cm wide and 1.0–1.5 cm deep, pseudospikelets clustered on the wholly leafless flowering branches, possession of 2 bracts and lodicules. Schizostachyum ninhthuanense is related to S. hainanense Merrill ex McClure, but differs by culm sheaths covered with white hairs and having white–brown hairs at the apex, ligule margin densely pale‐ciliate, pseudospikelets clustered on wholly leafless flowering branches, presence of 3 lodicules, two stigmas apically on the style and the third stigma branching off from one of the two other stigmas.     

Micromorphological observations on leaf and pollen of Capparis L. sect. Capparis (Capparaceae)

Sect. Capparis is represented by a single species, Capparis spinosa L., divided into several intraspecific taxa showing plesiomorphic features and disjunct distributions in the Old World. Leaf surface and pollen features were investigated in the whole group by SEM and light microscope observations. The section is characterized by simple hairs, a reticulate to undulate cuticle, anomocytic stomata surrounded by a peristomal rim, and trizonocolporate, prolate pollen grains. The characteristics of the indumentum appear constant, while the studied taxa are fairly differentiated with respect to cuticular patterns and dimensions of the stomata, and show slight differences in pollen size and exine surface. This micromorphological evidence, coupled with other phenotypic features, supports the placement of this section at the base of the genus Capparis in the paleotropical area. Considering the striking geographic disjunction and symplesiomorphies of the group, its biogeographical and systematic aspects are also discussed.     

Magnolia tiepii sp. nov. from Vietnam

A new species of Magnolia sect. Gwillimia DC., Magnoliaceae from Vietnam is described and illustrated. Magnolia tiepii is recognized from southern Vietnam, where it occurs in Khanh Vinh slope, Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province. It is distinguished from the closely related M. henryi by having narrowly cuneate leaf blade, short petiole, stipular scar at the base of the leaf blade, short peduncle and ellipsoid fruit.     

Hoya hanhiae sp. nov. (Apocynaceae,Asclepiadoideae) from central Vietnam

A new species, Hoya hanhiae V. T. Pham et Aver. discovered in central Vietnam is described, illustrated and compared with the related species H. macrophylla Bl. and H. verticillata (Vahl) G. Don.     

Goniothalamus banii sp. nov. (Annonaceace) from Thanh Hoa,Vietnam

A new species of Goniothalamus (Blume) Hook.f. & Thomson (Annonaceae), G. banii B. H. Quang, R. K. Choudhary & V.T. Chinh, is described and illustrated from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. This species shows morphological similarities with G. uvarioides King and G. donnaiensis Finet & Gagnep. but is differentiated by having 22–30 (or more) secondary veins in the leaf, a 1–3‐flowered cyme, a ca 2–3 cm long pedicel, lanceolate and tomentose outer petals, stipitate obovoid‐oblong monocarps, and a single‐seeded monocarp.     

Aristolochia bidoupensis sp. nov. from southern Vietnam

Aristolochia bidoupensis Do sp. nov. is newly described. This new species, currently only known from southern Vietnam, is most similar to Aristolochia faviogonzalezii (northern Vietnam) and A. moupinensis (China), but can be distinguished from the latter two by the following characters: flowers terminal, axillary, solitary, peduncle 1.3–1.5 cm long, bracteole ovate, 3–4 × 2–3 mm, limb discoid‐shaped with three expanded lobes, not revolute, internal surface uniformly dark purple, smooth, throat uniformly golden without dots. Morphological characters such as a 3‐lobed gynostemium and a 3‐lobed limb place the new species in A. subgen. Siphisia.     

Boeica konchurangensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Gia Lai plateau,Vietnam

Boeica konchurangensis B.H.Quang, D.V.Hai & Mich.Möller, a new species of Gesneriaceae from the Gia Lai Province of Vietnam is described, illustrated, and colour photographs of the species are provided. This new species has an almost actinomorphic corolla and shows morphological similarities with B. porosa, but differs from it by a shorter peduncle, a near‐actinomorphic purple corolla with a distinctly broad campanulate tube and a shorter capsule.