Zingiber discolor

 Zingiber discolor Škorničk., H.Ð.Trần & Rybková, Phytotaxa 219(3): 213 (2015).

Zingiber discolor Škorničk., Photo Nguyen Danh Duc

its native range is Vietnam.

Vietnamese name: 

Gừng hai mầu, Gừng tía.

Latin Name: 

Zingiber discolor Škorničk

Synonym Name: 

No

Etymology:

The specific epithet is derived from Latin, reflecting that the two faces of its leaf blades are unlike in colour. 

Family: 

Zingiberaceae

Description: 

Clump-forming rhizomatous herbs. Rhizome brown externally, purple-brownish internally, pleasantly aromatic with mild camphor smell. Leafy shoots up to 1 m long, arching, with 5–20 leaves; base swollen up to 3 cm in diam.; basal 1/4–1/3 of pseudostem leafless; bladeless sheaths 3–5, richly tinged by dark red, glabrous; leaf sheaths green with various degree of red tinge (greener towards the apex of pseudostem), glabrous; ligule up to 5 mm long, bilobed, lobes round, pale green with various degree of red tinge, glabrous, with brownish papery margin (well visible even in dried material); petiole inconspicuous, consisting of light green, glabrous pulvinus; lamina elliptic, up to 16 × 6 cm (gradually smaller towards the apex of pseudostem), coriaceus, smooth (no prominent plication), dark green or with grey-silverish sheen adaxially, dark purple-red and shiny abaxially, glabrous both sides, margin entire, base obtuse, apex attenuate. Inflorescence radical, erect; peduncle up to 3–7(–9) cm long, with 4–8 sheathing bracts; spike up to 9.0 × 3.5 cm, fusiform to ovoid, composed of 10–30 bracts; bracts broadly ovate to broadly elliptic, up to 3.5 × 2.5 cm, greenish to cream at base, plain green or with various degree of reddish tinge towards apex, glabrous on both sides, margin translucent, c. 1 mm broad, enclosing a single flower; bracteole ovate to elliptic, up to 3 cm long, translucent cream to greenish, sometimes with pink tinge, glabrous on both sides. Flower 5–7 cm long; calyx 12–15 mm long, translucent white, sparsely puberulous towards base, apex with 3 inconspicuous teeth unilateral incision 6–8 mm; floral tube 32–37 mm long, cream white at base, pale yellow towards apex, externally glabrous, internally sparsely pubescent in apical part; dorsal corolla lobe ovate-elliptic, up to 28 × 12 mm, cream white to pale yellow with translucent veins glabrous externally and internally, apex acute; lateral corolla lobes narrowly triangular-ovate, up to 24 × 6 mm, cream white to pale yellow with translucent veins, glabrous externally and internally, apex acute; labellum c. 24 × 14 mm (to 20 mm wide incl. the staminodes), ovate to rhomboid, often with retuse or emarginate apex; pale yellow at base, with rich purple-red to dark maroon tinge and numerous pale yellow blotches; lateral staminodes 14–15 × 4–7 mm, elliptic to narrowly obovate, connate to labellum by basal 2/3–3/4, cream white to pale yellow, held upwards (not spreading). Stamen 18–22 mm long (measured unmanipulated); filament 2–3 mm long, 3–4 mm broad, cream to pale yellow, glabrous; anther c. 20 mm long (crest not straightened), c. 4 mm broad, connective tissue pale yellow, glabrous, anther crest c. 13 mm long (straightened), pale yellow, wrapped around style, apex acute; anther thecae 10–12 mm long, dehiscing along the entire length. Epigynous glands two, c. 4 mm long, c. 0.6 mm in diam. at base, yellow. Ovary c. 4.0–4.5 × 3.0–4.0 mm, ovoid to cylindric, cream white, glabrous. Style white, glabrous, stigma c. 1 mm long, slightly thicker than style, ostiole front-facing, ciliate. Mature fruits not seen

Flowers: 

Apr-May

Distribution: 

Vietnam (Lâm Đồng Province, Bảo Lâm district).

Ecological: 

Flowering at type locality occurs in May to July, young fruits were observed in July and it is expected that fruiting continues until September. Bảo Lâm populations have been observed to flower in April (M. Nuraliev, pers. com.).

Chemical constituents and Pharmacology:

Uses:

Typus:

Collector Team:

Jana LeongŠkorničková, Romana Rybková, Jan Ponert, Trần Hữu Đăng, Trịnh Tấn Thành, Trương Quang Tâm, Trương Bá Vương HB-96

Locality:

Khánh Hòa Province, Hòn Bà Nature Reserve, 897 m

Collection Date:

4 Jul 2010

Type Herbaria:

holotype VNM

isotype E

isotype PR

isotype SING

isotype Hòn Bà Nature Reserve herbarium

Latitude:

12° 6' 46" N

Longitude

108° 58' 27" E

Distribution Of Types:

Vietnam (Indo-China, Asia-Tropical)

References

Leong-Skornickova, Jana & Binh, Nguyen & Tran Huu, Dang & Šída, Otakar & Rybková, Romana & Truong, Vuong. (2015). Nine new Zingiber species (Zingiberaceae) from Vietnam. Phytotaxa. 219. 201. 10.11646/phytotaxa.219.3.1.