Skip to main content

Uttapit see wine (Typhonium vinicolor) from Khon Kaen, Thailand, as new species

NEWS - Uttapit see wine (Typhonium vinicolor) from Khon Kaen Province (Northeastern Thailand) is described as a species new to science and is easily distinguished from other species by its narrow elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate leaf blades with reddish purple abaxial surfaces.

Uttapit see wine (Typhonium vinicolor) from Khon Kaen, Thailand, as new species

Researchers from Mahasarakham University in Maha Sarakham, National University of Laos in Vientiane and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden in Chiang Mai gave it the Latin name “vinicolor” meaning wine-colored, referring to the reddish purple abaxial surface of the leaves.

T. vinicolor differs from T. laoticum Gagnep. (1942) in having reddish purple abaxial surfaces of leaf blades (vs. pale green), and white or pale green leaf sheaths with dark purple spots on the outer surface (vs. pink leaf sheaths with brown spots on the outer surface).

Then the pistil zone with 5-6 rows of pistils (vs. 2-3 rows of pistils), and staminodes arranged more or less loosely in 4-5 spirals (vs. staminodes arranged closely in 2–3 spirals).

The new species differs from T. griseum Hett. & Sookch. in having a pointed or obtuse wedge-shaped leaf blade base (vs. with rounded posterior lobes), the spadix almost as long or shorter than the spathe (vs. longer than the spathe).

Then the staminodes are clavate-fusiform and yellow (vs. white staminodes are sickle-shaped and narrowly fusiform), the staminate zone is longer (about 1 cm vs. about 0.5 cm) and the ivory-colored appendix is erect or weakly curved (vs. the pale brown appendix is strongly curved).

The spathe and spadix resemble those of T. huense V.D. Nguyen & Croat (1997), T. lineare Hett. & V.D. Nguyen (2001) and T. stigmatilobatum V.D. Nguyen (2008). However, it differs from T. vinicolor because the spathe leg is bent horizontally during anthesis (vs. only the upper part of the spathe leg is bent and then strongly coiled during anthesis in T. vinicolor).

Then the strongly curved stipe appendix, dark brown or purple (vs. the erect or weakly curved appendix, ivory in color, and stalked in T. vinicolor).

The new species is found exclusively at the type site in Khon Kaen Province, Northeastern Thailand and thrives in shaded to semi-shaded areas in tropical deciduous forests at an elevation of 200-250 meters. This species shows optimal growth in sandy loam soil mixed with rocks.

Researchers propose ‘Data Deficient’ (DD) for the Red List criteria of the IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2024) due to limited data on distribution, no details of population size, trends or potential threats to habitat. Further research is needed to assess the conservation status of this species.

The genus Typhonium was first formally described by the Austrian botanist Heinrich Wilhelm Schott (1794-1865) in Wiener Z. Kunst 3: 72 (1829) and to date has 3 synonyms with over 70 species. The natural distribution of this genus includes East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and northwestern Australia.

Original research

Saensouk P, Saensouk S, Hein KZ, Boonma T, Sengthong A, Rakarcha S (2024). Studies on Typhonium (Araceae) of Thailand I: Typhonium vinicolor, a new species from Khon Kaen Province, Northeastern Thailand. PhytoKeys, 246: 189-195, DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.246.128778

Popular Posts

Purwaceng (Pimpinella pruatjan)

Purwaceng or purwoceng or antanan gunung or Viagra of Java ( Pimpinella pruatjan or Pimpinella priatjan ) are small termas growing horizontally in Apiaceae, growing in villages on Dieng Plateau, Central Java Province, Indonesia, at 1,500 to 2,000 meters above sea level, the roots have medicinal properties for aphrodisiacs and are usually processed in powder form for a mixture of coffee or milk. P. pruatjan grows flat on the ground but does not propagate, small leaves are reddish green for 1-3 cm in diameter. This plant is only found in Java and grows in high mountain areas. A low population where industrial demand is very high results in increasingly scarce. Another place that is likely to become a purwaceng habitat is the Iyang Mountains and the Tengger Mountains in East Java Province. Efforts to multiply and cultivate have a big problem where these plants have difficulty producing seeds. In vitro propagation research through tissue cultivation has been carried out to overcome ...

Six new species forming the Sumbana species group in genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg 1798 from Indonesia

NEWS - Sumbawa longhorn ( Nemophora sumbana Kozlov, sp. nov.), Timor longhorn ( Nemophora timorella Kozlov, sp. nov.), shining shade longhorn ( Nemophora umbronitidella Kozlov, sp. nov.), Wegner longhorn ( Nemophora wegneri Kozlov, sp. nov.), long brush longhorn ( Nemophora longipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.), and short brush longhorn ( Nemophora brevipeniculella Kozlov, sp. nov.) from the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. The Lesser Sunda Islands consist of two parallel, linear oceanic island chains, including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Sawu, Timor, Alor, and Tanimbar. The oldest of these islands have been continuously occurring for 10–12 million years. This long period of isolation has allowed significant in situ diversification, making the Lesser Sundas home to many endemic species. This island chain may act as a two-way filter for organisms migrating between the world's two great biogeographic regions, Asia and Australia-Papua. The recognition of a striking cli...

New living fossil, Amethyst worm lizard (Amphisbaena amethysta), from Espinhaço Mountain Range, Brazil

NEWS - New species from the northern Espinhaço Mountains, Caetité municipality, Bahia state, Brazil. Amethyst worm lizard ( Amphisbaena amethysta ) is the 71st species of the genus with 4 precloacal pores and the 22nd species of Caatinga morphoclimatic domain. Identification of the new species shows the reptiles of the Mountains are far from complete and may contain greater diversity of endemic taxa. A. amethysta can be distinguished by its anteriorly convex snout, slightly compressed and unkeeled, pectoral scales arranged in regular annuli, four precloacal pores, distinct head shield, 185-199 dorsal and half annuli, 13-16 caudal annuli, a conspicuous autotomy spot between the 4th-6th caudal annuli, 16-21 dorsal and ventral segments in the middle of the body, 3/3 supralabials, 3/3 infralabials and a smooth and rounded tail tip. A. amethysta occurs in areas with an average elevation of 1000 meters in patches of deciduous and semi-deciduous forests associated with valleys, slopes, fore...