Kaempferia albiflora Jenjitt. & Ruchis.

Nopporncharoenkul, N. & Jenjittikul, T., 2024, Taxonomic revision of some taxa in Kaempferia subgenus Protanthium (Zingiberaceae) revealing a new species from Thailand and two new synonyms, Blumea 69, pp. 16-26 : 24

Kaempferia albiflora Jenjitt. & Ruchis. — Fig. 4

Kaempferia albiflora Jenjitt. & Ruchis. (2020) 1. — Type: Thaya Jenjittikul ­ Tiptabiankarn 7911 (holo BKF!), Thailand, Tak Province, Mueang Tak District, Wang Prachop , 22 Apr. 2002.

Kaempferia uttaraditensis Picheans.& Meechonkit in Meechonkit & Picheansoonthon (2021) 2223; syn. nov. — Type: Chayan Picheansoonthon & Penjun Meechonkit 140616­1 (holo BK!), Thailand, Uttaradit Province, Phichai District, Na Yang , alt. 125 m, 14 June 2016.

Notes — Kaempferia albiflora was taxonomically recognised in 2020 ( Jenjittikul & Ruchisansakun 2020). However, material of the species was already used in molecular research as accession TT15793 (mentioned as Kaempferia sp. nov. 2 ‘Proh Mang Mum’) for chloroplast DNA sequences of Kaempferia ( Techaprasan et al. 2010) and as ‘ Kaempferia sp. 2 Proh Mang Mum’ (accessions NNSB270, NNSB379, and NNSB317 collected from Tak, Sukhothai, and Kamphaeng Phet provinces) for nuclear ITS2 sequences ( Nopporncharoenkul et al. 2016). In 2021, K. uttaraditensis was recognised as a new taxon based on material from Uttaradit Province, northern Thailand ( Meechonkit & Picheansoonthon 2021). In the protologue of K. uttaraditensis no morphological comparison was made with K. albiflora . According to our morphological study of the living plants (as shown in Fig. 4 ), there is no distinct morphological difference between both species to warrant their recognition as separate species. Therefore, we conclude that K. albiflora and K. uttaraditensis are the same species, and the younger name K. uttaraditensis is a synonym to K. albiflora .

During the numerous field observations it became apparent that the distribution range of K. albiflora in northern Thailand is larger than first thought and includes Tak, Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, and Uttaradit Provinces .

Figures

Fig. 4 Kaempferia albiflora Jenjitt. & Ruchis. a. Inflorescence and rhizome; b. habit; c. flower from above and side view; d. calyx (inset: detail of calyx apex); e. floral tube with ovary and stamen in front and side view; f. flower dissection (dc. dorsal corolla lobe; l. labellum; lc. lateral corolla lobe; ls. lateral staminode); g. detail of stamen and anther crest in front and side view; h. detail of pistil (from left to right: pistil; stigma and style in front and side view; ovary with epigynous glands); i. fruit; j. seeds (all: Nattapon Nopporncharoenkul NNSB­634, QBG). — Photos by N. Nopporncharoenkul.