Vanoverberghia vanoverberghii (Merr.) Funak. & Docot, 2019

Docot, R. V. A., Banag, C. I., Tandang, D. N., Funakoshi, H. & Poulsen, A. D., 2019, Recircumscription and revision of the genus Vanoverberghia (Zingiberaceae), Blumea 64 (2), pp. 140-157 : 154-156

Vanoverberghia vanoverberghii (Merr.) Funak. & Docot , comb. nov. — Fig. 9 , 10 ; Map 1

Alpinia vanoverberghii Merr. in Philipp.J. Sci., C 7 (1912) 75. — Languas vanoverberghii (Merr.) Merr. (1923) 234 — Type: M. Vanoverbergh 573 (lecto K barcode K000292453 , designated here; isolecto BM, E, K [3 sheets], P, US, Z*), Philippines, Luzon, Mountain Province, Bontoc , 11 June 1910.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honour of Father Morice Vanoverbergh.

Terrestrial herb in loose or dense clumps. Rhizome robust, 2–3 cm wide, yellowish brown, scales thick, brown. Leafy shoot erect then drooping, pseudostem 2–5 m long, base bulbose; sheath glabrous, waxy white when young, light green; ligule oblong, 10–15 by 5 –7 mm, subcoriaceous, glabrous, mid-green, apex rounded and entire; petiole terete, 10–15 mm long, glabrous, mid-green; lamina oblong, 26–32 by 11–13 cm, veins obscure, glabrous on both sides except pubescent midrib beneath, mid-green above, lighter beneath, base rounded to cuneate, margin entire, apex caudate, flagellate tip 5–6 mm long. Inflorescence 35–40 cm long; peduncle terete, 8–10 cm long, pubescent, mid-green, subtended by 1–2 persistent bracts; rachis terete, 28–30 cm long, pubescent, mid-green; pedicel terete, 2‒2.5 cm long, pubescent, mid-green, a bud-like protuberance present near base; floral bracts absent; flower bud cylindrical; flowers laxly arranged along the rachis, white; calyx in bud cylindrical, at anthesis spathaceous, laterally split to base, 35‒40 by 20‒23 mm, subcoriaceous, slightly pubescent, mid-green, angled at up to 90° to axis of the flower, apex tridentate and pubescent; corolla tube 2‒2.5 cm long, subcoriaceous, puberulous, white; dorsal corolla lobe linear-oblong, 40‒45 by 8‒11 mm, glabrous, mid-green, apex rounded, cucullate, slightly pubescent; lateral corolla lobes linear-oblong, 30‒37 by 5‒8 mm, glabrous, mid-green, apex rounded and cucullate; labellum connate to base of lateral corolla lobes, free part bifid, lobes deltate and petaloid, 5‒5.5 by 4‒4.3 cm, crisped, glabrous, white, base glabrous, margin repand; lateral staminodes filiform, 1.5‒2 cm long, pubescent, white; filament enclosing the style 5–7 mm above the labellum, 20‒25 by 10‒13 mm, slightly glandular, white; anther linear, 25‒30 by 5‒6 mm, white, crest emarginated, 0.5–1 by 1.5–2.5 mm, pubescent, mid-green; style 4‒5 cm long, pubescent white; stigma cupular, c. 2 mm wide, white, ostiole elliptic, margin pubescent; epigynous glands compressed, subglobose, 1–2 by 2–3 mm; ovary ovoid to subovoid, 7‒10 by 8‒10 mm,

a densely pubescent, mid-green. Fruit oblong, 35‒40 by 10‒20 mm, pubescent, mid-green when mature, calyx persistent. Seed subglobose, brown with white aril.

Local names & Uses — Akbab (Bontoc language), kalawin (Igorot) and paluyyapuy (Igorot). The locals of Bontoc, Mountain Province consider this species as the female form of V. sepulchrei . The fruits are also eaten and reported to have a sweet-sour flavour.

Phenology — Flowering is between March and July, while fruiting starts in August.

Distribution & Habitat — Vanoverberghia vanoverberghii is endemic to Luzon Island, particularly in the provinces of Ifugao and Mountain Province. The species inhabits forests on hillsides and open slopes at 900‒1300 m.

Additional specimens examined. PHILIPPINES, Luzon , H. C. Conklin & Buwaya 80463 ( K), Ifugao, Banaue, Bayninan , 28 Apr. 1963 ; M. Vanoverbergh 573 ( GH), Mountain Province, Bontoc ; M. Vanoverbergh 573 ( LD, MO, S), Mountain Province, Bontoc , 28 Apr. 1914 ; R.V. A. Docot 0005 ( USTH [2 sheets] incl.spirit), Mountain Province, Bontoc, Barangay Alab Oriente, Mount Data , 3 July 2015 ; R.V. A. Docot 0031 ( USTH incl.spirit), Mountain Province, Bontoc, Barangay Alab Oriente, Mount Data , N17°03'55.8" E120°56'59.8", 1116 m, 29 Mar. 2016 .

Notes — The type of V. vanoverberghii does not represent a single gathering. In the protologue, Merrill (1912) mentioned only one date, 11 June 1910, but the sets of M. Vanoverbergh 573 have varying information: [1] June 1910 ( K barcode K000292455 , K000292456 , US); [2] May–June 1910 ( K barcode K000292454 ); [3] May–June 1911 ( BM, E, K barcode K000292453 , P); and [4] 28 April 1914 ( LD, MO, S, Z). Unfor- tunately, the specimen at GH does not have a date. The date of the specimen at K (barcode K000292454 ) was altered from 1911 to 1910, and thus specimens from BM, E, K (barcode K000292453 ) and P are also from 1910, and are thus not in conflict with the information provided in the protologue. Therefore, the lectotype must be chosen from the BM, E, K, P and US collections. Since the specimen at K (barcode K000292453 ) has good vegetative and reproductive material, we designate it as the lectotype , and the specimens with 28 April 1914 label and the GH specimen with no date will remain as syntypes .

Recent collections from the type locality match the type and the protologue well for most characters with a few exceptions. Merrill (1912) described the anther of the species as crestless but in recent collected material, the anther has an emarginate and puberulent crest which is 0.5–1 by 1.5–2.5 mm ( Fig. 9j ). The original description of the labellum lacks detail, which is most likely because the labellum becomes fragile after drying and easily breaks off ( Larsen & Larsen 2006). Smith (1990: f. 3Ab) illustrated the labellum of V. vanoverberghii as ovate and entire but recent collections demonstrate that the labellum is rather bifid with deltate and petaloid lobes ( Fig. 9h ). Smith (1975) when examining a collection (A.D.E. Elmer 7396 at E) of Alpinia paradoxa (Ridl.) Loes. explained that, as the flower of a dry specimen ages, the labellum tends to curl and split. This is perhaps the reason why Smith concluded and illustrated the labellum of V. vanoverberghii as entire rather than bifid. Also, Smith (1990) mentioned that the bracts and bracteoles are minute and soon dehisce but our observation of young inflorescences reveals that the bracts and bracteoles are only present as bud-like protuberances near the base of pedicel ( Fig. 9e ). It is also worth mentioning that V. vanoverberghii has a robust rhizome, which is also observed in V. sepulchrei ( Merrill 1912, Docot et al. 2016).

Figures

Map 1 Distribution of Vanoverberghia diversifolia Elmer (▲), V. rubrobracteata Docot & Ambida (★), V. sasakiana Funak. & H.Ohashi (◆); V. sepulchrei Merr. (■) and V. vanoverberghii (Merr.) Funak. & Docot (●).

Fig. 9 Vanoverberghia vanoverberghii (Merr.) Funak. & Docot. a. Flower at anthesis; b. calyx; c. dorsal corolla lobe; d. lateral corolla lobes; e. pedicel (note the bud-like protuberance indicated by the arrow); f. anther (side view); g. stamen with lateral staminodes; h. labellum; i. fruit; j. anther crest; k. stigma (a–k: R.V.A. Docot 0032). — Drawn from material in spirit by: a–h, j–k. P.G. Campos; i. R. Campos.

Fig. 10 Vanoverberghia vanoverberghii (Merr.) Funak. & Docot. a. Ligule; b. inflorescence; c. flower at anthesis; d. infructescence (a: R.V.A. Docot 0031; b: R.V.A. Docot 0005; c–d: without voucher). — Photos: a–b. R.V.A. Docot; c–d. H. Funakoshi.