Abstract
Capparis macrantha Souvannakhoummane, Fici & Lanorsavanh sp. nov., a new shrub species characterized by erect or ascending habit, stipular thorns, large lanceolate-elliptic leaves and large flowers in supra-axillary rows, is described and illustrated from the deciduous forest in Nam Kading National Protected Area (central Lao PDR). The new species belongs to Capparis sect. Monostichocalyx Radlk. and is morphologically similar to C. radula Gagnep., a shrub widespread in the Indochinese area, differing in the shorter, straight stipular thorns, larger leaves, larger sepals and petals, higher number of stamens with longer filaments and longer gynophore and ovary. Its affinities with related taxa are discussed and a key is provided for the species of Capparis L. known from Lao PDR. The conservation status of the new species is provisionally assessed as Vulnerable (VU D1).
Highlights
The flowering plant genus Capparis L. (Capparaceae Juss., Brassicales Bromhead) includes about 140 species (POWO 2019) of shrubs, small trees and climbers widespread in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Old World, with outliers in central Asia and the Mediterranean Region, and occurring from sea level up to ca 3600 m a.s.l. over a wide range of habitats, e.g., bushlands, savannahs, dry evergreen, deciduous or rain forests, rocky habitats, coastal vegetations, forest margins, etc
The new species was first observed and collected by one of us (S.L.) in May 2019 in the deciduous forest of this area and the specimens are kept at the National University of Laos (FOF) and Herbier National du Laos (HNL)
Various other species recorded from Lao PDR and included by Jacobs (1965) in the Seriales-Group, as C. acutifolia Sweet, C. echinocarpa Pierre ex Gagnep., C. micracantha DC., C. pyrifolia Lam., C. tenera Dalzell, C. urophylla F.Chun and C. zeylanica L., are readily distinguished by their small to medium sized flowers, with sepals 3–15 mm long, and by the ovary up to ca 3 mm long (Table 1)
Summary
The flowering plant genus Capparis L. (Capparaceae Juss., Brassicales Bromhead) includes about 140 species (POWO 2019) of shrubs, small trees and climbers widespread in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Old World, with outliers in central Asia and the Mediterranean Region, and occurring from sea level up to ca 3600 m a.s.l. over a wide range of habitats, e.g., bushlands, savannahs, dry evergreen, deciduous or rain forests, rocky habitats, coastal vegetations, forest margins, etc. Field and herbarium research carried out in the last years in this country have provided new data on the variation and distribution of various poorly known taxa (Fici 2016) and led to the description of three new species from the Hin Nam No and Hin Boun National Protected Areas in central Lao PDR (Fici et al 2018, 2020; Souvannakhoummane et al 2018). Floristic surveys carried out in this area during the last few years provided documentation of several taxa new for the flora of Lao PDR and led to the description of various new species (Souladeth et al 2017, 2019; Tagane et al 2017, 2018; Yang et al 2018; Souvannakhoummane et al 2019). The new species is here described and illustrated, and data on its distribution, ecology, conservation status and affinities are furnished
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