Volume 16 > Part 2 > Year 2023 > Page 574 > Zingiberaceae > Globba

65. Globba winitii C.H.Wrightwfo-0000430767

Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1926: 173. 1926. Plate LXVI: B.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Herb 35–60 cm. Leaf sheaths 8–9, glaucous or reddish, glabrous; ligule bilobed, 1–2 mm long, glabrous; blades 3–8, elliptic, 13–25 by 3–10 cm, rather glaucous, with scattered silky hairs below, otherwise glabrous, base cordate, apex caudate; petiole 5–8 cm long, glabrous. Inflorescence pendent, lax, narrowly conical, 10–15 cm long; peduncle 3–6 cm, sometimes with one or two sterile bracts; rachis 8–10 cm, glabrous; bracts persistent, elliptic to ovate, to 2–4 by 0.5–2 cm, diminishing in size towards apex, chartaceous, pink to dark violet or purple, strongly reflexed and appressed to rachis, imbricate, glabrous; cincinni slender, 2.5–3 cm to first flower of lowermost cincinnus, bearing 5–7 flowers on minute pedicels, fewer on upper cincinni; bracteoles elliptic, falling after anthesis, ca 1.2 by 0.9 cm, subsequently much smaller and less colourful, dark pink to purple, or pale yellow, chartaceous, glabrous. Flower yellow; ovary ovoid, 1–2 mm long, yellowish green, slightly warty; calyx narrowly funnel-shaped, ca 3 mm long, trilobed, lobes acute, yellow, glabrous; floral tube 0.8–1 cm beyond calyx, minutely puberulent, dorsal corolla lobe elliptic, ca 6 mm long, strongly hooded, yellow, lateral corolla lobes elliptic, ca 4 mm long, shallowly hooded, yellow; lateral staminodes narrowly oblong, 0.8–1 by 0.2 cm, much longer than corolla lobes, yellow, base paler; labellum obtriangular, bilobed, ca 8 by 5 mm, lobes acute, about equal to corolla, spot pale orange-brown or lacking; stamen: filament 1.8–2 cm long, yellow; anther elliptic, ca 2 mm long; appendages 4, 2.5–3 mm long, apical pair often somewhat larger. Fruit ovoid to ellipsoid, 0.5–1 cm long, slightly warty. Bulbils globose to fusiform, 0.8–1.5 cm long, corky, produced along peduncle or leafy stem.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Chiang Mai (Hot, Omkoi), Chiang Rai (Mae Surin), Lamphun (Li – type: Winit 1228, holotype -K, isotypes -BK BKF), Tak (Mae Sot, Umphang).

Distribution : Endemic.

Ecology : Deciduous forests, 250–1,340 alt.

Vernacular : Kluai chaka luang (กล้วยจะก่าหลวง), klang khan (กลางคาน), wan sao long (ว่านสาวหลง).

CommonName : Dancing ladies ginger.

Notes: This species resembles Globba williamsiana but is easily recognised by its long petioles and cordate leaf bases. Moreover, their distribution ranges do not overlap. Globba winitii is from northern Thailand while G. williamsiana is from the southeast. Material from Amphoe Omkoi (e.g. Newman et al. 2607 -E QBG has very dark bracts and occurs at much higher altitude than the type.