Volume 16 > Part 2 > Year 2023 > Page 693 > Zingiberaceae > Wurfbainia

16. Wurfbainia vera (Blackw.) Škorničk. & A.D.Poulsenwfo-0001426473

Taxon 67(1): 30. 2018.— Amomum verum Blackw., Herb. Blackwell. Fig.t. 371. 1757; Lamxay & Newman, Edinburgh J. Bot. 69(1): 191. 2012; Droop & Newman, Edinburgh J. Bot. 71(2): 247. 2014. Fig. 48A–B.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : Stout herb, 2.3–4 m tall; rhizome short, white. Leaf sheaths swollen at base, ciliate near ligule or glabrous, green or purplish tinged; ligule 4–8 mm long, apex truncate to emarginate, dry, papery, margin ciliate; blades 16–18, oblong, 23–70 by 6–18 cm, surfaces glabrous, base attenuate, apex acuminate; petiole absent. Inflorescence conical or cylindrical, 15–20 by 4 cm; peduncle 5–20 cm long; peduncular bracts oblong to lanceolate, 2.5–5 by 1–2 cm, stramineous, outer surface pubescent, margin ciliate; bracts ovate or ovate-oblong, 3–3.5 by 1–2 cm, apex acuminate or apiculate, papery, stramineous, outer surface with narrow longitudinal grooves and sparsely appressed hairs, pale brown, margin ciliate, persistent; bracteoles tubular, ca 2.2 cm long including ovary, apex bifid, split to 1.2 cm on one side, pinkish white, outer surface with pale brown hairs. Flower: ovary subovoid, ca 4 by 4 mm, pale brown sericeous; style hairy; stigma cup-shaped, ca 3 by 2 mm, ostiole narrowly transverse, margin hairy; epigynous glands blunt, ca 4 by 2 mm; calyx ca 2.8 cm long including ovary, apex bifid, creamy white, outer surface with sparse white hairs, appressed, pale brown sericeous at base; floral tube ca 2.8 cm long including ovary, dorsal corolla lobe narrowly obovate, ca 1.5 by 0.5 cm, apex hooded, apiculate, lateral corolla lobes oblong, hooded, narrower, apex acuminate, creamy white, outer surface pale brown pubescent; lateral staminodes absent; labellum broadly obovate, concave, ca 1.8 by 1.7 cm, base attenuate, apex round, wrinkled and narrowly reflexed, white with a broad dull yellow band at apex and paler towards base; stamen: filament ca 6 by 3 mm long, glabrous; anther ca 3 by 2 mm, glabrous, pale yellow, dehiscing lengthwise, anther crest trilobed, membranous, creamy white, central lobe 2–2.4 by 1 mm, round and emarginate, slightly recurved to back of anther, lateral lobes 1–2 by 1 mm, horn-like, round. Fruit globose, shallowly trilobed, smooth with fine longitudinal ridges, 1–1.5 cm diam., brownish cream, glabrous or sparsely pale brown hirtellous; seeds angulate, 2–3 mm, black, aril white, fragrant.

Thailand : NORTHERN: Tak (cultivated at Doi Musoe); SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi (Doi Soi Dao Nue, Khao Soi Dao, Khao Khitchakut); PENINSULAR: Satun (Khuan Kalong), Chumphon (Lang Suan).

Distribution : Myanmar, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia.

Ecology : Tropical rain forests, 50–650 m alt.

Vernacular : Krawan (กระวาน), krawan khao (กระวานขาว), krawan phothisat (กระวานโพธิสัตว์), pla ko (ปล้าก้อ).