the taxonomic diversity of Zingiberaceae family in Luang Prabang province

Abstract

A study of the diversity of the Zingiberaceae in Louang Prabang Province, northern Laos, was conducted from 2010 to 2014. The field work was carried out in cooperation between Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens and Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. One hundred and twenty two specimens were collected from diverse habitats, namely, semi-evergreen forest, mixed deciduous forest, dipterocarp forest, grassland resulting from shifting cultivation, limestone and along roadsides. Forty eight species in 10 genera have been identified, Zingiber being the most commonly represented with 12 species, followed by Alpinia and Curcuma with 7 species. Etlingera and Gagnepainia were the least represented with 1 species each. Among these, one species, Curcuma corniculata Škorničk, was endemic to Louang Prabang, 15 species were new records for Laos and two were exotic, namely Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm. and Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum. which were introduced long ago for ornamental purposes. Twenty six species were well known to villagers and cultivated by them for medicinal purposes. Zingiber officinale and Alpinia galanga were also cultivated as spices. All specimens were identified, and dried herbarium specimens were prepared. The herbarium specimens were deposited at Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden and duplicates were sent to the National Herbarium of Laos in Vientiane. Material of each species was planted in the living collection at Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden for ex-situ conservation and for further studies such as plant morphology, pollen morphology and molecular systematics. A database of horticultural, botanical and ethno-botanical information was started using previously published taxonomic studies and some on-line photographs of type specimens in the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (P), Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh (E) and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (K). For further study more field collections and supporting funds will be needed.

Full text

The taxonomical diversity of family Zingiberaceae
in Luang Prabang province, Lao PDR
ABSTRACT
A study of the diversity of the family Zingiberaceae in Luang Prabang Province in northern Laos was conducted from 2010 to
2015. The eld team collaborated with Dr. Jana Leong Škorničková (Singapore Botanic Garden) and staff from Queen Sirikit Bo-
tanic Garden. Plants, photographs, living specimens and herbarium specimens were collected during the eld work. The living
collections were planted in Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden for ex situ conservation and for further study. Based on taxonomical
literature studies and some catalogues of type specimens, sheets were deposited online at the Muséum National d’Histoire Na-
turelle in France and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK. A total of 120
specimens were collected and identied to 50 species in 11genera. Twenty-four species were brought from the forest to cultivate
in domestic gardens for medicinal, vegetable and ornamental purposes. Eleven species were new to science and occur in Laos.
One species endemic to Luang Prabang is Curcuma corniculata Škorničk. In further studies, more eld collections will be made
and plant morphology, pollen morphology and DNA will be examined. Additional funding is needed to support this eld work.
INTRODUCTION
The Zingiberaceae family is a family of owering plants consisting of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tu-
berous rhizomes, comprising ca. 50 genera and more than 1,300 species, distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and tropi-
cal America. 103 species have been recorded for Indochina, inchuding 39 species that are distributed around Lao PDR (Gag-
nepian, 1908). Add more to account of ginger species in a checklist of vascular plants of Laos which present about 101 species
(Newnam et al., 2007). A revision of Amomum in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam was known about 35 species, distributed to Lao
PDR 31 species (Lamxay & Newman, 2012). Adding three new species of ginger to account is Curcuma corniculata Škorničk.,
C. ammea Škorničk. and Zingiber jiewhoei Škorničk. (Leong-Škorničková et al., 2014), Curcuma peramoena Souvann. & Ma-
knoi (Souvann. & Maknoi, 2014). Zingiber nitans M.F. Newman (Newman, 2015) is one more species was added to account of
Ginger . Luang Prabang is a province of Laos, located in the northern of the country, covering an area of 16,875 square kilome-
tres (6,515 sq mi). The province borders Phongsali Province to the north, Vietnam to the northeast, Houaphan Province to the
east, Xiangkhouang province to the southeast, Vientiane Province to the south, Xaignabouri Province to the southwest, and Ou-
domxay Province to the west. Land use distribution consists of 87% forest. The forest is mixed deciduous and evergreen type
with an abundance of bamboo and grasslands resulting from shifting cultivation. Zingiberaceae plants can be found in limestone
areas, open areas along the roadside, in evergreen forests near stream water, in mixed deciduous forest and in dipterocarpus forest.
OBJECTIVE
- To investigate taxonomic and ecological aspects of the Zingiberaceae
- To undertake their ex-situ conservation and to seek further possible uses
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A study on the taxonomical diversity of the Zingiberaceae family in Luang Prabang province was conducted from 2010 to 2014.
All specimens used for this study were collected from Luang Prabang. Base taxonomical studies on literature and some pho-
tographs of type specimens sheets are online in Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (P), Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
(E) and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (K). The cultivation of a living Zingiberaceae collection at Pha Tad Ke provides informa-
tion on their growth performance, soil requirements and owering habits. Dried specimens were prepared and sent to the Na-
tional Herbarium of Laos in Vientiane. A database, with horticultural, botanical and ethno-botanical information was started.
The eld work was done in collaboration with Dr. Jana Leong Škorničková (Singapore Botanic Gardens) and staff from the
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden. Plants, photographs, living specimens and herbarium specimens were collected during eld work.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
A study on the taxonomical diversity of family Zingiberaceae in Luang Prabang province, northern Lao PDR was conducted from
2010 to 2015. A total of 120 specimens was collected and identied reprenting 50 species in 11 genera (Table 1). Twenty-four spe-
cies were brought from the forest to be cultivated in domestic gardens for medicinal, vegetable and ornamental proposes. 15 spe-
cies are new additional distributed to Laos. One endemic species to Luang Prabang is Curcuma corniculata Škorničk. All living
collections are growing in the nursery at Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden. Exotic species introduced to Lao PDR for ornamental pur-
poses not included in the list are popular in use as ornamentals in hotel gardens in Luang Prabang such as Etlingera elatior (Jack)
R.M.Sm., and Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum. Zingiber ofcinale and Alpinia galanga are commonly using for cooking. An
annotated list of studied species includes contains designations and explanations such as 1=species newly recorded for the ora of
Laos; 2=Medicinal; 3= Vegetable; 4=Ornamental and 5= endemic species. In further studies more eld collections will be made and
morphology, pollen morphology and polygenetic will be examined. Future eld work will be done to collect more living species
for ex-situ conservation and help gardeners learn how to grow them. There is a need to nd more funding for support eld work.
Table 1: An annotated list of studied species in Luang Prabang
Species
01. Alpinia conchigera Griff.3
02. Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd.2,3
03. Alpinia malaccensis (Burm.f.) Roscoe3,4
04. Alpinia mutica Roxb.4
05. Alpinia napoensis H.Dong & G.J.Xu1
06. Alpinia roxburghii Sweet3,4
07. Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm.4
08. Amomum dealbatum Roxb.2,3
09. Amomum muricarpum Elmer
10. Amomum uliginosum J.Koenig
11. Amomum sericeum Roxb.
12. Boesenbergia phyllostachya (Gagnep.) K.Larsen
13. Boesenbergia kingii Mood & L.M.Prince1
14. Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf.2,3
15. Curcuma involucrata (King ex Baker) Škorničk.2
16. Curcuma corniculata Škorničk.5
17. Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb.2
18. Curcuma amada Roxb.2
19. Curcuma elata Roxb.2
20. Curcuma longa L.2
21. Curcuma stenochila Gagnep.1
22. Etlingera yunnanensis (T.L.Wu & S.J.Chen) R.M.Sm.
23. Geostachys sp.1
24. Geostachys sp.2
25. Gagnepainia godefroyi (Baill.) K.Schum.2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are very grateful to Dr. Jana Leong Škorničková (SBG) and Dr. Pramote Triboun (TISTR) for giving us knowledge about
eld work and help in identing plants. We would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bouakhaykhone Svengsuksa and Ms. Suzy
Young for reading and commenting on the text. My sincere thanks to Mr. Rik Gadella, General Director of Pha Tad Ke Bo-
tanical Garden for nding grants to support our work. We would like to thank all the gardeners for their help in caring for
our living collection and Mr. Kittisack Phoutthavong for his beautiful photos and all NPA staff and local guides who were a
great help to us. Thanks to Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, Laos and the Botanical Garden Organization, Thailand for nan-
cial support. Special thanks are also given to Mr. Tan Jiew-Hoe for nancial support for travel to Cambodia and Thailand.
LITERATURE CITED
Gagnepain, F. 1908. Zingibéracées. in: Flore Générale de l’Indo-Chine. Lecomte, M.H. (Ed.), vol. 6, pp. 57-70. Masson et Cie
Éditeurs, Paris.
Lamxay, V. & Newman, M.F. 2012. A revision of Amomum (Zingiberaceae) in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam. Edinburgh Journal of
Botany 69 (1): 99-206.
Leong-Škorničková J., Šída, O., Bouamanivong, S., Souvannakhoummane, K. & Phouthavong, K. 2014. Three new ginger
species (Zingiberaceae) from Laos. Blumea 59: 106-112.
Newman, M., Kethanh, S., Svengsuksa, B., Thomas, P., Sengdala, K., Lamxay, V. & Armstong, K. 2007. A Checklist of the Vascu-
lar Plants of Lao PDR. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Sisawath Printers, Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Triboun, P., Larsen, K. & Chantaranothai, P. 2014. A key to Genus Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) in Thailand with descriptions of
10 new taxa. Thai Journal of Botany 6:53-77.
01
Keooudone SOUVANNAKHOUMMANE
Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Tel: +856-20-99199726; email: sxdony@gmail.com, botany@pha-tad-ke.com, www.pha-tad-ke.com
03 13 30
04 06 31 32
08 09 33 34
10 11 35 36
15 16 37 38
18 19 39 40
20 21 41 42
22 25
43 44
26 27 45 46
28 29 47 48
12 14 49 50
Species
26. Globba globulifera Gagnep.
27. Globba purpurascens Craib1
28. Globba nuda K.Larsen1
29. Globba schomburgkii Hook.f.
30. Hedychium coronarium J.Koenig2
31. Hedychium avescens Carey ex Roscoe2
32. Hedychium neocarneum T.L.Wu, K.Larsen & Turland
33. Hedychium pauciorum S.Q.Tong1
34. Hedychium villosum Wall.1
35. Kaempferia angustifolia Roscoe2
36. Kaempferia galanga L.2
37. Kaempferia parviora Wall. ex Baker2
38. Kaempferia rotunda L.2
39. Zingiber parishii subsp. phuphanense Triboun & K. Larsen3
40. Zingiber kerrii Craib1
41. Zingiber ligulatum Roxb.1
42. Zingiber mekongense Gagnep.
43. Zingiber montanum (J.Koenig) Link ex A.Dietr.2
44. Zingiber orbiculatum S.Q.Tong1
45. Zingiber ottensii Valeton2
46. Zingiber a. smilesianum Craib1
47. Zingiber thorelii Gagnep.
48. Zingiber larsenii eilade1
49. Zingiber yunnanense S.Q.Tong & X.Z.Liu1
50. Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm.2