Boesenbergia gokusingii N. F. Lam 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lam, Nyee Fan
name: Ibrahim, Halijah
name: Sam, Yen Yen
name: Mohammad Zakaria, Rozainah
name: Poulsen, Axel Dalberg
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Zingiberales
Zingiberaceae
Boesenbergia
Boesenbergia gokusingii

description: Boesenbergia gokusingii N. F. Lam sp. nov.
Figs 7, 8
Diagnosis.
The new species resembles B. variegata R. M. Sm. by having single-leaved shoots and a short petiole, but differs in having unequal ovate lamina (vs. elliptic), a cordate leaf base (vs. rounded or subcordate), an acute leaf apex (vs. subacute) and the anther thecae dehiscing by pores (vs. slits) (Table 3).
Type.
Malaysia. Borneo. Sabah. Cultivated at Kipandi Park, Moyog, 05 ° 54.68 ' N, 116 ° 06.27 ' E, 700 m elevation. 8 Aug 2016, Lam Nyee Fan 361 (holotype BORH!, isotype SAN). Original material collected from Tawau by Linus Gokusing (BS- 21 b), 05 ° 11.93 ' N, 117 ° 25.40 ' E, 500–600 m elevation, 1 Aug 2015.
Description.
Terrestrial, evergreen, herb. Rhizome fibrous, subterranean, base ca. 0.4 cm in diameter, roots brown. Leafy shoots ca. 8.5 cm tall, with 1–2 sheaths, ca. 2 × 1.5 cm, glabrous, green, margins entire. Ligule 1 mm long, acute, light brown, glabrous. Petiole 2.8–3.5 cm long, grooved, green. Leafy shoots single. Lamina unequal ovate, 7.5–8.6 × 5–5.5 cm, upper surface undulating ranging from green to dark green, pale green beneath, glabrous, margin entire; base cordate, apex acute with acumen ca. 2 mm. Inflorescence ca. 2.5 × 0.5 cm, peduncle ca. 0.15 cm, with up to 8 flowers arranged in a one-sided spiral, one flower open at a time. Fertile bracts linear narrowly ovate, ca. 1.6 × 0.2 cm, green, pale red at apex, outer and inner surfaces glabrous, almost translucent, margin entire, apex acute. Bracteole linear elliptic, ca. 1.7 × 0.2 cm, white, outer and inner surfaces glabrous, almost translucent, margin entire, apex acute. Flower white, born singly from each bract, calyx 0.4 cm long, tubular, white, glabrous, corolla tube white, glabrous, dorsal lobe narrowly elliptic, ca. 0.7 × 0.2 cm, slightly concave, lateral lobes elliptic, ca. 0.7 × 0.1 cm, labellum obovate, ca. 0.7 cm × 0.4 cm, very light yellow at base, darker yellow spreading towards lip, curved forward, lateral staminodes elliptic, ca. 0.5 × 0.17 cm, white, apex acute, glabrous, stamen ca. 0.75 cm long; filament ca. 4 × 1 mm (widest at base), glabrous adaxially and abaxially, anther ca. 3.5 mm long, glabrous; anther crest rounded, glabrous; thecae oblong, ca. 0.1 × 0.05 cm, white, glabrous, dehiscing by pores, stigma cup-shaped, white, glabrous, epigynous glands 0.1 cm long, linear, apex pointed. Fruit not seen.
Distribution.
Endemic in Borneo, Sabah; known from Tawau and Tambunan.
Etymology.
The species is named after Mr. Linus Gokusing from Kipandi Park. He collected this species from Tawau in 2011. His passion for plants, such as orchids and gingers, has secured information useful to researchers, tourists and botany students.
Ecology.
Mix dipterocarp forest at 500–600 m elevation.
Conservation status.
Vulnerable (VU D 2). The species has only been documented at Tawau and Tambunan, Sabah, Malaysia, where only 3–6 populations were found at each site (Fig. 9).
description: Published as part of Lam, Nyee Fan, Ibrahim, Halijah, Sam, Yen Yen, Mohammad Zakaria, Rozainah & Poulsen, Axel Dalberg, 2024, Three new species of Boesenbergia (Zingiberaceae) from Sabah, Malaysia, pp. 39-53 in PhytoKeys 247 on pages 39-53, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.247.107961