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Type: Article
Published: 2017-04-13
Page range: 253–263
Abstract views: 22
PDF downloaded: 1

Vietnamocasia, a new genus from Central Vietnam belonging to the Alocasia-Colocasia clade (Araceae)

Department of Bio-resources, Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science & Techonlogy, 85 Trần Quốc Toản Road, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Department of Plant Science and Environmental Ecology, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia Research Associate, Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States.
Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB - UMR 7205 CNRS, Museum national d’histoire naturelle, École Pratique des Hautes Études – Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, CP39, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Vietnam Academy of Science & Techonlogy -Institute of Ecology & Biological Resources (IEBR), Hanoi, Vietnam.
Honorary Research Scientist, Ludwig–Maximilians–Universität München, Department Biologie I, Systematische Botanik und Mykologie Menzinger Straße 67, 80638 München, Germany.
Endemics Indochina Malesia phylogeny Vietnamocasia dauae Monocots

Abstract

Vietnamocasia, a new monotypic aroid genus in the Alocasia-Colocasia clade, is described with the type species, Vietnamocasia dauae. Vietnamocasia is distinguished by possessing free individual staminate flowers, lacking expanded synconnectives, and having nodding inflorescences. Vegetatively Vietnamocasia is reminiscent of species of the distantly closely related Alocasia Cuprea Group, although Vietnamocasia is so far only known from the type locality in Central Vietnam, over 1200 km NE from the nearest representative of the Alocasia Cuprea Group. The phylogenetic analyses of Vietnamocasia dauae together with representative taxa from all genera of the Alocasia-Colocasia clade recovered Vietnamocasia as a strongly supported clade sister to Alocasia, together nested in a clade to which Leucocasia is a sister taxon. Vietnamocasia dauae is illustrated from living plants and with a line drawing. A key to all genera of Alocasia-Colocasia clade is included.