Six new plants of the world found by researchers of the Faculty of Sciences, KKU, National University of Laos, and the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute
Professor Pranom Chantaranothai, a Thai taxonomist from the Biology Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, cooperated with Professor Soulivanh Lanorsavanh from National University of Laos (NUOL) and Mr. Keooudone Souvannakhoummane from the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) to conduct fieldwork around the central and southern part of Lao PDR during the years 2014-2020, and discovered six new plants of the Argostemma genus. Also, they created the plant taxonomy in order to certify this genus of Lao PDR of which there are 14 types. This research was published in the international journal Nordic Journal of Botany, Vol. 2020: e02714 doi: 10.1111/njb.02714. The newly discovered plants are as follows:
1. Argostemma lamxayanum Lanors. & Chantar
2. Argostemma lobbioides Lanors., Chantar. & Souvann.
3. Argostemma longisepalum Lanors. & Chantar.
4. Argostemma paksongense Lanors. & Chantar.
5. Argostemma svengsuksae Lanors., Chantar. & Souvann.
6. Argostemma vientianense Lanors. & Chantar.
These small annual plants, around 2-20 centimeters, can live for many years and have actinomorphic flowers with five white petals. They are found around rocky areas in rainforests with very high humidity. The first holotype was preserved at the Lao National History Museum and the isotype was kept at the herbarium, Faculty of Forestry and Herbarium, Biology Department, Khon Kaen University and KKU Herbarium.
News: Suchart Thepphukiew
Compiled by Prowsaeng Poosinghar
Resource : https://th.kku.ac.th/40906/
Poster : พราวแสง ภูสิงหา [Ms. Prowsaeng Poosinghar] | 3 ธันวาคม 63