NAT. NAT. HlST. BUL L. SIAM Soc. 48: 213-219 ，2000 A NEW FORM OF THE HERMIT'S SPITTOON ， SAPRIA HIMALAYANA GRIFFITH F. ALBOVINOSA BANZIGER & HANSEN F. NOV. (RAFFLESIACEAE) ， WITH NOTES ON ITS ECOLOGY 2 Hans Banzige ，J， Bertel Hansen and Ki 的・， Kreetiyutanonf ABSTRACT Sapria Sapria himalayana Griffith f. albovinosa Banziger & Hansen f. nov. is described as an endemic endemic plant of a restricted 蹴 a in NE Th ailand. It differs from the typical form in having white-dotted white-dotted war 岱 and wine-red perigon 巴 lobes ，instead of yellow-dotted and blood-~巴d ones ， respectively.τ "h e differences between 血is and other white-dotted ，wine-red species are poin 包d ou t. Notes on 出 e ecology and conservation are added. Key Key words: identification key ，parasite ，pollination ，host ， Tetrastigma laoticum ，Vitaceae ， ailand Th ailand INTRODUCTION Studies Studies in ecology ，t似 onomy and conservation of various Ra ff1 esiaceae in Southeast Asia Asia (e.g. HANSEN ， 1972; ELLIOTT ， 1990; BANZIGER ， 1995; MEIJER ， 1997; Nais & W i1 cock ， 1998; 1998; BANZIGER & HANSEN ， 2000) evince the need for more systematic work on these renowned renowned but st il1 relatively poorly understood and controversial parasitic plants. Recen t1 y first a first study disentangled three species of Sapria Griffith ，viz. S. himalayana Griffi 出，出e misleadingly misleadingly described S. poilanei Gagnepain emend. Banziger & Hansen ， and the new S. ram Banziger & Hansen. Treatment of a sligh t1 y different taxon of probable infraspecific rank rank of S. himalayana from Northeast Tha i1 and was postponed unt i1 more data became ava i1 able. These are now reported below. Recognition Recognition of taxa at infraspecific rank is desirable for several reasons in 出e present con 旬xt. By prope r1 y describing 佃 d naming such taxa we cI arify the systematics of the Rafflesiaceae ， which is a ‘highlight' family due to its biological and ecological interest ， as well well as due to the popularity it e町oys among the gener a1 public. Indeed ， the repeated confusion confusion of the taxon described below as a new form of S. himalayana with other species such such as S. poilanei and S. ram requires cI arification ， not least in order to point out 白紙 it is is an endemic restrictedωa single area. Fin a1 1y ，we provide evidence for the diversity present present in this fam i1 y of mos t1 y rare or threatened plants and thus give increased scope for improving improving their badly needed conservation. 'Department 'Department of Entomology ，Faculty of Agriculture ，Chiang Mai University ，Chiang Mai 50200 ，Thailand. 2Botanical 2Botanical Mus 巴 um ，University of Copenhagen ，Copenhagen 1123 ，Denmark. 3Phu 3Phu Kh iew Wildlife Sanctuary ，Chaiyaphum ，百ailand Received Received 28 September 2000; accepted 27 November 2000. 213 213 214 HANS BAN Zl GER ，BERTEL HANSEN AND KπTI KREETIYUTANONT METHODS Sites Sites of the Hermit's Spittoons in Phu Khi ew W i1 dlife Sanctuary ，westem Northeast Thailand ，were shown to HB by KK ，marked and mapped. Th is is needed in order to assess assess the reliab i1 ity of certain characters of the flower at different sites and through time. Colour ，size ，mo 中hology of s佐uc 加 res such as the ramenta ，diaphragma ，disk ，etc. ，were studied studied in the field for five years (1 99ι2000) and comp 紅 'ed with populations in N. Tha i1 and. Colour persistence ，especially the white ，a major problem with Rhizanthes (cf. (cf. BANZIGER & HANSEN ， 2000) was followed up during pollination studies throughout anthesis. anthesis. For improved preservation of the flower ， the method of HEINRICHER (1 905) was used: boiling boiling freshly collected specimens in 60 ー70% 拙 yl ， methyl or isopropyl alcohol for a few rninutes. rninutes. This takes out most of the colours ， which would not preserve anyway ， but avoids subsequent subsequent unwanted blackening of the specimen and preservation fluid. The specimen remains remains more or less pale and the alcohol ，after replacing it a few times over several months or years ， remains clear. One drawback of boiling is that the specimens tend to become too soft ，especially if bo i1 ed longer than a few rninutes to improve colour extraction. If If so ，preservation in 60 ー70% methyl alcohol reconstitutes some rigidity. Methanol has two further further advantages: it shrinks specimens somewhat less (eth 佃 01: about 5 to 12%) ，and is much cheaper. Shrinking and flaccidity versus swelling and rigidity 紅 'e reversible processes ， even even after long-time preservation in ethyl or methyl alcohol ，respectively. However ， continuous continuous inhaling of methanol vapours should be avoided. The collected material is at present with the first author but will be deposited at the Herbarium ， Royal Forest Dep 釘 tment ，Bangkok (BKF) ，when the ecological p訂 t of the study study is concluded. Morphological 旬rms used have been explained in detail in Figs. 1-9 of BANZIGER & HANSEN (1997). By cluster we mean the buds and flowers of Sapria parasitizing a single host host liana. Al l photographs are by HB. DESCRIPTION Sapria Sapria himalayana Grifti 曲 f. albovinosa Banziger et Hansen f. nov. Figs. Figs. 1-5 A Sapria himalayana f. himalayana perigonii segmentis vinosis cum verrucis albis ， non sanguineis cum verrucis flavis d俳， rt. Etymology.-A compound name from Latin ， albus (white) and vinosus (wine-red) ， referring referring to the white-dotted warts and wine-red lobes. Diagnosis.- There is no apparent morphological difference with S. himalayana from North North Thailand ， only the colours being different: S. himalayana f. albovinosa has white- dotted dotted w 釘 ts on wine-red perigones instead of yellow-dotted w 訂 ts on blood-red perigones. The new form is superficially sirnilar to S. poilanei and S. ram in having white-dotted warts warts and wine-red lobes but in the latter two the dots are distributed mainly basally ， not evenly evenly over the whole lobe as in 出e new form. Th ere are other colour differences ， but the A NEW FORM OF THE H ERM1 T' S SP 昨 TOON ，SA PRIA HIMALAYA NA 215 F igure. 1.F 巴ma le Sap ri a him alayana f. albovi ll osa f. 110 1'.; si ze 11 x 12 c m ト~o t e th e typi ca ll y pal 巴 f巴m al巴 cl islく Fi gul 巴 2. Mal 巴 Sap ri a hi /1l ala ya lla f. albovillosa f. 110 V .; si ze 1 Ox 11 c m. NO le th 巴 typi ca ll y recl m ale cli sk 216 H ANS B iiNZIGER, BERTEL H ANSEN AND KilT! KREETIYUTANDNT Figure. 3. Cross secti on of female Sapria Figure. 4. Cross section of male Sapria hima/ayana f. albovinosa himalayana f. albovinosa f. nov. f. nov. Figure. 5. The typical form (left, Phu Khiew, Banziger 1602) and the new form, albovinosa (right, Phu Khiew paratype Banziger 1604), compared, both males. Note the yell ow-dotted wa rts on blood-red lobes (left) and the white-dotted warts on wine-red lobes (right). A NEW FORM OF THE HERMIT'S SPITTOON ，SAPRIA HIMALAYANA 217 main distinction is mo 中hological ，especially in the structure of the column ， as summarized in in Appendix 1. Distribution. -S o far found only at 75 0- 885 m a ふ1. in the Dong Phya Fai Range ， Phu Kh iew Wildlife Sanctuary ，Chaiyaphum Province ，westem Northeast 百lailand. Biology.-See notes below. Taxonomic remarks.-At the study site in NE Thailand bo 出 the typic aJ. and the new forms forms are present. The colour difference of albovinosa is not an aberration because it was consistently consistently found in all flowers of the same clusters during each of the five years of study ， while also the himalayana form in 出e same research area was consistently so in all clusters. clusters. No intermediates were noted. The colour did not change 仕立 oughout the flowers' anthesis. anthesis. Hence recognition at form rank appe 紅 s appropriate. However ， the flowers of both forms forms in NE Thailand were somewhat smaller 血an the typical form from N 百lailand. 百lis size size difference is at present being investigated. Vernacular name.-We are not aware of any local name for S. himalayana f. albovinosa albovinosa other 出加出at used for the typical form ，viz. fl 宮:: lmH ll 昔 (kra 出on ryssi ， or Hen 凶t' s Spittoon) ， an allusion to the shape of the flower. Because of the need to di 旺erentiate between between the two taxa ，we suggest fl 冒 ::ltl l.l tn~ ，附 11 (krathon ryssi jud khao ， or White Dotted Hennit's Hennit's Spittoon) for the new form. Material Material studied. -S ix clusters with one to several dozen flowers were studied in situ 199ι2000. Only 5 live specimens were coUected for taxonomic research and documentation. Otherwise Otherwise only reproductively dead or dried old specimens were taken. Collected Collected material. Holotype. Female ，THAILAND ，Chaiyaphum Pr ov. ，Phu Kh iew Wildlife Wildlife Sanctu 紅 y ，cluster BM1 ，860 m a ふ1.， 31.1 2.1996 ， Banziger 1605 ， to be deposited at at BKF. P釘 atypes. 1 male ，loc. ci t. but cluster BM6 ，860 m a ふ1.， 31.1 2.1996 ， Banziger 1604; 1604; 1 male ，loc. ci t. but cluster BM1 ，22.1 1.1 999 ， Banziger 1673; 1 male ，loc. ci t. but cluster cluster BM6 ，22.1 1.1 999 ， Banziger 1674; 1 male ，loc. ci t. but cluster NP2 ，870 m a.s. 1.， 24.1 1.1 999 ， Banziger 1679; 2 dead ， black flowers ，loc. cit. but cluster BM6 ，23.1 1.1 999 ， Banziger Banziger 1675 ，1678 ，all to be deposited at BKF.