Turczaninowia (Mar 2017)
Two endangered ornamental orchid species, Bulbophyllum coweniorum and Esmeralda bella (Orchidaceae), new in the flora of Vietnam
Abstract
Two rare endangered ornamental species of orchids (Orchidaceae) – Bulbophyllum coweniorum J. J. Verm. et P. O’Byrne and Esmeralda bella Rchb. f., new for the flora of Vietnam were discovered during botanical field surveys of medicinal plants conducted by Department of Pharmacognosy of Hanoi University of Pharmacy in years 2015–2016. According to people from local minorities, both species are used in traditional medicine, but no scientific data on medicinal activity of any substances obtained from these plants are yet available. Meanwhile, the wide deforestation in areas of discovered species is the main fatal factor of their fast extinction in known localities. Hence, they should be regarded as nationally critically endangered (CR) in terms of IUCN Red List categories and criteria. The extensive commercial collecting of both species as highly demanded medicinal and ornamental plants is additional factor of their extinction even in intact habitats. At the same time, any present field data on both species are very scarce for understanding of their current distribution, natural resources, ecology, biology and morphological variation. The paper provides relevant information for these species including valid name, main synonyms, data about type materials, common names, short morphological description, data on ecology and phenology, distribution, threat and estimated IUCN Red List status, use in traditional medicine, notes on taxonomy and related species and data on studied specimens with indication of herbaria where they are housed. Data on medicinal use of studied species in folk medicine were obtained by talks and interview with old local people from national minorities living in areas of species distribution. Identification of collected specimens was performed in Department of Pharmacognosy (Hanoi University of Pharmacy) on the base of comparative morphologic analysis with use of relevant taxonomic literature.
