Tuesday, January 31, 2012

[Botany • 2010] Vanilla griffithii • New records in Vanilla (Orchidaceae) Plum. ex Mill. from Thailand, with keys to the Thai species


Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f.


Abstract
 Three orchid species, Lecanorchis javanica Blume, L. nigricans Honda and Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f., are newly recorded for Thailand. The species are described and illustrated. Keys to the Thai species of Lecanorchis and Vanilla are also provided.

Key words: LecanorchisVanilla, Orchidaceae, new record, Thailand.

Lecanorchis Blume and Vanilla Plum. ex Mill. belong to the tribe Vanilleae, subfamily Vanilloideae (Orchidaceae). Most genera of Vanilloideae are distributed worldwide. Vanilla  is pantropical, with its greatest diversity in Brazil. The most important species for the production of  vanilla is V. planifolia, a species indigenous to central America (Pridgeon et al., 2003).


Vanilla griffithii Rchb.f.

Thailand.—  PENINSULAR: Narathiwat [SuNgai Padi, 12 July 2004,  Rattanabunno  23 (BKF)].

Distribution.— Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, type locality unknown.

Ecology.— In tropical evergreen forest, edge of swamp forest near sea level; Flowering: April–July


Suddee, S., S. Chantanaorrapint, P. Tripetch and S. Thainukul 2010. New records in Lecanorchis Blume and Vanilla Plum. ex Mill. from Thailand, with keys to the Thai species. Thai Forest Bull. (Bot.) 38: 1-7.