BANGKOK: The discovery of four new species of flowering plant Microchirita (Gesneriaceae: Didymocarpoideae) has shaken the world of botany, with one of the species resembling a monkey’s face.
The director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), Atthapol Charoenchansa, said the discovery has been published in the 52nd volume of the Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) and is available online since Oct 8.
He said the four new species were found on the limestone mountains in Saraburi, Rayong and Lopburi.
The most interesting finding, he added, was Microchirita simia whose purple and yellow flowers resemble a monkey’s face.
This species was found in Lopburi’s Muang district and its Thai name is Yad Vanom Pak or “monkey face dewdrop”.
Other discoveries included Microchirita radiata, found in south Thailand and features flowers that have a unique radial arrangement, and Microchirita puglisiae which has distinctive, long, narrow leaves and is found in the north of the country.
Another discovery, the Microchirita orathaiae, found in the Khao Chamao district of Rayong province, was named after Orathai Kerdkaew, an illustrator who contributed to the Flora of Thailand project.
Atthapol said the discovery of the four species were made as part of the Flora of Thailand project carried out by DNP researchers.
The four species have been verified by Dr David Middleton, a specialist on Gesneriaceae, added Atthapol.
He said that the discoveries proved that Thailand is the centre of Microchirita plants, which has a genus of about 50 species and can be found in India, Myanmar, South China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
Of the 50-plus species, 41 can be found in Thailand, he said.
As for the four new species, Atthapol said that they are on the brink of extinction as they can grow only in specific conditions, making it important to conserve the limestone mountains where they were found. - The Nation/ANN
