Phytotaxa 479 (1): 137–141 https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ Copyright © 2021 Magnolia Press 

ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) 

https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.479.1.12 

PHYTOTAXA 

Camellia proensis (Theaceae, sect. Piquetia), a new species from Southern Vietnam 

QUACH VAN HOI1,2,7*, LUONG VAN DUNG3,8, ROMAN V. DOUDKIN2,4,9, LEONID V. AVERYANOV5,10, BUI BAO THINH2,11, NGUYEN THI LIEU3,12 & LUU HONG TRUONG6,13 

1 Tay Nguyen Institute for Scientific Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh str. 116, Dalat, 66107, Vietnam.

2 School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Sukhanova str. 8, Vladivostok, 690090, Russia.

3 Faculty of Biology, Dalat University, Phu Dong Thien Vuong str. 01, Dalat, 66106, Vietnam. 

4 Botanical Garden-Institute, Far-East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Makovskii str. 142, Vladivostok, 690024, Russia.

5 Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popov str. 2, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia.

6 Southern Institute of Ecology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 1D, TL29 str., Thanh Loc Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh city, 71500, Vietnam.

7 quachvanhoi@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3691-941X

8 dunglv@dlu.edu.vn;

9 r_doudkin@mail.ru;

10 av_leonid@mail.ru;

11 buibaothinh9595@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3826-1199 12 lieunt_sh@dlu.edu.vn; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3691-941X 

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5985-1975 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3691-941X https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8031-2925 

13 hongtruongluu@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7036-7081 *Corresponding author 

Abstract 

A new species of the genus Camellia L. (Theaceae) from Southern Vietnam is described and illustrated under the name Camellia proensis. Morphological differences between C. proensis and closely related species in the genus Camellia L. (sect. Piquetia) were identified. C. proensis is easily distinguishable from C. honbaensis, C. piquetiana and C. longii by the yellow flowers; from C. dalatensis by the glabrous twigs and leaves; from C. dongnaiensis by light yellow flowers; from C. sonthaiensis by mature fruit flat-globose, 4.0–5.5 cm tall and 8.5–10.0 cm wide. Ecological environment and distribution were also provided for this new species. The images and type specimens of this species were processed and stored in Vietnam (holotype, isotypes, DLU). 

Keywords: Camellia proensis, Lam Dong, taxonomy, Theaceae, Vietnam 

Introduction 

Camellia L. is the largest genus in the Theaceae family, with about 280 species (Chang & Bartholomew 1984, Ming & Bartholomew 2007). Distribution of this species ranges from Nepal, Bhutan, Northeastern India, Myanmar, China, Japan, to Southeast Asia (Ho 1999, Ninh 2002, Ming & Bartholomew 2007). According to Ho (1999), about 30 species of Camellia were recorded in Vietnam. Later, Ninh’s statistics showed that there were 50 species (Ninh 2002). So far, more than 95 species of Camellia have been reported in Vietnam (Le et al. 2020). Vietnam is the center of diversity for Camellia species. Recently, many more new species of Camellia were discovered and described in Vietnam (Orel 2006, Tran 2012, Ninh 2013, Orel et al. 2014, Dung et al. 2016, Truong et al. 2018, Nguyen et al. 2018, Pham et al. 2019, Do et al. 2019, Nguyen et al. 2020, Do et al. 2020). 

In a field trip to Pro Commune, Don Duong District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, in 2015, the authors discovered a Camellia species with yellow flowers but did not see the fruit. After many field trips, we collected the flowers and fruits. We then compared the morphological characteristics with previously published species and conducted a thorough review of specimens from the following herbaria: HN, VNM, and DLU (herbarium codes follow Thiers (2020)). We also used digital images on the web from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (https://science.mnhn.fr/), Chinese Virtual Herbarium (http://www.cvh.ac.cn/) and Jstor Global Plant (https://plants.jstor.org/). After an exhaustive review, we were unable to find any matches to this Camellia. Particular attention compared the collected samples with other closely related species. We will name this new species Camellia proensis, based on the classification system of Chang & Bartholomew (1984) and confirm its placement in Section Piquetia (Pierre 1877, Sealy 1958). 

Taxonomic description 

Camellia proensis V.D.Luong, Doudkin & V.H.Quach, sp. nov. (Figs. 1, 2)

Type:—VIETNAM. Lam Dong Province, Don Duong District, Pro Commune, 800–1100 m elev., 8 March 2015, Quach Van Hoi, Luong Van Dung DUNG.150301 (holotype, isotypes, DLU!). 

Description:

—Small tree, 5–6 m tall. Young branches glabrous, light brown buds. Leaves oblong-elliptic, apex acuminate, base rounded or acute, adaxial and abaxial surfaces glabrous, 7.5–8.5 cm wide, 33–35 cm long; petioles 1–2 cm long, glabrous; lateral veins almost parallel, midrib and lateral veins clearly show in the abaxial surfaces, margin denticulate. Flowers 1–3 in the axillary, flower buds globose, 1.3–1.7 cm wide, flower 4.0–5.5 cm diameter, peduncle branched or not, 3.0–5.5 cm long, glabrous. Bractlets 2–3, light green, triangular, dropping quickly before the fruiting season, glabrous, 1–2 mm wide 1.5–3.0 mm tall. Sepals 5, hemisphere, persistent, light green, pubescent on the outside, glabrous on the inside, 6–12 mm tall, and 9–15 mm wide. Petals 5–6, almost round to obovate, light yellow, pubescent on the outside, glabrous on the inside, 1.7–1.8 wide and 1.7–2.4 cm tall. Stamens numerous, in 4–5 whorls, 1.5–2.0 cm long, outer filaments basally connate into a tube, filament tube 5–7 mm tall and adnate to the base of petals, pubescent at the base of inner filaments. Ovary globose, tomentose, 3.5–4.0 mm tall and 4–5 mm wide, has grooves, the ovary has 4–5 locular. Styles ripped 4–5 to base, tomentose to 1⁄2 from the base, 1.5–1.8 cm long. Fruit flat-globose, 4.0–5.5 cm tall and 8.5–10.0 cm wide, sparse hair, capsule five locular, 1-locular with two seeds, pericarp 1–1.3 cm thick. Seeds spherical, hemispherical or wedge-shaped, glabrous, 1.6–2.0 cm wide, 2.3–2.6 cm long. 

FIGURE 1. Camellia proensis. A, B. Young twig. C, E. Flowering shoot and arrangement of petals. D. Open flower. F, G. Fruits. H. Seeds. Photos by Quach Van Hoi. 

FIGURE 2. Camellia proensis. A. Leaf. B. Venation of leaf (adaxial surface). C. Venation of leaf (abaxial surface). D. Flower bud. E, F. Flower. G. Sepals. H. Petals. I. Stamens. K. Styles and gynoecium. L. Fruit. M. Seed. Drwaing by Luong Van Dung. 

Affinity:

—Camellia proensisis morphologically similar to C. sonthaiensis in glabrous young branches and leaves; sepals 5, hairy on the outside; petal light yellow, hairy on the outside, from which it is distinguished by the size of mature fruit, 3.0–3.5 cm in diameter, 1.5–2.0 cm deep (C. sonthaiensis), 4.0–5.5 cm tall, 8.5–10.0 cm wide (C. proensis). 

Etymology:

—The species is named after the location where the authors first found this plant. Pro is the name of Pro commune, Don Duong District, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. 

Habitat:

—This species is distributed in the evergreen broadleaf forest, the foot of the mountain where the slope is low, along the sides of the stream with relatively high humidity, or near the edge of the forest, where there is plenty of light. The species is distributed at elevations 800–1100 m, Pro commune, Don Duong District, Ta Nang Commune, Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province. 

Phenology:

—These species produce buds and start to flower from January to March. Flowers bloom in late February, bearing fruits from August to October. 

Note:

—Camellia proensis has characteristics flowers 1–3 on a short bracteate shoot in axils of old leaves; flowers pedicellate, nodding. Bractlets 2–3, dropping quickly before the fruiting season; sepals 5, persistent; petals 5–6, inter petals united with outermost filaments. Gynoecium superior, ovary 4–5 locular, tomentose; styles 4–5, free. The new species has many characteristics of the section Piquetia (Pierre) Sealy as flowers are borne on a short shoots in the leaves’ axils, usually, 3–5 flowers on a shoot but sometimes one only. Flowers pedicellate, nodding, pedicel very stout, thickened upwards; bracteoles 2–3, persistent; sepals 5, persistent; petals eight or more; stamen free above the union with the petals, puberulous inside; gynoecium densely hairy; styles 5 or 6 (Pierre 1877, Sealy 1958). Therefore Camellia proensis is classified into section Piquetia. Currently, the species in the sect. Piquetia occurring in Vietnam are: C. dalatensis, C. dongnaiensis, C. honbaensis, C. longii, C. piquetiana and C. sonthaiensis (Pierre 1877, Sealy 1958, Orel 2006, Tran & Luong 2012, Orel et al. 2014, Luu et al. 2018). The new taxon is easily distinguishable from C. honbaensis, C. piquetiana and C. longii by the yellow flowers; from C. dalatensis by the glabrous twigs and leaves; from C. dongnaiensis by light yellow flowers; from C. sonthaiensis by mature fruit flat-globose, 4.0–5.5 cm tall and 8.5–10.0 cm wide. 

Key to Camellia proensis and related species: 

1. 1a.  Flowers red ...........................................................................................................2 

2. 1b.  Flowers orange or yellow ...................................................................................................................................................3 

1. 2a.  Ovary 3 ........................................................................................................ C. honbaensis 

2. 2b.  Ovary 5 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................4 

1. 3a.  Flowers orange ..................................................................................................C. dongnaiensis 

2. 3b.  Flowers yellow ...................................................................................................................................................................................5 

1. 4a.  Petal 5–6, campanulate........................................................................................................................C. longii 

2. 4b.  Petal 8 or more, rotate .....................................................................................................................................C. piquetiana 

1. 5a.  Young branches and leaves hairy ....................................................................................................................................C. dalatensis 

2. 5b.  Young branches and leaves glabrous..................................................................................................................................................6 

1. 6a.  Leaves narrowly lanceolate; ovary (3)–4; mature fruits capsular, corky shape, 3.0–3.5 cm in diameter, 1.5–2.0 cm tall .................. 

............................................................................................................................... C. sonthaiensis 

2. 6b.  Leaves oblong-elliptic; ovary 4–5 locular; mature fruits capsular, flat-globose, 8.5–10.0 cm wide, 4.0–5.5 cm tall ......................... ..............................................................................................................................C. proensis 

Acknowledgments 

We would like to thank the International Cooperation Department, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, for funding this study. Thanks to Stephen Maciejewski, The Gesneriad Society/American Begonia Society, and Michael LoFurno, Adjunct Professor, Temple University, Philadelphia PA, USA, for their editorial assistance. 

References 

Chang, H.T. & Bartholomew, B. (1984) Camellias. B.T. Bastford Ltd., London, 211 pp.

Do, N.D., Luong, D.V., Nguyen, C.D., Hoang, S.T., Le, H.T., Han, J.E. & Park, H.S. (2019) A new yellow Camellia (Theaceae) from central Vietnam. Korean J. Pl. Taxon 49 (1): 90–95. https://doi.org/10.11110/kjpt.2019.49.1.90 

Do, N.D., Luong, V.D., Le, T.H., Nguyen, D.H., Nguyen, T.N. & Ly, N.S. (2020) Camellia ngheanensis (Sect. Chrysantha: Theaceae), a new species from Central Vietnam. Phytotaxa 452 (3): 209–216.

https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.452.3.3 

Dung, L.V., Anna, L., Hanh, N.T. & Lieu, N.T. (2016) Camellia thuongiana - a new yellow Camellia species from Vietnam. Dalat University Journal of Science 6 (3): 338–344. 

Ho, P.H. (1999) Theaceae. In: Cay co Viet Nam [An illustrated flora of Vietnam] Vol.1. Youth Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City, pp. 424–432. [in Vietnamese with English summary] 

Le, N.H.N., Luong, V.D., Nguyen, V.C., Pham, T.T.D., Luu, T.T. & Pham, V.T. (2020) An updated checklist of Theaceae and a new species of Polyspora from Vietnam. Taiwania 65 (2): 216–227.

https://doi.org/10.6165/tai.2020.65.216 

Ming, T.L. & Bartholomew, B. (2007) Theaceae. In: Wu, Z.-Y., Raven,P.H. & Hong, D.Y. (Eds.) Flora of China. Vol. 12. Hippocastanaceae through Theaceae. Science Press, Beijing and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, MO, pp. 366–478. 

Nguyen, D.H., Luong, V.D., Le, T.H., Tran, Q.T., Do, N.D. & Ly, N.S. (2020) Camellia puhoatensis (Sect. Archecamellia – Theaceae), a new species from Vietnam. PhytoKeys 153: 1–11.

https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.153.49388 

Nguyen, L.T., Tran, N., Chiyomi, U., Hironori, K., Luong, D.V., Hoang, S.T., Nguyen, K.D., Nguyen, H.V., Thai, T.C. (2018) Two new species of Camellia (Theaceae) from Vietnam. Korean J. Pl. Taxon 48 (2): 115–122.

https://doi.org/10.11110/kjpt.2018.48.2.115 

Ninh, T. (2002) Biodiversity of the genus Camellia of Vietnam. International Camellia Journal 34: 80–88.

Ninh, T. & Dung, L.V. (2013) Camellia dilinhensis: A new yellow species from Vietnam. International Camellia Journal 45: 87–89. Orel, G. (2006) A new species of Camellia section Piquetia (Theaceae) from Vietnam. Novon 16: 244–247. 

https://doi.org/10.3417/10553177(2006)16[244:ANSOCS]2.0.CO;2

Orel, G., Wilson, P., Curry, A.S. & Luu, H.T. (2014) Four new species and two new sections of Camellia (Theaceae) from Vietnam. Novon 23: 307–318. 

https://doi.org/10.3417/2012076

Pham, V.T., Luong, V.D., Averyanov, L.V., Trinh, N.B., Nguyen, T.L. & Nguyen, L.T. (2019) Camellia velutina (Theaceae, sect. Chrysantha), a new species from northern Vietnam. Pakistan Journal of Botany 51 (4): 1441–1446. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2019-4(33)

Pierre, L. (1887) Flore Forestiere de Cochinchine, vol. 2. Octave Doin, Paris, 119 pp.

Sealy, J.R. (1958) A revision of the genus Camellia. Royal Horticultural Society, London, 239 pp.

Thiers, B. (2020 [continuously updated]) Index Herbariorum: A global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York Botanical 

Garden’s Virtual Herbarium. Available from: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ (accessed 20 April 2020)

Tran, N. & Luong, V.D. (2012) Camellia dalatensis: a new species and precious gene should be conserved. VNU J. Sci., Nat. Sci. & 

Technol 28 (2S): 34–36.

Truong, L.H., Gioi, T., Dat, N.Q. & Cuong, N.H. (2018) A new species of the family Theaceae from central Vietnam. Academia Journal of Biology 40 (4): 23–28. https://doi.org/10.15625/2615-9023/v40n4.12919