Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-26
Page range: 186-192
Abstract views: 0
PDF downloaded: 0

Raphiocarpus tonkinensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from northern Vietnam

Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology, 18th Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi, Vietnam; Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology, 18th Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi, Vietnam
Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology, 18th Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi, Vietnam
Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science & Technology, 18th Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Hanoi, Vietnam
Didymocarpoideae Flora of Vietnam Limestone New taxon Ngoc Son-Ngo Luong Pu Luong Eudicots

Abstract

Raphiocarpus tonkinensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Cuc Phuong-Ngoc Son-Pu Luong limestone range, northern Vietnam, is described and illustrated here. The new species is morphologically similar to R. axillaris and R. taygiangensis, but clearly differs from these two species in having asymmetrical leaves in a pair and a whorl of three, purplish white to pinkish white corolla with purple longitudinal lines and purple patches in the throat and at the bases of the lower lobes. A detailed morphological description together with color illustrations, information on phenology, distribution, ecology, preliminarily conservation assessment and comparison with its morphologically similar species are also provided.

References

  1. Arnott, G.A.W. (1832) Botany. In: Napier, M. (Ed.) Encyclopedia Britannica. 7, 5. A & C Black, Edinburgh, pp. 30–145.
  2. Candolle, A. & Candolle, C. (1883) Monographiae phanerogamarum: Prodromi nunc continuatio, nunc revisio 5. G. Masson, Paris, 654 pp.
  3. Chen, W.H., Chen, R.Z., Yu, Z.Y., Zhu, Z.T. & Shui, Y.M. (2015) Raphiocarpus jinpingensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae in Yunnan, China. Plant Diversity and Resources 37 (6): 727–732. https://doi.org/10.7677/ynzwyj201515039
  4. Chun, W.-Y. (1946) Gesneriacearum plantae novae Sinicarum. Sunyatsenia 6: 271–304.
  5. Don, G. (1838) A general system of gardening and botany: containing a complete enumeration and description of all plants hitherto known. 4. Rivington & Co., London, 908 pp.
  6. Fritsch, K. (1894) Gesneriaceae. In: Engler, A. & Prantl, K. (Eds.) Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien IV, 3b. W. Engelmann, Leipzig, pp. 145–185.
  7. Harris, J.G. & Harris, M.W. (2001) Plant identification terminology: an illustrated glossary, 2nd edn. Spring Lake Pub., 216 pp.
  8. IUCN Standards and Petitions Subcommittee (2024) Guidelines for using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria Ver. 16. (accessed 18 January 2026)
  9. Léveillé, A.A.H. (1913) LXXVIII Decades plantarum novarum. CI–CIII. Repertorium specierum novarum regni vegetabilis 11: 492–496. https://doi.org/10.1002/fedr.19130113103
  10. Middleton, D.J., Nguyen, Q.B., Tran, H.D. & Leong-Skornickova, J. (2021) A new species of Raphiocarpus (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78: 1–4. https://doi.org/10.24823/EJB.2021.365
  11. Nguyen, H.C., Phung, V.K., Nguyen, K.S., Averyanov, L.V., Truong, B.V., Tran, V.C., Cao, X.H., Chu, N.Q., Vu, T.B.H. & Pham, T.K.T. (2023a) Raphiocarpus taygiangensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from central Vietnam. PhytoKeys 218: 19–27. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.218.96511
  12. Nguyen, H.C., Wen, F., Pham, T.M., Nguyen, Y.T., Bui, T.M., Bui, D.T., Nguyen, K.S. & Averyanov, L.V. (2023b) The checklist of Raphiocarpus species (Gesneriaceae, Didymocarpinae) in the flora of Vietnam with description of a new species, R. bicallosus. Phytotaxa 616 (3): 223–234. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.616.3.2
  13. Nguyen, S.K. & Wen, F. (2018) Notes on taxonomy of Raphiocarpus begoniifolius (Lévl.) Burtt (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam. Guihaia 38: 1422–1427.
  14. Pellegrin, F. (1930) Gesnéracées. In: Lecomte, H. (Ed.) Flore générale de L’Indo-chine 4. Masson, Paris, pp. 487–565.
  15. Thiers, B.M. (2026 [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 16 January 2026)
  16. Vu, P.X. & Do, X.T. (2010) A new occurrence species Didissandra C.B.Clarke (Gesneriaceae Dumort) of the flora of Vietnam. Academia Journal of Biology 32 (2): 60–62. [In Vietnamese] https://doi.org/10.15625/0866-7160/v32n2.688
  17. Vu, P.X., Do, X.T., Wen, F. & Wei, Y.G. (2012) Raphiocarpus tamdaoensis sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from Vietnam. Nordic Journal of Botany 30: 696–699. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.2012.01361.x
  18. Vu, P.X. (2018) Gesneriaceae. In: Tran, T.H. (Ed.) Flora of Vietnam 18. Technology and Science Publishing House, Hanoi, pp. 40–56.
  19. Wang, W.T. (1975) Notulae de Gesneriaceis Sinensibus (continued). Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 13 (3): 97–105.
  20. Wang, W.T., Pan, K.Y., Li, Z.Y., Weitzman, A.L. & Skog, L.E. (1998) Gesneriaceae. In: Wu, Z.-Y. & Raven, P.H. (Eds.) Flora of China. Scrophulariaceae through Gesneriaceae 18. Science Press & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing, St. Louis, pp. 281–282.
  21. Weber, A. & Burtt, B.L. (1998) Didissandra: redefinition and partition of an artificial genus of Gesneriaceae. Beiträge Biologie Pflanzen 70 (2–3): 153–177.
  22. Weber, A., Clark, J.L. & Moeller, M. (2013) A new formal classification of Gesneriaceae. Selbyana 31 (2): 68–94.
  23. Weber, A., Middleton, D.J., Clark, J.L. & Möller, M. (2020) Keys to the infrafamilial taxa and genera of Gesneriaceae. Rheedea 30: 5–47. https://doi.org/10.22244/rheedea.2020.30.01.02
  24. Wen, F., Wei, Y.G., Fu, L.F., Xin, Z.B., Li, S., Huang, Z.J., Ge, Y.Z. & Meng, D.C. (2023) The Checklist of Gesneriaceae in China. Available from: http://gccc.gxib.cn/about-46.aspx (accessed 12 January 2026)
  25. Xin, Z.-B., Yuan, L.X., Zhang, Z.Y., Dinh, Q.D., Lu, G., Maciejewski, S. & Do, T.V. (2022) Raphiocarpus sinovietnamicus (Gesneriaceae), a new species from southern China and central Vietnam. Nordic Journal of Botany 2022 (11): e03716. https://doi.org/10.1111/njb.03716

How to Cite

Do, T.V., Lu, N.T. & Vu, H.T.T. (2026) Raphiocarpus tonkinensis (Gesneriaceae), a new species from northern Vietnam. Phytotaxa 749 (2): 186–192. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.749.2.6