Abstract. Chen TV, Lam DNX, Thong CLT, Nguyen DD, Nhi NTT, Triet NT. 2022. Morphological characters, pharmacognostical parameters, and preliminary phytochemical screening of Curcuma sahuynhensis Škorni?k. & N.S.Lý in Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Biodiversitas 23: 3907-3920. Curcuma sahuynhensis (Vegetable Turmeric or Rau Nghe) has been used as a flavor and a spice in Vietnamese cuisines. Information on micromorphological characters, pharmacognostic parameters, and phytochemical screening of C. sahuynhensis has not been reported in the literature. Therefore, the accurate verification of plants requires further research to determine their quality and safety in order to make optimal use of them as raw materials for medicines and food. In this work, macro-and micromorphological features, pharmacognostic parameters, and phytochemical screening were performed according to the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia V guidelines and other published data. Macromorphologically, it can grow up to 75 ± 5 cm tall and up to 10 per pseudostem. The inflorescence consists of 10–24 bracts. Rhizome branched, and remote tubers were present. The flower was yellow with a warm yellow midrib band, and an incision up to 0.6 cm long on the apex labellum. Anthers are L-shaped, stalked with no knobs below the thecae. Micromorphologically, there are anatomical similarities between the species in the genus Curcuma, particularly in terms of leaves, roots, and rhizomes. Under the lower epidermis of the leaf midrib are small vascular bundles (8–10 bundles). The stomatal index (SI) was 8.97 in abaxial and 1.06 in adaxial of the leaf. Prismatic calcium oxalate crystals were found in the leaf but they were absent in the root. Starch grains were also found in leaf powder (11–12.5 µm) and rhizome powder (15–20 µm). Additionally, the presence of oleoresin (in leaves and rhizomes) and the absence of crystals in the cortex region of the rhizome was found to be significant features in identifying C. sahuynhensis. Phytochemical screening found that its rhizome and inflorescence contain essential oil, amino acids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, triterpenoids, polyuronides, and reducing compounds. Pharmacognostically, rhizome powders' moisture content, total ash value, and acid-insoluble ash value were 11.79 ± 0.20%, 7.32 ± 0.60%, and 0.24 ± 0.08%, respectively.

This paper continues the publication of newly obtained results from a continuing taxonomic investigation of the genus Aspidistra in mainland southeast Asia. It includes descriptions and illustrations of seven taxa discovered in China and Vietnam, A. deflexa Aver., Tillich & V.T. Pham, A. heterocarpa Aver., Tillich & V. T. Pham var. heterocarpa, A. heterocarpa Aver., Tillich & V. T. Pham var. echinata Aver., Tillich & T.A. Le, A. nigra Aver., Tillich & K. S. Nguyen, A. sessiliflora Aver. & Tillich, A. sinuata Aver. & Tillich and A. tonkinensis (Gagnep.) F. T. Wang & K. Y. Lang var. compacta Aver. & Tillich. Specific taxonomic status is proposed for A. vietnamensis (Aver. & Tillich) Aver & Tillich. described at first as a variety of A. elatior Blume. The name A. connata Tillich is accepted as a synonym of A. subrotata Y. Wan & C. C. Huang. One species, A. hainanensis W. Y. Chun & F. C. How is reported as new for the flora of Vietnam, and another one, A. semiaperta Aver. & Tillich as new for the flora of Laos. New or updated data on ecology, phenology, tentative relationships, distribution and conservation status are reported for all mentioned taxa.

The genus Aspidistra Ker-Gawler (1822 plate 628), overlooked for decades, is recently remarkably fast growing. During the past decade, about 90 species new to science were discovered and described, mainly from southern China, Vietnam, and Laos. With its diversity in flower morphology Aspidistra is among the most spectacular genera of Monocotyledons. Vietnam turned out to be especially rich in Aspidistra species (Tillich 2014), and at, least 30 additional species were discovered and described recently in this country (Averyanov & Tillich 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, Leong-Skornickova et al. 2014, Vislobokov et al. 2014a, b, 2016a, b, 2017, Vislobokov 2015, 2016, Olivier 2015, Averyanov et al. 2016, 2017, 2018a, b, Nguyen et al. 2017, Tillich et al. 2017, Tillich & Averyanov 2018). Meanwhile, the diversity of the genus in Vietnam remains insufficiently inventoried. Below we describe three more new species from central Vietnam.

Abstract. Nguyen DD, Le TA, Hoang QH, Le QT, Nguyen E. 2022. Two new taxa of Curcuma sect. Ecomata (Zingiberaceae: Zingibereae), from coastal Central Vietnam. Biodiversitas 23: 2512-2519. Curcuma sixsensesensis and Curcuma vinhlinhensis, two new species belonging to subgenus Ecomata from Coastal Central Vietnam, are described and illustrated in the present articles. The C. sixsensesensis easily gets confused with C. newmanii Škorni?k. in compact rhizome; short lateral inflorescence composing of a few bracts; white corolla lobes and lateral staminodes; white labellum with a yellow mid-rid band but readily distinguished in rhomboid lateral staminodes (vs. obovate) with apex acuminated (vs. rounded); labellum 3-lobed (vs. emarginated), a mid-rid band being yellow at apex half, white at the base (vs. yellow throughout); anther crest presented (vs. reduced); oblong (lightly arching) (vs. L- shaped) anther in side view with slender and inward-pointing (vs. stout and outward-facing) spurs. The second one is similar to C. pambrosima Škorni?k. & N. S. Lý in general habit and shape of the spike but differs in reduced ligule ca. 1 (vs. 4-5) mm long; lateral staminodes orange throughout (vs. yellow at apex, white at base), elliptic with round apex (vs. unequally ovate-rhomboid with acute apex); anther spurs elongate into the acute apex, outward-facing (vs. curved inward), ca. 2-3 (vs. ca. 1,5) mm long, anther crest reduced, up to 0.5 mm, 2-lobed (vs. prominent anther crest, ca. 1.5 mm apex round). Data for each described species comprises standard citation of type specimens, description, proposed species epithet etymology, data on ecology and distribution, and short taxonomic notes and morphological comparison of these new species with its allies species, a revised key to species of Curcuma sect. Ecomata in Vietnam is included.

Conamomum vietnamense, a new species of Zingiberaceae family, has been discovered and described from Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands, Vietnam) in 2022. The present study described the preparation of essential oil from leaves and rhizomes of the plant by hydrodistillation process. Then, the chemical composition of these essential oils was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which indicated that limonene (18.74 and 26.20%) and eucalyptol (40.47 and 49.49%) were the main components, respectively. The essential oils also showed moderate antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacterial strains (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 299212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579), Gram-negative bacterial strains (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Salmonella enterica ATCC 13076), and a pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans ATCC 10231) in the MIC range of 32–256 μg/mL, which was comparable to those of positive controls, streptomycin and cycloheximide. For the first time, the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of C. vietnamense were studied.