A new species of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) from Taiwan, China, based on morphological and molecular data

Zingiber shuanglongensis sp. nov. is a species endemic to Taiwan, China, that has been found in Nantou and Kaohsiung. In this study, the newZingiber species is illustrated and the results of morphological and phylogenetic comparisons with other related taxa are presented. Morphologically, Z. shuanglongensis can be readily distinguished from Z. kawagoii, the most closely related species, by its shorter spike, whitish corolla tube, the longer lateral lobes of its labellum, and its persistent bract. In addition, phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosomal internal
transcribed spacer and matK data indicated that Z. shuanglongensis is well separated from Z. kawagoii with high support. Combining the morphological characters and molecular analysis, we confirm that Z. shuanglongensis is a new species of Zingiber.