TABLE 1. A in Zingiber inodorum (Zingiberaceae: Zingiberoideae), a new species of Z. sect. Cryptanthium from Hainan, China

TABLE 1. A comparison of Zingiber inodorum and three morphologically similar species.
Zingiber inodorumZ. guangxienseZ. magangZ. skornickovaeRhizomeeach rhizome unit appearing in a lateral position in relation to its antecedent rhizome unitrhizome units arranged in a single planeeach rhizome unit appearing in a lateral position in relation to its antecedent rhizome unitunknownNumber of laminae per leafy shoot4–7(–9)11–203–5up to 13Petioles1.5–4 cm long1–10 mm long, and contain pulvinus only3–7.7(–10.5) cm longup to ca. 3 cm long*Ligules6–8 mm long, thinly coriaceous, densely villous (hairs yellowish)2–6 mm, membranaceous to papery, puberulous2–5 mm long, membranaceous to papery, glabrous or sparsely puberulous3–5 mm long, membranaceous, pubescentLamina shapeelliptic to obovate-ellipticelliptic to narrowly ovatebroadly ellipticobovate to ellipticobovateLamina size18–37 × 6–16.5 cm17–35 × 5–10 cm(12.5–)19.5–26.5(–31.4) × (6.5–)8.5–13(–16) cm37–50.8 × 6.9–13.9 cmLamina surface and indumentumprominently plicate, sparsely pubescent adaxially, densely pubescent abaxiallyslightly plicate, glabrous adaxially, densely pubescent abaxiallyslightly plicate, glabrous on both sides and shiny adaxiallyprominently plicate, sparsely pubescent adaxially, pubescent abaxiallyColour of lamina (abaxially)pale greengreen tinged purplepale greenpale greenShape and width of bractsnarrowly ovate to narrowly oblong and rolling into a tube, 6–8 mm widenarrowly ovate to narrowly oblong and rolling into a tube, 8–10 mm wideconvex and inflated at base, upper part nearly flat, do not roll into a tube, 10–19 mm wideimbricate, with strongly undulating margins, 12–20 mm wideColour of bractswhite with purplish-red tingewhite with purplish-red tingeyellowish green tinged redcream-white at base, bright red to dark red towards apexShape and size of labellanarrowly ovate, 24–26 mm long, 5–6 mm at widest pointnarrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, 26–28 mm long, 8–13 mm at widest point.obovate, 23–25 mm long, 15–16 mm at widest pointbroadly obovate, 28–34 mm long, 18–22 mm at widest pointColour of labellacream-white at base, the rest purple to purplish red, sometimes with cream striation near the throat of the flowercream, sometimes tinged pink to purple at upper partcream-white at base, dark purple to purple-violet in the centre, gradually changing to pale purple or almost white at upper marginpale yellow at base, the remainder dark red-purple to purple-violet with small yellow or whitish blotches in the basal half of medial line, margin light yellowShape and size of lateral staminodesligulate and 10–12 × 2–3 mmnarrowly ovate and ca. 19 × 5 mmobovate, 15–15.7 × 3–4.5 mmobovate, 7–22 × 8–11 mm
* Ligules were described as comprising of pulvinus only in protologue (Lý 2016), but Fig. 1 B in protologue shows that they are up to 3
cm long when including the attenuated bases of lamina.