Research Paper

Beccarinda nhatii (Gesneriaceae), a new species from Lao Cai, northwest Vietnam

Van Thanh Bui, Khang Sinh Nguyen, Che Wei Lin

Published on: 18 October 2025

Page: 694 - 698

DOI: 10.6165/tai.2025.70.694

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    Abstract

    Beccarinda nhatii, a newly discovered species from Lao Cai Province in Northwest Vietnam, is described and illustrated. It exhibits morphological similarities to B. argentea, including elliptic-ovate leaf blades that are covered with subappressed strigose hairs abaxially, ovate bracts, a purple-tint corolla, and glabrous pistil. However, it can be distinguished from B. argentea by its entire leaf margin (vs. crenate to dentate or serrate), glabrous upper leaf surface except for the margin, which features a narrow (ca. 1 mm) zone densely covered with subappressed, curved strigose (vs. whole covered with spreading strigose), and a completely glabrous corolla (vs. sparsely pubescent on the outside). The global conservation status of this new species was tentatively proposed here as Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(iii,V;D)).

    Keyword: Beccarinda argentea, Beccarinda tonkinensis, endemism, Gesneriad conservation, plant taxonomy

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