Two New Species of Croomia (Stemonaceae) from Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Southern Japan

Abstract

Two new species of Croomia (Stemonaceae), C. saitoana Kadota and C. hyugaensis Kadota & Mas. Saito, are here described from Miyazaki Pref., Kyushu, southern Japan. Croomia saitoana differs from C. japonica Miq. [= C. kiusiana Makino] in having small, solitary, dark purplish brown flowers, thicker and shorter staminal filaments, thicker purplish stem, the absence of bracts and (6–)7–11 cauline leaves with 3–5 veins. Croomia hyugaensis is distinguished from C. japonica by having solitary flower, entire leaf margin, 4–6, slightly fleshy, cordate cauline leaves with cordate base; from C. saitoana by larger flowers, longer staminal filaments, slender green stem, prominent, linear to spathulate bracts and 4–6, slightly fleshy, cordate cauline leaves with 5–7 veins and entire margins. Croomia hyugaensis and C. saitoana are known exclusively from Miyazaki Pref., Kyushu, and are the forth and the fifth species in the genus Croomia, respectively. A key to the species of the genus Croomia is also provided.