TY - JOUR AU - Nopporncharoenkul, Nattapon AU - Jenjittikul, Thaya AU - Chuenboonngarm, Ngarmnij AU - Anamthawat-Jónsson, Kesara AU - Umpunjun, Puangpaka PY - 2020/01/29 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Cytogenetic verification of Curcuma candida (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand and Myanmar JF - Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) JA - Thai Forest Bull., Bot. VL - 48 IS - 1 SE - Articles DO - 10.20531/tfb.2020.48.1.02 UR - https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/ThaiForestBulletin/article/view/145950 SP - 7-17 AB - <p><em>Curcuma candida</em> is a conservation-vulnerable species, rare and endemic to the Tenasserim Range (Thio Khao Tanaosri). This species was initially classified into the genus <em>Kaempferia</em>, based on morphology of specimen from Myanmar, and was given the name <em>K. candida</em> in 1830, but the first specimen from Thailand was only discovered in 2000. With the addition of molecular evidence, the species was transferred to <em>Curcuma</em>. The aim of the present study was therefore to find cytogenetic identity of <em>C. candida</em>, by investigating mitotic and meiotic divisions of five accessions obtained from the border districts of Thailand and Myanmar, in comparison with previous cytogenetic records of <em>Curcuma</em> and <em>Kaempferia</em>. The results show that <em>C. candida</em> is diploid with <em>2n</em> = 42 and there is no variation among accessions. All accessions showed meiotic figure representing 21 bivalents during microsporogenesis, indicating the secondary base number <em>x</em> = 21. These chromosomal characteristics are closely similar to those found in diploid <em>Curcuma</em> species. The present paper also includes field observation and description of the plant phenology. The work has underlined an urgent need to protect this species in nature. During the sample collection trips we witnessed an excessive collection of edible flowers for local consumption.</p> ER -