Describing terminologies and discussing records: More discoveries of facultative vivipary in the genus Hedychium J.Koenig (Zingiberaceae) from Northeast India

Abstract

The authors introduce the term facultative vivipary for the first time in gingers and elaborate on this reproductive strategy. Four new observations of facultative vivipary are reported in the genus Hedychium which were discovered during botanical explorations by the authors in Northeast India (NE India) over the past three years. The viviparous taxa are H.marginatum C.B.Clarke, H.speciosumvar.gardnerianum (Ker Gawl.) Sanoj & M.Sabu (previously, H.gardnerianum Sheppard ex Ker Gawl.), H.thyrsiforme Buch.-Ham. ex Sm. and H.urophyllum G.Lodd. The authors also attempt to summarise the occurrence of vivipary in the family Zingiberaceae from published reports and to clarify a taxonomic misidentification in a previously known report of vivipary in Hedychiumelatum.