XVI International Botanical Congess

Tamijia flagellaris gen. et sp. nov. was found in Sarawak, Malaysia. This plant has quite unique characters and is difficult to be placed in any tribes of the current system of Zingiberaceae. The petaloid lateral staminodes connate to the labellum are common with Zingiber (Zingibereae), while its unilocular ovary with parietal placentation is with Globba (Globbeae). Although the plane of distichy of the leaves transverse to the rhizome suggests it belongs to Alpineae, the condition of lateral staminodes is different from those of Alpineae. In the petaloid lateral stamnodes this plant has an affinity with Hedychieae, but the distichy of leaves to the rhizome is parallel in the tribe. Tamijia flagellaris is one of the important species to consider the taxonomic system of the Zingiberaceae.