taxonID	type	description	language	source
990DD245FFA8557FFCFC840BFA3EFC84.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the collections from Ubon Rat- chathani province where the species was discovered. Typical of this species are narrowly elliptic-oblong leaves. Corolla purplish white or pinkish. Capsule pointed as beak at the apex and surface covering with stellate hairs. — Type: P. Chantaranothai, C. Kantachot & P. Kludwong 2021 - 150 (holo KKU; iso AAU, QBG), Thailand, Khong Chiam, Napho Klang, along trail to Soi Sawan Waterfall, 10 Aug. 2019. Shrub, 1 – 2 m tall; twigs erect and some ascending, terete, young twigs brownish, glabrescent; twigs blackish, glabrescent; bark thick with fibres. Leaves spiral, narrowly elliptic-oblong, (8 –) 10 – 15 by (1 –) 2 – 3 cm, chartaceous, apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or obtuse, margin entire, upper surface green, glabrous or glabrescent, lower surface pale green, with stellate hairs; midrib prominent on the lower surface; basal veins 3; lateral veins (3 –) 5 – 8 pairs; petioles 4 – 9 mm long, terete, hairy; stipules caducous. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, cymes, epicalyx present; peduncle 4 – 5 mm long, hairy. Flowers valvate, with short pedicels. Calyx campanulate, with 5 lobes, lobes unequal, green, hairy. Petals 5, free, spathulate, 7 – 9 by 4 – 5 mm, purplish white or pinkish. Androgynophore c. 5 mm long. Stamens 10, alternating with 5 staminodes, filament column glabrous; anther c. 0.5 mm long. Stigma 5, pointed apically. Ovary superior, surrounded by the filament column, longitu- dinally 5 - lobed, hairy; style c. 1 mm long; ovules numerous, 8 per locule. Fruit capsular, cylindric, straight, pointed at the apex, 2.5 – 3.5 by 0.7 – 1 cm, fruit stalk 2 – 6 mm long; young fruit green, mature fruit brown, with stellate hairs. Seeds rhomboid, 2 – 3 by 1.5 – 2 mm, dull black. Distribution — Thailand (Ubon Ratchathani: Khong Chiam, Soi Sawan Waterfall and Pha Taem National Park). Habitat & Ecology — In open space on rock platform with dry evergreen forest. Flowering and fruiting at least in July – October. Vernacular name — Khi on ging dum (ข ี ้ อ ้ นก ิ ่ งดำ �). Additional collections studied (paratypes). S. Poompo 10 (deposited at Department of Biological Science Herbarium, Ubon Ratchathani University), Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani, Khong Chiam, Huai Phai, Pha Taem National Park, s. d.; C. Kantachot 2020 - 32 (KKU), Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani, Khong Chiam, Napho Klang, Soi Sawan Waterfall, along Sae Soi creek, 30 July 2020. Notes — Helicteres ubonensis is similar to H. angustifolia L. but differs in having narrow leaves, which are more or less oblong or elliptic-oblong, twigs brownish or blackish. It is also distinctive in the apically narrowed to pointed stigma, absence of setose hairs on the capsule surface and the capsule apex beaked (Table 1). NEW KEY TO THE SPECIES OF HELICTERES FROM THAILAND Because of the discovery of several new species and new records, a new identification key to the species of the genus Helicteres for Thailand is provided:	en	Kantachot, C., Chantaranothai, P. (2024): Helicteres ubonensis (Malvaceae), a new species from Thailand. Blumea 69: 13-15, DOI: 10.3767/blumea.2024.69.01.02, URL: https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2024.69.01.02
