CLEYERA BOKORENSIS 2021

Also Found In Viet Nam

First collected in Cambodia on Mount Bokor - from which it gets its name - in 1933, this evergreen shrub had been categorized as a variety of Cleyera japonica since 1943. Only in 2021 was this species, which is found in Bokor National Park in Cambodia and Binh Dinh in Viet Nam, determined to be a separate species in the genus Cleyera. This re-categorization is based on physical diferences between C. bokorensis and its closest relative C. obscurinervia, including longer foral petals and fewer secondary veins in the leaves, as well as the height of mature plants.

Commonly found along bodies of fowing water in forested areas, this species is known from only two isolated populations in Cambodia and Viet Nam. Bokor National Park is a hotspot of plant diversity, with a two-year survey recording at least 24 new plant species and 100 plant species recorded in Cambodia for the frst time. Bokor is a popular destination for tourists, and recent plans for developing a casino, dams and residential homes may negatively impact the habitat and survival of the species in Cambodia. Likewise in Viet Nam, the area in Long My Protection Forest where the shrub is found is threatened by human encroachment.

Researchers estimate that there are fewer than 2,500 mature C. bokorensis plants in each country, and have recommended that it be assessed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.

Tagane, S., Phourin, C., Son, H. and Yahara, T. (2021). Flora of Bokor National Park VIII: A new species of Cleyera (Pentaphylacaceae), C. bokorensis. Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica 72: 145-151. doi.org/10.18942/apg.202011