The paper provides an identification key and an annotated list of all six species of the genus Ridsdalea J.T.Pereira & K.M.Wong (Rubiaceae, Gardenieae) recorded in the flora of Vietnam, along with data on their valid names, synonyms, types, and distribution. A new species, R.backanensis, discovered in the limestone area of Bac Kan Province (northern Vietnam), is described and illustrated. Detailed data on its characters, ecology, distribution, phenology, preliminary IUCN conservation status, and taxonomical notes are given. The newly discovered species is potentially interesting for cultivation as an ornamental tree that may be effectively used in garden and urban green architecture.
Keywords: Ba Be National Park; Bac Kan Province; Rothmannia; endemism; flora of Vietnam; new species; plant diversity; plant taxonomy.
Khoa Van Phung, Leonid V. Averyanov, Tatiana V. Maisak, Ludmila I. Krupkina, Hai Xuan Cao, Cuong Huu Nguyen.