Laos, one of the most botanically understudied countries in
Southeast Asia, is believed to contain up to 11,000 species of flowering
plants and it is likely there are many species at risk that are
as yet unidentified (Prance et al., 2000; WWF, 2008). While this
makes research particularly interesting, it also presents challenges
for species identification. Consistent local field guides are lacking,
which makes it difficult to identify juvenile material. In this context
the approach to species identification was as follows: