Peliosanthes macrophylla var. assamensis, N. Tanaka & D. Borah, 2020

Borah, D., Taram, M., Tangjang, S., Upadhyaya, A. & Tanaka, N., 2020, Peliosanthes macrophylla var. assamensis (Asparagaceae), a new variety from Behali Reserve Forest in Assam, Northeast India, Blumea 65 (2), pp. 121-125 : 123

1. Staminal corona 3–4 mm tall, internally connivent proximally and protruding near the middle; anthers 1–1.5 mm long, somewhat divergent distally; pistils 4–5 mm tall (excluding sunken part), papillulate below, stigma exceeding anthers............................... b. var. assamensis a. var. macrophylla — Fig. 1 ; Map 1

Stem 1–2 cm diam. Leaves 2–4. Staminal corona c. 2 mm tall, 4–6 mm diam, internally almost vertical with no particular inward protrusion, gradually thinning upwards, apical opening 2–4 mm diam; anther thecae vertical, 2–2.5 mm long. Pistil 2–2.5 mm high (excluding sunken part), glabrous; ovary sub- conical, (sub)hexagonal at base, c. 0.6 mm high (excluding sunken part; entire ovary c. 1.8 mm high), c. 2 mm wide; style conical, c. 1.5 mm long, slightly longer than twice the exposed part of the ovary, intercarpellary part protruded as longitudinal wings; stigma lower in position than apex of anthers.

Distribution — E Nepal, Bhutan, NE India ( Sikkim,? Assam, Arunachal Pradesh).

Habitat & Ecology — Growing in rock crevices along stream sides in dry evergreen forest at an elevation of c. 400 m a.s.l., and the associated plants are Melanococca sp. ( Anacardiaceae ), Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C.Presl ( Polypodiaceae ), Blechnum orientale L. ( Aspleniaceae ), Asplenium sp. ( Aspleniaceae ), Bauhinia variegata L. ( Fabaceae ), Lindenbergia hookeri C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f. ( Orobanchaceae ), and several Urticaceae members. Only one population was observed so far from Bodak, East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh with a total of more than 100 individuals. Flowering: March to April.

Additional specimens (* only seen as image). INDIA , Sikkim, Regio trop., 4000 ft., J. D. Hooker s.n. ( K000099377 ) ; ibid., 3000–6000 ft., Apr. 1850, J.D. Hooker s.n. ( K000099378 ; E00894759 * – https://data.rbge. org.uk/search/herbarium/); East Bengal, Mishmee , 1836, W. Griffith 5841 ( K000099376 , NY00319817 * – http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/vh/ specimen-details/?irn=606398); Arunachal Pradesh , East Siang District, Pasighat , N27°57'38" E95°2'28", 400 m a.s.l., 16 Mar. 2020, M. Taram & D. Borah 2029 ( ASSAM) .

Note — Peliosanthes macrophylla has been reported from Assam, NE India ( Hara et al. 1978, Roy et al. 2017). Since var. assamensis (see below) is recognized, specimens from Assam need re-examination for their identity.

Figures

Map 1 Distribution of Peliosanthes macrophylla Wall. ex Baker var.macrophylla (●) and Peliosanthes macrophylla var. assamensis N.Tanaka & D.Borah (▲).

Fig. 1 Peliosanthes macrophylla var.macrophylla from Pasighat,Arunachal Pradesh,India. a. Habit; b. rhizome;c–e. leaves;f–g. inflorescence;h–i. flowers; j. longitudinal section of corona; k. orifice; l. pistil. — Photos by Momang Taram.