Garcinia dhanikhariensis S.K.Srivast., Nord. J. Bot.

N., Mohanan, P. S., Shameer, Abstract, T. Sabu & L., Garcinia, 2023, Taxonomic revision of Garcinia (Clusiaceae) in India, Rheedea 33 (3), pp. 101-158 : 126-128

Garcinia dhanikhariensis S.K.Srivast., Nord. J. Bot. 14: 51-53. 1994. Type: INDIA, Andaman & Nicobar Islands , South Andaman, Nayashahr forest, alt. + 30 m, 18.01.1992, S. K. Srivastava 21068 (CAL!). FiG. 8

Dioecious semi-evergreen trees, up to 10 m tall; exudation yellow; branchlets terete, ribbed. Petioles c. 0.5 cm long, stout, adaxially ligulate at base; lamina elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 9–14 × 3–5 cm, cuneate at base, entire on margins, acuminate at apex; midrib flattened abaxially, prominent adaxially; lateral veins 9–12 pairs, obliquely parallel, not conspicuous; exudate canals conspicuous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers unknown. Pistillate flowers tetramerous, terminal, solitary or 2–3 fascicled, 1–1.2 cm in diam.; pedicels 0.5–0.6 cm long; bracteoles 2, 0.2–03 cm long, ovate, mucronate, attached at the base of sepals; sepals orbicular, c. 0.4 cm in diam., margin membranous; petals crimson-red, 0.5–0.7 × 0.4–5 cm, broadly ovate, convex; staminodes c. 12, in 4 bundles of 3 each, 3–4 cm long; ovary 0.3–0.4 cm long, ovoid, 3–4-locular, covered with numerous, imbricate, fleshy scales or warts; stigmas peltate, irregularly lobed. Berries sub-globose, 3–4 cm in diam., dark red on ripening, slightly projected at apex, with persistent sepals and stigma. Seeds 3–5, oblong, compressed, 1–1.5 cm long, in pulpy arils.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from January to February; fruiting March to April.

Habitat: Growing in semi-evergreen forests, up to 30 m elevation.

Distribution: India: Endemic to Andaman Islands, India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Andaman and Nicobar, South Andaman district, Nayashahr forest, Ibid., S. K. Srivastava 21068 A, 21068 B & 21068 C ( PBL); Nayashahr forest , Experimental Garden , 16.02.2016, P. S. Shameer 86621, 86622

& 86623 ( TBGT); Ibid., 03.03.2017, P . S . Shameer 86643 & 86644 (TBGT).

Notes: Srivastava (1994) described G. dhanikhariensis based on a single specimen viz., S.K. Srivastava 21068, from Nayashahr Reserve forest , in Dhanikari , South Andaman. Srivastava had included a description of staminate flowers in his protologue. The holotype ( CAL) is a vegetative twig along with some detached flowers pasted separately. The isotype 21068 ( A) is an imperfect specimen of detached twigs and leaves, with an illustration of a fruit; 21068 B (PBL) a specimen with immature fruits and 21068C (PBL) is a vegetative twig. Hence , the genus being dioecious, the type specimen bearing fruits belonged to a female plant, the description of stamens by Srivastava may be a wrong interpretation of staminodes found in pistillate flowers. No male plants were found during this study, either. Though hitherto known only from female specimens, the characters are good enough to consider it a distinct species, allied to G. indica . Further, thorough exploration of nearby localities is suggested for locating male plants and thus confirming the distinctiveness of the species .

Garcinia dulcis ( Roxb.) Kurz, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 43: 88. 1874, Forest Fl. Burma 1: 92. 1877; King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 59: 169. 1890; Vesque in A.DC., Monogr. Phan. 8: 312. 1893; Backer, Fl. Bat.1: 85. 1907; Merr., Philip. J. Sci. (Bot.) 3: 362. 1908, Enum. Philip. Pl. 3: 84. 1923; Ridl., Fl. Mal. Penins.1:179. 1922; Engl., Nat. Pflanzenfam. (ed. 2) 21: 219. 1925; Burkill, Dict. Econ. Prod. Mal. Penins. 1: 1049. 1935. Maheshw., Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 115. 1964; N.P. Singh in B. D.Sharma & Sanjappa (eds.), Fl. India 3: 109. 1993. Xanthochymus dulcis Roxb., Pl. Coromandel 3: 66. 1819, Fl. Ind. 2: 631. 1832; Curtis’s, Bot. Mag. t. 3088. 1831; Wight, Ic. 1. t. 192. 1840. Lectotype (designated here): India, 1814., Wallich s.n. (CAL [ CAL0000065123 !]).

Stalagmitis dulcis Cambess., Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Parris) 16: 426. 1828, nom. superfl.

Stalagmitis cambogioides sensu Blanco, Fl. Filip. (ed. 2) 301. 1845, (ed. 3) 2: 195. 1878, non Murr. 1789.

Garcinia elliptica Choisy, Mem. Nouv. Gen. Guttif. 17. 1824. nom. superfl.

Garcinia nervosa sensu Dutta et al. , Indian J. Pl. Sci. 3 (3): 34–36. 2014. non Miq. 1864. FiG. 9 Dioecious evergreen trees, 9–12 m tall; exudation milky; branches horizontal; branchlets tetra-angular. Petioles 1–1.5 cm long, stout, angular, rugous, adaxially ligulate at base. oblong to ovate-oblong, 12–30 × 5–15 cm, obtuse or rotundate at base, margins sub-repand and entire, shortly acuminate at apex; midribs conspicuous above and below; lateral veins conspicuous, c. 20 pairs per side, raised above and below; exudate canals conspicuous on both surfaces. Staminate flowers pentamerous, 5–12, axillary fascicled, 1.5 cm in diam., pedicels c. 1 cm long, stout; sepals 0.6–0.8 cm long, orbicular, concave, fleshy, margins membranaceous; petals orbicular, 0.8–1 cm across. concave; stamens 5-phalangiate, 6–8 per bundle, glands 5, alternating with staminal phalanges; rudimentary pistil absent. Pistillate flowers pentamerous, 2–8, fascicled axillary or on axils of fallen leaves, rarely solitary; pedicels 1-1.5 cm long; sepals and petals same as in staminate flowers; staminodes 5-phalangiate; glands 5, alternating with phalanges; ovary ovoid-sub-globose, 0.5– 0.6 cm in diam., 5-locular; style short, thick; stigmatic rays 5, spreading. Berries obliquely globose-ovoid, 2–3 cm in diam., smooth, with a curved acuminate tip of persistent stigma, green turning yellow on ripening. Seeds oblong, 1–5, 1–1.2 cm long, enclosed in a pulpy aril.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from March to May; fruiting from May to July.

Habitat: Common in moist deciduous to evergreen forests, below 500 m elevation.

Distribution: India, Malay Peninsula.

Specimens examined: INDIA: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, South Andaman district, Namunaghar Hill jungle, 13.12.1890, King s.n. (CAL [CAL46959]). Assam, Dibrugarh district, Jakoi Reserve Forest, 27.06.2014, P.S. Shameer 79640 (TBGT). West Bengal. Indian Bot. Gard. Calcutta , s.d., s.coll. s.n. (LINN [LINN- HS1240-2]). Without precise locality: India 1832, Wall . s.n. (K [K000677636] digital image!); Ibid., 1822, E.I.C. (Wallich?) s.n. (K [K000677635 digital image!]); Ibid. s.d., s.coll. s.n. (CAL [CAL0000065128]). PHILLIPINES, Macaharing, Hontalban, Marila, 22.04.1891, A. Loher 74 (CAL); Island of Palwan, Brooks Island (Addison peak), March 1911, A.D.E. Elmer 12711 (CAL); bid., Puerto Princesa (Mt. Pulgar), May 1911, A.D.E. Elmer 13154 (CAL); bid., Lake Manguao, April 1913, E.D. Merril 9448 (CAL); Jamindan, Capiz province, Panay, April–May 1918, M. Ramos & G. Edano 31319 (CAL); Blancoanae, s.d., E.D. Merril 881 (CAL). MALAYSIA, Penang, 1822, Wallich s.n. (K [K001104038 digital image!]); s.loc. s.d., s.coll. 4839b (CAL [CAL0000066396]); s.loc., March 1884, King’s coll. 5750 (CAL).

Conservation status: Least Concern ( IUCN, 2018).

Uses: Fruits are edible and has a juicy pulp suitable for preparing jams and preservatives. Exudates from the bark are used as a dye ( Maheshwari, 1964; Baruah et al., 2021).

Typification: Roxburgh (1819, 1832) indicated that the species is described based on a plant grown in Calcutta Botanic Garden, brought from Molucca Islands. Maheshwari (1964) noted under Type: ‘ex Molucca Islands: cult. in Indian Botanic Garden Calcutta’, but did not cite a specific herbarium specimen deposited in any herbaria. Since no specimen is designated, the typification of Maheshwari is invalid. On perusal of herbarium we could locate several specimens at CAL and K, collected by Wallich, with place of collection noted as India, possibly collected from the plant grown in Calcutta Botanic Garden. But except for one specimen bearing collection year 1814 (CAL0000065123), all others bare collection dates after the year of publication, 1820. It is possible that the specimen with collection year 1814 be an original collection seen by Roxburgh for describing this species. Hence specimen CAL0000065123 is designated here as the lectotype.

Figures

FiG. 8. Fruit of Garcinia dhanikhariensis S.K.Srivast. (Photo by N. Mohanan & P.S. Shameer).

FiG. 9. Lectotype of Garcinia dulcis (Roxb.) Kurz (Wallich s.n., [CAL0000065123]) © The Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, reproduced with permission.