Tricholepis raghavendrae Saklani & Chaudhary, 2003

Chaudhary, Lal Babu & Saklani, Arvind, 2003, A new species of Tricholepis (Asteraceae: Cardueae) from India, Adansonia (3) 25 (2), pp. 233-237 : 234-236

Tricholepis raghavendrae Saklani & Chaudhary , sp. nov.

Herbae erectae, 49-65 cm altae, caulis terminans in capitulo solitario. Folia infera aggregata ad basin caulis et longipetiolata, folia supera sparsa et sessilia, omnia pinnatifida. Phyllaria 4-6-seriata, marginibus pilosis, exteriora 2-2.5 × 2 mm, ovata, mediana 8 × 3 mm, interiora 13-15 × 1-2 mm, oblonga ad oblongo-lanceolata, extus minute puberula, intus sparsim puberula tantum ad medium. Flosculi purpurei, filamenta staminalia papillosa; achenium 3-4 × 1.5-2 mm, anguste obovatum, apice truncatum, areola basalis lateralis, pappus cum seta libera non decidua, barbellata.

TYPUS. — A. Saklani 281, India, Himachal Pradesh, Palampur , Holta , 1310 m, 7 May 2001 (holo-, LWG!; iso-, BSD! and Herbarium Quest Institute of Life Sciences, Mumbai!) .

Erect herbs, 49-65 cm high. Stem simple or with a few branches, almost terete, striate, terminating in a solitary inflorescence, pubescent comprised of hair unequal in size, oriented in different directions. Leaves crowded at the base of stem, sparse and alternate above; basal (radical) leaves up to 15.5 cm long (including petiole), lamina 9-14 × 2-2.7 cm, lanceolate or oblanceolate, base cuneate and generally pinnatifid, margins dentate, densely pubescent with spreading hairs, apex acute or acuminate, upper surface glabrescent to sparsely pubescent, lower surface pubescent; petiole variable in length depending upon lobing of leaves, 1.5-5.5 cm long, flat, grooved, densely pubescent beneath, glabrescent above, clasping the stem at base; cauline leaves up to 11.5 cm long, reduced towards apex, sessile, lamina lanceolate with acuminate apex, pinnatifid in basal part, segments 5-12 × 1-3 mm, linear to narrowly triangular, midrib and lateral veins pubescent and prominent on both surfaces. Capitula 1.5-2 × 3-4 cm after anthesis, solitary, terminal, homogamous, broadly campanulate; peduncle bracteate or ebracteate, up to 29 cm long, bracts when present only a few, minute to linear; receptacle setose; setae 2-4 mm long, linear, flat, glabrous. Phyllaries 4-6-seriate, imbricate, increasing in length and reduced in width inwards, outer ones 2-2.5 × 2 mm, ovate, blackish-brown, margins entire, thin, glabrous or finely pubescent in lower part, tomentose towards the acuminate apex; middle phyllaries c. 8 × 3 mm, narrowly ovate, margins tomentose in upper part, apex acute or subacuminate; inner phyllaries 13-15 × 1-2 mm, oblong to oblonglanceolate, outer surface minutely puberulous (except lower portion), inner surface sparsely puberulous (only in middle region), apex subacuminate, slightly crumpled. Florets purple, c. 21 mm long; corolla c. 19 mm long, tubular, with very narrow lower half, glabrous, with 5 lobes each 5-5.2 mm long, subequal, almost oblong, thickened along margins, acute at apex. Stamens c. 8.5 mm long, filaments 2-2.5 mm long, flat, papillose; anthers c. 6.5 mm long, sagittate at base, tail 0.5 mm long, reaching up to filament-collar joint. Style c. 20 mm long, narrowed below, hairy in upper portion, bifid at tip, branches ± flat, c. 1 mm long, stigmatic area slightly broader, faintly hairy. Achenes 3-4.2 × 1.5-2 mm, pale brown, narrowly obovate, faintly striate, glabrous, truncate at apex, apical rim dentate and with a pappus crown, basal areole lateral. Pappus bristles white, flat, barbellate, minute to 7 mm long, unequal in size, 4-5-seriate, shorter in outermost and longer in innermost rows, persistent, free, spreading. — Fig. 1.

DISTRIBUTION. — India (known only from the type collection from Himachal Pradesh). The new species is thus known from only 3 specimens representing a single gathering.

H ABITAT. — Open, dry places in the Himalayan mountains; 1310 m.

FLOWERING TIME. — May.

ETYMOLOGY. — The new species is named in honour of Dr. R. RAGHAVENDRA RAO, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow in recognition of his significant contribution to our knowledge of taxonomy of the family Asteraceae .

The genus Tricholepis was revised recently by CHAUDHARY & PANDEY (2001), who recognised 10 species and one variety from the Indian region. The new species described here, presently known only from Palampur ( India), was compared with all available materials at CAL, DD, BSD, BSI and LWG of the previously described taxa and also checked with the works of CLARKE (1876), HOOKER (1881), LINCZEVSKI (1954), RECHINGER (1980), DITTRICH (1993), PANDEY & CHAUDHARY (1994), HAJRA (1995) and CHAUDHARY & PANDEY (1995, 2001). Our comparision showed that the collection from Palampur could not be assigned to any of the recognised species and thus represented a new taxon.

In gross morphology, the new species described here resembles T. stictophyllum Clarke and T. elongata DC. but distinctly differs from the former in its leaves, phyllaries and pappus, and from the latter in its phyllaries, pappus and flower colour ( Table 1 ). It belongs to sect. Ochanopappus which is distinguished by having pappus hairs that are scabrid and free rather than connate at base, and by florets that are purple.

Figures

Fig. 1. — Tricholepis raghavendrae Saklani & Chaudhary:A, habit; B, outer phyllaries; C, middle phyllaries; D-F, inner phyllaries; G, receptacular seta; H, floret; I, corolla; J, stamens; K, style; L, achene with pappus; M, pappus bristle. Drawn by L.B. CHAUDHARY from Saklani 281 (LWG).