Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight, 1840

Kanhirampadam, Prasanth Malamal, Chappan, Rekha & Madhavan, Manudev Kambiyelummal, 2025, Recollection of Bupleurum plantaginifolium (Apiaceae) - a threatened endemic species from the Nilgiris of the Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 696 (4), pp. 286-293 : 287-288

Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight ( Figs 1–3 )

Holotype:— INDIA, Nelgherries (Nilgiris), Elk Hill, s.d., William Munro 1136 ( K barcode K000687099 [digital image!]).

A perennial erect subshrub, growing up to 2 m tall with branched taproots. Stems slightly woody, 1–1.5 cm diam., unbranched at lower side and corymbose branched towards the top with prominent scars of fallen leaves, base bare; bark woody colour outside and white inside. Leaves leathery, crowded towards the apex of the stem, glabrous. Basal cauline leaves sub-sessile, oblong to broadly oblanceolate, 20–25 × 2–3.5 cm wide, with a broad base encircling the axis of the stem, then narrowed and widening gradually into a blade, margins entire, acute apex with strongly mucronate tip; midrib prominent, primary veins 8–11, parallel. Upper cauline leaves oblanceolate or spathulate, narrowed, sub-sessile towards the base, margins entire, mucronate at apex, primary veins 23–27, parallel, secondary veins distinct, numerous. Inflorescence compound umbel, umbels terminal or axillary, pedunculate; peduncle terete, 2–3.5 cm long, glabrous. Involucral bracts 3–5, sub-equal, 1.5–2.5 × 0.2–0.5 cm, lanceolate to obovate, acute apex with mucronate tip, 7–10-nerved, foliaceous. Rays 6–10, unequal, striated, glabrous; involucel 4–5, equal, 0.6–1.2 × 0.2–0.4 cm, oblongovate, obtuse apex with mucronate tip, 4–7-nerved, nerves prominent on both surfaces, foliaceous; umbellules 8–12- flowered, pedicellate; pedicels 0.4–0.7 mm long, shorter than the fruits; flowers yellow, ca. 0.3 mm long, bisexual. Petals 5, equal, 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, elliptic, reflexed with mucronate tip. Sepals absent or obsolete. Ovary ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; style ca. 0.5 mm long; stylopodium depressed forming a flattened disk. Stamens 5; filaments ca. 1 mm long; anthers 0.2–0.3 mm long. Schizocarps laterally compressed, 6–8 × ca. 0.4 mm, oblong-obovate, glabrous; mericarps pentagonal in transection, ribs 5, prominent, winged; vittae unequal, solitary in intervals, 2 on commissure, 4 on dorsal; carpophore 2-fid. Seeds sub-terete, 6–8 mm long, 3–3.5 mm diam., grooved beneath valleculae.

Flowering & fruiting: —Flowering: July-September; Fruiting: September-November.

Habitat & ecology: —Grows under forest shades and rocky outcrops of ecotone regions between sholas and grasslands at 1800 m elevation and above, along with Euphorbia jacquemontii Boissier (1862: 113) ( Euphorbiaceae ), Pouzolzia hirta ( Blume 1826: 495) Hasskarl (1844: 80) ( Urticaceae ), Oxalis spiralis G. Don (1831: 755) ( Oxalidaceae ), Plantago erosa Wallich (1820: 423) ( Plantaginaceae ), Rubus pedunculosus D. Don (1825: 234) ( Rosaceae ), Ageratina adenophora ( Sprengel 1826: 420) R.M.King & H.Rob (1970: 211) , Anaphalis beddomei Hooker (1881: 282) and Erigeron karvinskianus Candolle (1836: 285) ( Asteraceae ).

Distribution: —Known from Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu and Vellarimala hills in Kerala states. Even though Matthew (1999) reported the occurrence of this species from the Pulney hills of the Western Ghats, we could not find any authentic specimens at Rapinat Herbarium or elsewhere, to corroborate this report ( Figure 3 ). Sasidharan (2004) reported its occurrence in Kerala, probably based on the specimen collected from Vellarimala in Kozhikode district.

Throughout our field studies, we have located a very sparse population of this plant from Elk Hills and Kattabettu in Nilgiris, which is approximately 10 km from the type locality. A very small population is observed in the Elk Hills, with 3 mature plants in the fruiting stage and around 7 plantlets growing near the surroundings of these mature plants in a shola bordering rocky outcrops.Another population was located in Kattabettu, which consisted of 15 mature plants and a few plantlets in the rocky outcrops on the roadside. Both these populations face the risk of habitat fragmentation due to road widening and landslides during monsoon and high risk of grazing pressure.

Notes:—As indicated in the protologue ( Wight, 1840), B. plantaginifolium was described based on the specimens collected by Lieut. William Munro (British Army officer and taxonomist) from the Elk Hills of Nelgherries (Nilgiris). While referring to various herbaria (C, CAL HBG, K, M, P), we could trace only a single sheet collected by Munro deposited at K (barcode K000687099). The sheet bears the handwritten label of Lieut. Munro and a short note. No other sheets of William Munro could be traced from any of the herbarium. Noltie (2005) also noted that, the sheet which bears Munro’s handwritten notes is deposited at K. As there is only one sheet available at K, this can be considered as the holotype (if not lectotype) according to the provisions of article 9.1, Note 1 of Shenzhen code ( Turland et al. 2018).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight growing in rocky outcrops at Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.

FIGURE 2. Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight: A. flowering twig; B. leaf; C. involucel; D. involucel; E. inflorescence; F. flower; G. petal abaxial view; H. petal adaxial view; I. stamen; J. stylopodium; K & L. fruiting peduncles; M–O. mericarps; P. transection of mericarp [A & F–J from K.M. Manudev & Jeomol 10938; B–E, K–P from M.K. Prasanth & C. Rekha 10975 (DEV)].

FIGURE 3. Holotype (if not lectotype) of Bupleurum plantaginifolium Wight [William Munro 1136 (K000687099)] © The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew (reproduced with permission).