Clinopodium kewensis R.Chandra & Ö. Güner, 2025

Chandra, Rimjhim, Güner, Özal & Çetin, Özlem, 2025, Clinopodium kewensis (Lamiaceae): a new species from India, Phytotaxa 712 (1), pp. 18-30 : 20-23

Clinopodium kewensis R.Chandra & Ö. Güner , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2–4 )

Type:— INDIA, Middle Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra District, Dhauladhar Mountains, hill slopes, 2100–2200 m, 29 September 2024, R.Chandra 104 (holotype: Calicut university, isotypes CALI, Hb. R.Chandra).

Diagnosis:— Clinopodium kewensis differs from C. gracile with its densely retrorse white pubescent stem, calyx teeth shape, corolla tube, fewer flowers in verticillasters, linear bract larger than pedicel, ellipsoid nutlet, leaf ovate, margin shallowly serrate, rootlet rhizome.

Description:— Many-stemmed, perennial, rhizomes are woody and slender. Stem 17–25 cm long, ascending, brittle, slender, twisted, densely retrorse, white pubescent. Leaves ovate 6–20 × 2–13 mm, rounded at base, obtuse or acute at apex, margin shallowly serrate, sparsely pubescent at both surfaces; densely ciliate at leaf margins. veins 4–5 pairs, substantially visible on both surfaces, not reaching to margins, camptodromous; petiole generally 2–7 mm long. Inflorescence lax with 2–6 verticillaster; semi-globose, 1.2–1.8 cm in diameter; peduncle generally 3 mm; floral leaves entire, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces; densely ciliate at leaf margins; apex bract-like. Bracts linear, about 5 mm, longer than pedicel, ribbed, white ciliate. Flower 2–6 per verticillaster. Pedicel up to 2–7 mm long. Calyx bilabiate, tubular, 11 veined, 7 mm long, glandular-pubescent, veins and teeth minutely hispid; upper teeth 3, subtriangular, short awned; lower teeth 2, subulate, awned. Corolla 1.2 cm long, tube straight, exceeding the calyx, slightly curved outward, to 3 mm wide at the throat. Stamen 4, didynamous, included in corolla; lower pair longer than upper, about 4 mm long. Carpel about 10 mm inside the corolla tube. Nutlets smooth, ellipsoid, brown, up to 3–5 mm long.

Etymology:— The species epithet is derived from the name of the world’s largest botanical garden, The Royal Botanic Gardens, also known as Kew Gardens, in Kew, London.

Phenology:— This new species flowers in August-September, and fruits in September-October.

Distribution:— Clinopodium kewensis naturally grows in the Northwestern Himalayas in the Dhauladhar mountain range of Himachal Pradesh, India. ( Fig. 1 ).

Habitat and ecology:— Clinopodium kewensis is distributed on the hillside at 2100–2200 m. The new species shares the taxa with Cedrus deodara (Roxburgh ex D.Don) G. Don (1830: 388) , Fragaria nubicola (Lindley ex Hook. f.) Lacaita (1916: 467) , Rhododendron arboreum Smith (1805: 9) , Stellaria palustris Ehrhart ex Hoffmann (1791: 152) , Persicaria capitata (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D.Don) H. Gross (1913: 277) , Oxalis corniculata Linnaeus (1753: 435) , Rostellularia diffusa (Willdenow Nees (1847: 371), Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig (1783: 73) and Flemingia procumbens Roxb. (1832: 338) .

Conservation status:— The new species is locally endemic to India and found in the hillside of the forests of C. deodara and R. arboreum . A trek to Triund Hills is a popular tourist destination in the Kangra district. This trek is not that much exposed to human pressure, but visitors are there between May to October, which poses a threat to the only known population of this species. Fewer than 50 mature individuals were observed in the area, which covers less than 5 km ². The new species is assessed as critically endangered—CR [B1ab(i, ii, iii)+2ab(i, ii, iii)] according to criterion of the IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2017).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map showing the geographical location of C. kewensis in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India (Map prepared through QGIS software).

FIGURE 2. The new species of Clinopodium kewensis: A. habitus, B. stem and densely retrorse white pubescent, C. verticillasters. (photograph by Rimjhim Chandra).

FIGURE 3. Phylogenetic tree of nrITS sequences based on MP analysis and the BI method. MP bootstrap values are indicated above branches. Values at nodes indicate bootstrap support values that are ≥ 50%.

FIGURE 4. Clinopodium kewensis A, B—Habitat of the plant, stem with densely retrorse white pubescent (wp) | C—Whole plant revealing its vegetative and reproductive parts | D—Verticillaster inflorescence exhibiting fower arrangement | E—Single flower | F— Corolla | G,R—Stem with densely retrorse white pubescent (wp), linear bract larger than pedicel (br) | H—Dorsal and Ventral (ds) (vs) | I—Entire floral leaves | J—Sepal cut open with immature fruit inside | K—Tubular calyx, three upper teeth with short awned (sh) | L—Calyx with two lower teeth, subulate awned | M—Lower lip corolla | N—Two lobed upper lip corolla | O—Stamen | P—Carpel | Q—Ripened ellipsoid nutlet | S, T, U—Rhizomes, woody, slender (rh). © Rimjhim Chandra.