Maesa rugosa var. clarkei Dhatchan. & Devanath., 2025

Dhatchanamoorthy, Narayanasamy & Devanathan, Krishanamoorthy, 2025, Reevaluating the infraspecific taxa of Maesa rugosa C. B. Clarke (Primulaceae): Taxonomic reassessment and typification update, Phytotaxa 683 (1), pp. 53-62 : 58-60

Maesa rugosa var. clarkei Dhatchan. & Devanath. var. nov., Fig. 3 .

Holotype:— INDIA. Manipur, Senapathi district, Khungho , 2380 m, 17th Feb. 2017, N. Dhatchanamoorthy 120371 (FRLH), Fig. 4 ; isotype (CAL!, FRLH)

Description:—Shrubs c. 4 m high. Branchlets subterete, glabrous, sparsely warted. Leaves oblong, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate 15–22 × 6–9 cm, cuneate at base, obscurely denticulate at margins, obtuse to abruptly acute at apex, coriaceous, glabrous; cusp 5–15 mm long; petiole 2.5–4 cm long, glabrous, canaliculate; lateral veins 11–12 (–13)pairs. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, 3–4.5 cm long, glabrous; bract 1, ovate, c. 0.5 × 0.2 mm, ciliolate at margins, acute at apex, glabrous; bracteoles 2, triangular-ovate, c. 0.5 × 0.3 mm, ciliolate at margins, acute at apex, glabrous. Flowers white, 2.5–3 mm across. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx 5-lobed, glabrous; lobes broadly ovate, c. 1× 0.8 mm, orange punctate-lineate, ciliolate or obscurely denticulate at margins, obtuse-acute at apex. Corolla campanulate, 5 lobed, glabrous; tube cylindric, c. 0.6 mm long; lobes ovate or suborbicular to broadly ovate, c. 1.4 × 1.2 mm, entire at margins, obtuse to rounded at apex, orange punctate-lineate. Stamens 5, basifixed, inserted at middle of corolla tube; filaments c. 0.4 mm long; anthers ovoid, c. 0.2 mm across, glabrous. Ovary ovid-globose, c. 1 × 0.8 mm; Style cylindric, c. 0.6 mm long; stigma 5-lobed; lobes 0.4 mm long. Fruit globose, c. 6 mm across, succulent, porcelain white, punctate-lineate.

Flowering & Fruiting:—December to March

Distribution:— India, Myanmar

Ecology:—It is growing in the evergreen forests at the elevation of 2380 m asl with the associated species such as Castanopsis indica (Roxb. ex Lindl.) A.DC. , Dendrocalamus sp. , Hedychium spicatum Sm. , Jasminum dispermum Wall. , Litsea sp. , and Magnolia griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson. #

Etymology:— Maesa rugosa var. clarkei is named in honour of C.B. Clarke for his remarkable contribution to the Indian subcontinent Myrsinaceae .

Other specimens:— INDIA. East Bengal , Griffith 3554 p.p. K (K000756240 digital image!), P (P00463634 digital image!), NY (NY01115687 digital image!), CAL (CAL0000017425 digital image!) . MYANMAR (former Burma). Kachin, Sumprabum, N’DumZup to Mapi-Zup , N 26° 40′, E 97° 20′, 4000 – 5000 feet, 16 th Jan. 1962, J.Keenan, U. Tun Aung & U. Tha Hla 3261 E (E00141353 digital image!) ; Janrawng Bum , N 26° 40′, E 97° 20′, 7000 feet, 25 th Feb. 1962, J.Keenan, U. Tun Aung & U. Tha Hla 3485 E (E00141354 digital image!) .

Uses:—Fruits are birds edible.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Maesa rugosa var. clarkei Dhatchan. & Devanath. A. Flowering twig. B. Inflorescence close-view, C. Fruiting twig, D, E. Flower adaxial & abaxial views, F. Bracts, G, H. Calyx adaxial & abaxial views, I, J. Corolla adaxial & abaxial views, K. Stamens, L. Style & Stigma, M. Ovary, N. Fruit.

FIGURE 4. Holotype of Maesa rugosa var. clarkei Dhatchan. & Devanath. (Dhatchanamoorthy 120371, FRLH)