Boehmeria virgata var. longissima, 2013

Wilmot-Dear, C. M. & Friis, I., 2013, The Old World species of Boehmeria (Urticaceae, tribus Boehmerieae). A taxonomic revision, Blumea 58 (2), pp. 85-216 : 164

h. var. longissima (Hook.f.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear , comb. nov. — Fig. 23m –o ; Map 25

Basionym : Boehmeria platyphylla D.Don var. longissima Hook.f. , Flora of British India , vol.5, part 15 (1888) 574. ― Boehmeria macrophylla Hornem. var. longissima (Hook.f.) V.S.Ramach. & V.J.Nair (1988) 436. ― Syntypes: Wight 2707 (K), southern India , Pulney Mts ; Gardner s.n. (K), southern India , Nilgiris ; Walker s.n. (K), Sri Lanka .

Shrub or subshrub, to 4 m. Stems with hairs sparse to abundant, minute (0.1–0.2(–0.3) mm long), ± spreading, fine and soft but straight. Stipules 7–10 mm long. Leaves ovate to rhombic-ovate, medium-sized and relatively narrow, 9–20 by 4.5–9 cm, length (1.5–)2–2.4 × width, marginal teeth few, 25– 30 either side, large, acute, only slightly up-curved, 2–4 by 4–7 mm; leaf apex attenuate to indistinctly long-acuminate, often terminated by a single tooth up to 5 mm long or sometimes toothed almost to tip; base almost symmetrical, cuneate to narrowly rounded, sometimes subcordate; texture thin- (sometimes thick-)chartaceous, leaves usually smooth, both surfaces glabrescent or hairs very sparse, short, fine, adpressed both sides or spreading abaxially; petiole 0.25–0.5 × lamina length. Inflorescence-bearing axes unisexual or sometimes bisexual, 15–40 cm, pendulous, clusters spaced 2–10 cm apart; female clusters 2–3 mm diam, with c.10–more than 30 flowers. Fruiting perianth 1.2–1.5 by c. 0.7 mm, broadly ovoid tapering gradually or abruptly into distinct beak up to 0.3 × entire fruiting perianth length and scarcely laterally flattened but with a distinct marginal rim. Achene ± filling fruiting perianth, indumentum abundant minute (<0.1 mm long) spreading red-brown.

Distribution ― Southern India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka.

Habitat & Ecology ― In and along edges of high altitude evergreen forest (in southern India called Shola forest) characteristic of Western Ghats (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu); 2000–2300 m altitude.

Conservation status ― Vulnerable (VU). This well-circumscribed variety is known from c. 15 collections in six localities in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The EOO of 48 346 km 2 suggests a status of Near Threatened, but its narrow distribution with an AOO of under 500 km 2 and the increasing pressure on and fragmentation of its Shola forest habitat suggests that it is Vulnerable (VU) with the criteria of VU 2Bab(iii).

Note ― As discussed in detail under the species as a whole (Note 5-vi), this variety is more similar to var. molliuscula (also restricted to moist forest) than to var. macrostachya . It is distinctive in its fruiting perianth morphology, minute indumentum and often rhombic-ovate leaves. No collections intermediate with other varieties have been seen.

Figures

Map 25 Distribution of Boehmeria virgata (G.Forst.) Guillem.subsp.macrophylla (Hornem.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear var. macrostachya (Wight) Friis & Wilmot-Dear (●) and B. virgata (G.Forst.) Guillem.subsp.macrophylla (Hor- nem.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear var.longissima (Hook.f.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear (ä).

Fig. 23 a–c: Boehmeria virgata subsp. virgata var. austroqueenslandica (Domin) Friis & Wilmot-Dear. a. Leaf; b. detail of stem and stipules; c. fruiting perianth. — d–h: Boehmeria virgata subsp. macrophylla var. molliuscula (Blume) Friis & Wilmot-Dear. d. Leaf; e. leaf, detail of adaxial surface; f. leaf, detail of abaxial surface; g. detail of stem and stipules; h. fruiting perianth. — i–l: Boehmeria virgata subsp. macrophylla var. tomentosa (Wedd.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear. i. Leaf; j. leaf,detail of abaxial surface;k. detail of stem and stipules; l. fruiting perianth.— m–o: Boehmeria virgata subsp. macrophylla var. longissima (Hook.f.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear.m. Habit of stem with inflorescence-bearing axes; n. detail of stem and stipules;o. fruiting perianth (a–c: Melville & Hunt 3628; d–h: Manning 2007; i, j: McClintock 147; k, l: Daramola 67450; m, o: Gamble 1260B; n: Bourne s.n.; all K). — Scale bars: a, d, i, m = 2 cm; b, e-g, j, k, n = 2 mm; c, h, l, o = 1 mm.