Torenia goalparensis N. Nath, Shilpa Roy, K. Basumatary & M. Nath, 2025

Roy, Shilpa, Basumatary, Kshiprativ, Nath, Madhushmita & Nath, Namita, 2025, Torenia goalparensis (Linderniaceae), a new species from Assam, India., Phytotaxa 684 (2), pp. 275-282 : 276-280

Torenia goalparensis N. Nath, Shilpa Roy, K. Basumatary & M. Nath , sp. nov., Figures 2-3

LSID: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77344543-1

Diagnosis:—Differs from T. godefroyi by erect stem, leaves with four pairs of serrations and surface without purplish lines along mid vein, inflorescence with four flowers, pale pink corolla with dark purple tinge, and remnant staminal appendages like protuberances.

Etymology:—The specific epithet ‘ goalparensis’ refers to the type locality, Goalpara district of Assam.

Holotype:— INDIA, Assam, Goalpara District, Dhupdhara, Dighali , 25°58′32ʺ N, 91°3′ 52ʺ E, 51.4 m, S. Roy & K. Basumatary, 5 June 2024, GUBH 20625 .

Description:—Annual, erect herb, about 60–90 mm long. Stem quadrangular, sparsely hairy; internodes 13–16 mm long. Leaves simple, opposite, shortly petiolate, pinnately veined, 12–14 × 9–11 mm; petiole 2–3 mm long, slightly curved; lamina ovate, 10–12 × 9–11 mm, cordate or sub-cordate at base, blunt at apex, with crenate-serrate margins (4 pairs), minute ciliate hairs present on the margins, glabrous on both surfaces, lamina gradually becomes linear lanceolate towards the apex of the branches. Flowers solitary in leaf axils or in terminal clusters of four flowers in opposite decussate manner, about 10 mm; pedicels ca. 3 mm long, quadrangular, glabrous, elongating to ca. 10 mm in fruit. Calyx 4–5 × 2–3 mm, oblong-elliptic, all equal, distinctly winged with wings decurrent on pedicel; sepals 5; united throughout, 5-partite at apex, ciliate hairs present towards the apices of calyx, slightly reddish distally and green proximally; corolla 7–8 × 2–3 mm, bi-labiate with lips fully opened, pale pink with a dark purple tinge on upper surface. Corolla tube 7 mm long, cylindrical, glabrous; posterior lip 1.5–1.6 × 1.2–1.3 mm, ovate, slightly emarginate at apex, white, glabrous; anterior lip 1.8–2.0 × 2.0– 2.2 mm, distinctly 3-lobed with the middle lobe slightly larger than lateral ones; middle lobe 1.5× 1.5 mm; lateral lobes 1 × 1 mm, small yellow round blotch present at the base of the middle lobe. Stamens 4, all fertile; posterior pair coherent below the upper lip; filaments 2.5 mm long, glabrous, the anterior filaments 3.5 mm long, bend towards upper lip, having remnant staminal appendages like protuberances; anthers 0.6–0.8 × 0.2–0.3 mm, bi-thecate, united in pairs, their lobes ovate, acute at apex. Ovary 1.5–1.8 × 0.6–0.7 mm, sub-globose, glabrous, placed on a membranous yellow hypogynous disc covering about 1/6 of the ovary; style 2.5–3 mm long, slender, glabrous; stigma bi-lamellate. Capsule 2–3 × 1.5–2 mm, elliptic-oblong, completely covered in the fruiting calyx. Seeds 0.3 mm long, numerous, minute, yellow, irregular in shape, pitted (bothrospermous).

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from April–July.

Ecology:—Grows amidst grasses in barren paddy fields along with Bonnaya antipoda (L.) Druce, Torenia crustacea (L.) Cham. & Schltdl., Torenia diffusa D. Don , Cyperus sps., Torenia anagalis (Burm. f.) Pennell , Panicum sp. , and Mecardonia procumbens (Mill.) Small , and found in elevation of 50–51.4 m a.s.l.

Additional species examined:—

INDIA: Assam, Goalpara District, Dhupdhara, Dighali, 25°58′43.6584ʺ N, 91°3′57.96ʺ E, 50 m a.s.l., 5 June 2024, S. Roy & N. Nath, GUBH 20626 (isotype GUBH!).

INDIA: Assam, Goalpara District, Dhupdhara, Dighali, 25°58′43.6584ʺ N, 91°3′57.96ʺ E, 50 m a.s.l., 20 June 2024, M. Nath, GUBH 20629 (paratype GUBH!).

Conservation status:—Data deficient ( DD) following IUCN species assessment guidelines ( IUCN, 2022). The global population of the species is not fully known, and as such, the data to assess the conservation status of the species is insufficient. Further investigation is required to understand the species population, range distribution, and ecology.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Torenia goalparensis N. Nath, S. Roy, K. Basumatary & M. Nath—a. Habit; b-c. Close up of the inflorescence. Photo credit- K. Basumatary.

FIGURE 3. Torenia goalparensis N. Nath, S. Roy, K. Basumatary & M. Nath (GUBH 20625). a: Twig with inflorescence; b: Single leaf (adaxial and abaxial surface); c: Complete flower (side view); d: Calyx; e: Corolla tube; f: Corolla with epipetalous stamens; g: Gynoecium with yellow disc at the base; h: Fruit with persistent calyx; i: Capsule; j: Seeds. Scale bars: a-h = 5 mm, i-j = 1mm.