Piper lamarckianum P. K. Mukh., 2020

Mukherjee, Prasanta Kumar, 2020, Nomenclatural notes on Piper (Piperaceae) from India III, Phytotaxa 441 (3), pp. 263-273 : 266-267

5. Piper lamarckianum P. K. Mukh. nom. nov.

Piper sylvestre Lam. Tabl. Encycl. 1: 79. 1791 nom. illeg. et non Loureiro. Fl. Cochinch. 1: 30. 1790. nom. illeg.

Type:— INDIA & MAURITIUS: “Insula Franciae, Malabaria, Philippinis (?)” (lectotype designated by Huber (1987: 280): Isle-de- France, Lamarck Herbarium P (P00381410 image!) ; syntypes; Isle-de-France, Lamarck Herbarium P (P0038409 image!); Leponias, Male′ malabaro ou Leponias, Male′, Lamarck Herbarium P (P00381405 image!), Leponias, Male′, Lamarck Herbarium P (P 00381406 image!), without locality, Lamarck Herbarium P (P 00381407), without locality, Lamarck Herbarium P(P00381408) and without locality, Lamarck Herbarium P (P00381403 & P00381404).

Distribution:— INDIA: Kerala; SRI LANKA, MALDIVES, & MAURITIUS ISLANDS (introduced).

Note:— Lamarck (1791: 79) has given a wider distribution for the species: Mauritius, Malabar in India and Philippines which appear unnaturally a wider area. H. Huber (1987: 280) designated ‘Ile-de-France’ ( Mauritius!) at P as the nomenclatural type (lectotype!). There is one such specimen having a male spike at P (P00381410), but it carries no such annotation by Huber. However, the specimen is in poor state of representation for proper recognition. Notwithstanding these limitations, it is accepted as the lectotype (Art. 9.19, Turland et al. 2018). Friedmann in 1995 annotated a specimen at Lamarck’s herbarium (P00381405) as Piper sylvestre as ‘type’ without the mention of its locality. P00381406 also bears the annotation by Friedmann as Piper sylvestre . Two more specimens at P (P00381407 and P00381408 respectively) were also annotated by Friedmann as P. sylvestre , but these appear to be the juvenile state of the species. Of all the specimens at Lamarck’s herbarium, the best one is (P00381409) which was annotated as Piper sylvestre by P. Sonnerat. It carries detached leaves and male and female spikes which look similar to those in the illustrations at Lamarck’s herbarium (P00381403 & P00381404, which are drawn side by side and labeled as “ou les Poivriers de la cote Malabarae”). The illustration as mentioned definitely indicates that the species is from the Malabar region of India, confirming the view of E. D. Merrill (1923: 18) that “As currently interpreted this is an Indian species”. Its distribution according to Huber (1987: 281) is southern India and Sri Lanka, as well as the Mascarene Islands, where it is in cultivation or naturalized. Earlier, Hooker (l886: 93) refrained from citing any habitat or description outside of India. He stated that he had seen in Hooker’s herbarium a male specimen from Mauritius annotated as P. sylvestre by Miquel and believed it to be a garden specimen. His statement of its distribution from Assam and Sylhet is doubtful.

Opinions differ on the identity of Piper sylvestre Lour. C. L. Willdenow (1831: 673) treated both Loureiro’s and Lamarck’s species as synonymous. Miquel (1843: 293) identified it with Cubeba canina (Blume) Miquel(1843: 293) . Merrill (1935:127) failed to identify this with any of the species of Piperaceae described from Indo-China by C. de Candolle (1810). C. Kunth (1840: 179) identified P. sylvestre Lamarck with P. spurium Link (1821: 37) non Forster ex Miquel (1839: 36). H. F.Link (1821: 37) did not cite a specimen (type) for his name. Link’s collections at B were destroyed during war (Stafleu & Cowan 1981: 65). A search for any surviving specimen of Link’s material elsewhere (as indicated by Stafleu & Cowan) was unsuccessful. As it stands at present, the exact identity of Link’s species cannot be established. Link described leaves as unequally cordate, measuring 4–5 inches × 5– 4 inches, meaning they are ovoid. The leaf shape and measures are unlike the ones in P. sylvestre . Plate 1937 in Wight’s Icon (1853), named as P. sylvestre shows a plant that is completely different from those present in Lamarck’s herbarium at P. It matches the description given for P. argyrophyllum var. 2 by Hooker (1886: 94) and is named here as a distinct species Piper travancorianum P. K. Mukh. nom. nov. G. H K. Thwaites (1861: 292) believed it to be same as P. hymenophyllum Miquel. Hooker (1886: 93) admitted that he found difficulties to define the species from the narrow-leaved forms of P. attenuatum and from some states of P. argyrophyllum by description, “but feel sure being it is quite distinct from the former”. As observed in the present study, narrow leaved forms of P. attenuatum mentioned by Hooker is hard to be found. H. Trimen (1895: 429) expressed doubts about distinguishing it from P.argyrophyllum . Characters of P. sylvestre Lamk. as well as its differences with other species, like P. malamiris Linn. , P. diffusum Vahl and P. argyrophyllum , have been noted by Huber (1987: 282–283).

Hooker (1886: 93) had expressed some reservation on the identity of the species and its distinctiveness from P. argyrophyllum and P. attenuatum . These species can be distinguished from each other principally by their leaves. Leaves in P. sylvestre are ovate, acuminate at the apex, broadly rounded or slightly unequally cordate at the base. Spikes of both sexes are long and slender. Leaves of P. attenuatum are orbicular-ovate, mostly as broad as long and are deeply cordate or broadly truncate at the base and abruptly acuminate at the apex. It has long slender spikes of both sexes, bracts are decurrent with raised margins and fruits are globose. Leaves in P. argyrophyllum are lanceolate to elliptic, sometimes whitish/silvery beneath with a rounded or acute sub equal base and a caudate/ acuminate apex. Its female spikes are shorter or equal the leaves in length and the peduncle equals the petiole, whereas fruits are ovate-elliptic, and subdensely placed on the rachis.

The specific epithet is proposed to commemorate Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829).