Corynandra elegans Chandore, U.S. Yadav & S.R. Yadav, 2016

Chandore, Arun Nivrutti, Yadav, Usha Shrirang & Yadav, Shrirang Ramchandra, 2016, A new elegant species of Corynandra (Cleomaceae) from Konkan region of Maharashtra, India, Phytotaxa 260 (1), pp. 89-94 : 90-94

Corynandra elegans Chandore, U.S. Yadav & S.R. Yadav sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 & 3 )

Corynandra elegans Chandore, U.S. Yadav & S.R. Yadav is similar to Corynandra chelidonii (L. f.) Cochrane & Iltis), but differs in its perennial habit (vs annual or perennial habit), 3–5 foliate basal leaves (vs 7–9 foliate), flowers 5–9 cm across (vs 1.5–2 cm across), petals up to 4.5 cm long (vs up to 1.4 cm long), stamens 125–250 (vs 35–60), capsule beaks 8–14 mm long (vs 2–4 mm long), seed testas with blunt tubercles and open, deep cleft (vs seed testa with pointed tubercles and cleft not open or deep). Differences between Corynandra elegans and C. chelidonii are listed in Table 1.

Type: — INDIA, Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur, Sakar, 16°35’108’N’’, 73°24’280’’E, 244 ft, 15 July 2014, A.N. Chandore 1913 (holotype CAL!, isotypes BSI!, K!, SUK!).

Erect, perennial aquatic, much branched up to 2 m high with perennial rootstock. Rootstock ca. 3 cm in diameter, stout, erect, up to 30 cm long, rarely branched, white to cream color inside and brown outside; root suckers present. Stem erect, branched, glabrous, spongy, dark green, smooth. Basal leaves 3–5 foliate; leaflets up to 5 cm long, central leaflet longer than lateral leaflets, hairy, dark green, lanceolate, midrib prominent on ventral side; petiole up to 6 cm long, hairy, grooved on dorsal side; middle leaves 1–3 foliate; leaflets up to 14 cm long, central leaflet much longer than laterals, glabrous, linear, entire at margin, midrib prominent on ventral side; petiole up to 6 cm long, glabrous, slightly swollen at both region, glandular, grooved on dorsal side; upper leaves 1-foliate, up to 13 cm long, linear, glabrous, entire at margin, midrib prominent on ventral side; petiole up to 6 cm long, glandular throughout, grooved on dorsal side. Flowers in terminal and axillary racemes, racemes 5–10 flowered; pedicels up to 6 cm long, glabrous, with very minute glands. Bracts small, up to 2 mm long, linear, glabrous. Sepals 4, 2 inner, 2 outer, closely opposite-decussate, ovate, acute, 4–5.5 × 3–3.8 mm, scarious at margin, pinkish at tip. Petals 4, oblong-elliptic to oval, 2.3–4.5 × 1.5–3.1 cm, mucronulate, rosy (pink), yellowish white below. Stamens 125–250; anthers basifixed, brown to black; filaments up to 4.4 cm long, white in lower half and rosy in upper half, abruptly swollen at apex, swollen part with lower half pink, upper half white. Ovary sessile, linear, 1–2.2 cm long, 1–1.2 mm thick, yellowish green, glabrous. Capsule linear-cylindric, 5–10 × 0.25–0.35 cm, narrow at the base and apex, glabrous, beaked at apex, beak 8–14 mm long. Seeds 40–70, spheroidal to ovoidal, 1.8–2.3 mm across, brown to reddish brown, cleft open, deep; testa with blunt tubercles. Figs. 1–3 .

Distribution: — India: Maharashtra; Konkan region, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur Tahsil, Combe, Karel, Jaitapur, Nate, Sakar.

Population size: — Corynandra elegans grows in seasonal ponds of lateritic plateau (at Combe, Karel, Jaitapur, Nate, Sakar) and over 10,000 individuals have been located.

Habitat: — Corynandra elegans grows at an altitude of about 244 ft, in seasonal ponds on a lateritic plateau. Common and typical associates of this species are Aeschynomene aspera L., Aponogeton nateshii S.R. Yadav , Blyxa sp. , Cryptocoryne spiralis Fisch. ex Wydler. , Eleocharis sp. , Oryza rufipogon Griff. and Pogostemon sp.

Phenology: —Flowering and Fruiting: July–December.

Note: — Corynandra chelidonii has been treated as an annual or with a woody rootstock by earlier workers. However, in the present study, the authors have observed many individuals from population of the species at Shivaji University, Kolhapur and confirmed that C. chelidonii has a slender rootstock without suckers and hence individuals grow separately from each other and do not form clumps . With the end of monsoon season and as ponds dry out, the plants become dormant until the beginning of the next monsoon season, when individuals sprout and produce basal leaves from the root stock.

The new species C. elegans is unique in having root suckers, a woody rootstock and growing in clumps.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the elegant flowers.

Additional specimen s examined (Paratypes):— INDIA, Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur Tahsil, Nate, 20 August 2014, A.N. Chandore 1914 (SUK!), Combe, 18 July 2015, A.N. Chandore 1945 (SUK!), Karel, 24 August 2014, A.R. Gholave 301 (SUK!).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Corynandra elegans Chandore, U.S. Yadav & S.R. Yadav, A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Flower. D. Roots. E. Stem (T. S.). F. Root (T. S.). Photos by Shrirang Yadav.

FIGURE 2. A. Corynandra elegans flower. B. C. chelidonii flower. C. C. elegans capsule. D. C. chelidonii capsule. E. C. elegans upper & middle leaves. F. C. chelidonii upper & middle leaves. G. C. elegans seeds. H. C. chelidonii seeds. I. C. elegans basal leaves. J. C. chelidonii basal leaves. Photos by Shrirang Yadav.

FIGURE 3. Corynandra elegans Chandore, U.S. Yadav & S.R. Yadav (Chandore 1913). A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Capsule. D. Seed. Illustrated by Shrikant Sutar.