Strobilanthes fimbriata Nees (1832: 85)

Albertson, Winston D. & Wood, Hn. R. I., 2012, Forgotten types of Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) in The Central National Herbarium, Kolkata, India, Phytotaxa 43, pp. 49-60 : 51-54

Strobilanthes fimbriata Nees (1832: 85) . Lectotype (designated here): INDIA. Meghalaya (“Silhet”), Da

Silva & Gomez in Wallich 2363 (K-W!).

Strobilanthes fimbriata var. majuscula W.W. Smith (1918: 192) . Lectotype (designated here): MYANMAR. (Burma), Kachin, Toppin 4244 (E!).

Endopogon macrostegius Nees (1847: 104) . Holotype: INDIA. Meghalaya, Khasi Hills, Griffith in Herb. Hooker (K!).

Strobilanthes macrostegia (Nees) C.B. Clarke (1884: 456)

Strobilanthes neesii Kurz (1873: 93) . synon. nov. Neotype (designated here): MYANMAR (Burma). “Martaban”, W. S. Kurz 835 ( CAL0000019803 !), Figure 2A .

Strobilanthes neesii was one of the species placed in the appendix at the end of the account of Strobilanthes in the Flora of British India ( Clarke 1884). At CAL there is only a single collection of this species, Kurz 835, mounted on a Flora of British Burma label annotated “Jonkeyghat, Nakawa Chg” (Toukyeghat Nakawa Choung, approximately 21°7' N 95°52' E). George King has annotated the sheet “This is evidently the same as S. macrostegius , C.B.C.” There appear to be no other collections of this species elsewhere at K, BM or other likely herbaria.

The specimen agrees well with the description and comments in the prologue and might be part of the original material seen by Kurz and thus be appropriate for selection as a lectotype. However, there are major discrepancies between the location given in the protologue and that of the label. We have, therefore, thought it best to select it as a neotype.

Strobilanthes fimbriata is known from Bangladesh ( Chittagong Hills), Myanmar (Kachin and Pegu Yoma) and India, where it grows in Arunachal Pradesh (Abor Hills) and Meghalaya (Khasia Hills). Like S. elongata , it belongs to the group of species placed by Bremekamp (1944) in Semnostachya but to a subgroup, in which the leaves turn blackish-green when dried.

Strobilanthes karensium Kurz (1873: 94) . Holotype: BURMA (Myanmar). Martaban , Toungoo Mountain, W.S. Kurz ( CAL0000019821 !). Figure 2B .

Strobilanthes lilacina C.B. Clarke (1908: 67) . Syntypes: THAILAND. Chiangmai , Hosseus 402a, 403a (n.v.?B†).

Once again there are problems with the labelling. There is a single collection at CAL but the sheet bears two contradictory labels, one with “Toungoo Mountain” written on it and the other a printed label with the number 830, apparently indicating the plant was collected in Pegu. As the Toungoo location clearly fits the Martaban locality given in the protologue as well as the epither karensium we assume that that is the original collector’s label. The specimen fits the description in the protologue and, as there appear to be no other collections, we consider this to be the holotype .

Although Clarke (1884: 449) treated this species as a synonym of Strobilanthes falconeri , examination of the type at CAL shows this to be an error. It is, in fact, the oldest name for a plant later described by Clarke as S. lilacina based on a specimen collected by Hosseus in Thailand.

Apart from Kurz’s collection this species is only known from the Chiangmai district in Thailand and its existence raises the question of whether it was actually collected in what is now Thailand, rather than in what is now Myanmar. Taungoo lies at approximately 18°56ʹN 96°26ʹE, some 150 kilometres west of the border between Myanmar and Thailand . At the very least it is reasonable to suppose that Kurz collected this plant in the mountains lying east of Taungoo city close to the Thai border, if not in present-day Thailand .

Strobilanthes lamioides T. Anderson (1867: 485) . Lectotype (designated here): MYANMAR (Burma), Taijoo Mountain , [D. Brandis s.n.] ( CAL0000019816 !). Figure 3A .

There are two syntypes of Strobilanthes lamioides at CAL, both annotated by Anderson and the best is here selected as lectotype .

Strobilanthes lamioides is a somewhat mysterious species as it does not appear to have been collected again since the two original collections cited by Anderson. It appears to be closest to S. torrentium Benoist (= S. imlayae J.R.I. Wood ), which is known from Myanmar, eastern India and China but differs in its rounded, sparsely pilose bracts. Although Anderson described the bracts as “glandular-tomentose, ciliate”, this is not obvious from the specimens at CAL. Another uncertainty relates to the type locality, which we have been unable to identify with any current place name.

Strobilanthes brandisii T. Anderson (1867: 475) . Lectotype: MYANMAR (Burma). Martaban, Toungoo (Taungnyo / Tenghyo) mountain, 4000', [D. Brandis s.n.] ( CAL0000019781 !), selected here. Figure 3B .

There are two syntypes of Strobilanthes brandisii at CAL, but none at Kew. Both are annotated by Anderson and represent good material. We have selected the sheet with the collector’s original label as the lectotype .

Strobilanthes brandisii is part of a complex of species, which includes S. lamioides , and S. falconeri T. Anderson , the type specimen of which is at K (Falconer 423). They were all published by Anderson in the same paper. Although their close relationship was not noted by Anderson, it was commented on by Clarke (1884: 449) and is immediately apparent from the type specimens. S. falconeri is the most distinct of the three species because of the ovate bracts and the presence of long silky hairs which cover the capitula and to a lesser extent the stem and leaves. Both S. brandisii and S. lamioides have spathulate bracts but the former is a canescent-pilose plant with copious white indumentum on the inflorescence, whereas in the latter the inflorescence is only thinly pubescent.

Strobilanthes brandisii is known from Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, where it is common. The type locality is presumably in the hills lying east of Taungoo (18°56ʹN 96°26ʹE) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Neotype of Strobilanthes neesii Kurz. B. Holotype of Strobilanthes karensium Kurz.

FIGURE 3. A. Lectotype of Strobilanthes lamioides T. Anderson. B. Lectotype of Strobilanthes brandisii T. Anderson