Osbeckia rostrata D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep.

P., Prashob & Thomas, Sibichen M., 2019, The genus Osbeckia (Melastomataceae) in India, Rheedea 29 (4), pp. 236-305 : 282-285

Osbeckia rostrata D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 221. 1825; N.P.Balakr, Fl. Jowai & Vicinity 205. 141. 1983. O. stellata Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don var. rostrata (D.Don) C.Hansen, Ginkgoana 4: 28. 1977, syn. nov. Type: NEPAL, Narainhetty , 11.08.1802, Hamilton s.n. (holo BM000521786 digital image!).

O. recalva Bedd. ex Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras 1: 494. 1919

O. ternifolia D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. 221. 1825. Ceramicalyx ternifolius Blume, Mus. Bot. 1(4): 50. 1849. O. rostrata D.Don , var. ternifolia (D.Don) Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc., London 28: 54. 1872. Type: NEPAL, s.d., Hamilton s.n. (holo BM000521785 digital image!).

O. quaterna Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don Prodr. Fl. Nep. 221. 1825, pro syn.

Ceramicalyx calvus Blume, Mus. Bot. 1(4): 50. 1849. Type: s.loc., s.d., Wallich s.n. (holo G00310438 digital image!).

O. pulchella Benth. ex Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. , ser. 3, 14: 73. 1850. O. rostrata D.Don var. pulchella Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc., London 29: 54. 1872, nom. nud. Type: INDIA, Meghalaya, Khasia, s.d., Griffith s.n. (holo P02441144 digital image!).

O. rostrata D.Don , var. longicollis Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc., London 28: 54. 1872, nom. nud.

O. chinensis L. var. lancifolia Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 1: 247. 1891. Type: CHINA, s.loc., s.d., Kuntze 7209 (holo NYBG00229578 digital image!).

O. rostrata D.Don var. sexangulata Haines, Bot. Bihar & Orissa 370. 1922. Type: INDIA, Jarkhand , Chota Nagpur, wet places, 3000 ft, s.coll. s.n. (holo CAL!).

O. arunkumarensis M.P.Nayar & G.S.Giri, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 81(2): 436. 1984. syn. nov. Type: INDIA, Sikkim, East Himalaya , s.d., Griffith 2248 (holo CAL0000016807 !).

O. campestris Buch.-Ham. in Wall., Numer. List 143, no. 4063. 1831, nom. nud.

O. longicollis Benth. in Wall., Numer. List 143, no. 4065. 1831, nom. nud. Fig. 20

Perennial, erect, shrubs, 0.5–2 m tall. Stems branched; young branches quadrangular, with short, rigid, appressed hairs, sometimes occurring only at nodes. Petioles 3–8 mm long, upper leaves often sessile; lamina ovate to lanceolate, 5–17 × 2–6 cm, 5-nerved, green, apex acute to attenuate, base obtuse, both sides densely clothed with patent hairs. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, 6–12- flowered. Flowers tetramerous; pedicels 0.5–3 mm long; bracts ovate to broadly ovate, 4–8 mm long, glabrous, with a few to many appressed hairs dorsally. Hypanthium urceolate, 7–13 × 2.5–4 mm, usually longer than ovary, covered with emergences having a few to several patent hairs on the stalk; intersepalar emergences linear without lateral hairs and stellate head, caducous; other emergences similar. Sepals 4, lanceolate, 6–12 × 1.5–3 mm long, ciliate and with few to many patent hairs dorsally, caducous. Petals obovate to broadly obovate, 13–18 × 10–15 mm, glabrous pinkto purple. Stamens 8; filaments 7–10 mm long; anthers 7–13 mm, ‘S’ shaped, attenuate into a narrow long beak, yellow; pore oblique on ventral side; connective prolonged into a slightly undulating collar with large dorsal lobes. Ovary united with hypanthium for about two thirds of its length, anther pockets extending to the base of the ovary; remaining part glabrous or often thinly clothed with short appressed hairs, crown present; style l 5–25 mm long, glabrous. Capsules urceolate, 7–11 × 2–6 mm, covered with emergences, neck widens towards rim, emergences fall off at maturity; seeds minute, 0.1–0.2 mm long, numerous, curved.

Flowering & fruiting: August–October.

Chromosome number: n = 10 ( Meenakumari & Kuriachan, 1990).

Habitat: Occurs in evergreen forest of North East Himalaya at an elevation above 500 m. in association with O. stellata var. stellata .

Distribution: India. Specimens examined: INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam district, Visakhapatnam, Sunkerimetta. 21.09.1961, N.P. Balakrishnan 730 (CAL). Assam, East Karbi Anglong district, Phulai, 28.06.1963, D.B. Deb 35403, 35404 (ASSAM); Goalpara district, Dudhnai, Rangjuli East, 25.06.1964, A.S. Rao 39113 (ASSAM); Nowgong, Sonaikushi R.F., Tapatala, 20.08.1964, N.P. Balakrishnan 39300 (CAL); s.loc, 31.07.1908, W.G. Craib 30 (CAL); s.loc., 31.07.1908, W.G. Craib 30 (CAL). Manipur, Bishnupur district, Bishnupur, 11.1907, A. Meebold 171996 (CAL); Tamenglong district, Mala naga-Cachar hills, 05.1882, G. Watt 171995 (CAL); Naga-Cachar hills, 05.1881, G. Watt 7278 (CAL); Ukgrul district, Yhirighak, 11.1907, A. Meebold 5724 (CAL); s.loc., 11.1907, Meebold 5980 (CAL). Meghalaya, East Khasi hills district, Mawlynnong, 12.09.2015, Prashob & Sibichen 6130 (DEV); Mawsmai, 21.09.1967, H. Deka 37719 (ASSAM); Shillong, 24.06.1938, S.R. Sharma 18392 (ASSAM); Garo hills district, s.loc., s.d., N.E. Parrey 1929 (CAL); Jaintia Hills district, Jarain garden, 19.09.2015, Prashob & Sibichen 6145 (DEV); Jarain to Syndi, 17.08.1968, N.P. Balakrishnan 46164 (ASSAM); Jowai, 19.09.2015, Prashob & Sibichen 6152 (DEV); Nongtalang village, 19.09.2015, Prashob & Sibichen 6148 (DEV); s.loc., 09.08.1840, H.F. Mooney 1299 (ASSAM); s.loc., 26.10.1956, P.O. Khant 5158 (ASSAM). Mizoram, Aizawl district, Dampa Tiger reserve, Teirei, 21.09.2006, B.K. Sinha & N. Odyuo 112739 (ASSAM). Tripura, Bajapara, 29.08.1957, D. B. Deb, 1115 (CAL); Charilam, 04.06.1959, D. bfer 1763 (CAL). West Bengal, Darjeeling district, Darjeeling, 26.16.1876, J.S. Gamble 1730 (DD); Sukhia Pokhri, 26.10.1876, J.S. Gamble 1735 (DD).

Notes: Hansen (1977) treated O. rostrata as a variety of O. stellata . But it differs from the latter by linear lanceolate to falcate intersepalar emergences and fleshy stellate emergences on hypanthium hence it is treated here as a distinct species. Nayar and Giri (1984) described O. arunkumarensis from the herbarium collections of Griffith from Sikkim. The diagnostic characters of O. arunkumarensis such as winged branches, subsessile leaves, intersepalar emergences terminated by a bristle are overlapping with O. rostrata , and hence treated here as conspecific.

Osbeckia stellata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don., Bot. Reg. 8: t. 674. 1822; Osmaston, Fl. Kumaon 247. 1927; C.Hansen, Ginkgoana 4: 23. 1977; M.B.Raizada & H.O.Saxena, Fl. Mussoorie 247. 1978; N.P.Balakr. Fl. Jowai & Vicinity 206. 1983; R.K.Gupta, Fl. Nainitalensis 134. 1993; Hajra & Verma, Fl. Sikkim1996; D.S.Dhaliwal & M.Sharma, Fl. Kullu district 290. 1999; R.D.Gaur, Fl. Garhwal 317. 1999; Pull., D.M. Rao & K.S.Ramamurthy, Fl. Eastern Ghats 57. 2002. Ceramicalyx stellatus Buch.- Ham. ex D.Don Blume, Mus. Bot. 1(4): 50. 1849. Lectotype (designated by Hansen, 1977): NEPAL, Narainhetty, 10.08.1802, Hamilton s.n. (BM000944402 digital image!).

O. marginulata Wall., Numer. List 143, no. 4064. 1831, nom. nud. O. rostrata D.Don var. marginulata C.B.Clarke in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 518. 1879. O. stellata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don var. marginulata (C.B.Clarke) C.Hansen, Ginkgoana 4: 27. 1977. syn. nov. Type: MYANMAR, Tong Dong, s.d.,Wallich 4064 (holo K001038066 digital image!).

O. racemosa Craib, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1911 (1): 51. 1911. Type: THAILAND, Chiengami , Doi-Sootep, s.d., Kerr 836 (holo K000867939 digital image!)

O. hildebrandii Stapf, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 6: 269. 1911. Type: MYANMAR, Shan States, Toungyi, Cult. Hort. Kew, 1901, Hildebrand 599- 99 (holo K000890027 digital image!).

O. speciosa Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. Sér. 3, 14: 73. 1850. Type: INDIA, Mossouri , s. d., Jacquemont s.n. (holo P02441142 digital image!).

O. darjeelingensis G.S.Giri & M.P.Nayar, Bull. Bot. Surv. India 25(1-4): 241.1985. (syn. nov.) Type: INDIA, West Bengal, Darjeeling, Jhenaikuri, 12.1879, Gamble 7597 (holo CAL0000016808 !).

Fig. 21

Perennial, erect, branched, shrubs, 0.50–2.5 m tall. Stems branched, young branches quadrangular, with appressed, short, crooked, rigid hairs. Petioles 4–10 mm long; lamina green, lanceolate, 6–20 × 2–9 cm, 5–7-nerved; apex acuminate, base obtuse to attenuate, densely clothed with patent hairs on either side. Inflorescence terminal, panicled cyme, 5–9-flowered. Flowers tetramerous; pedicels 0.5–3 mm long; bracts ovate to broadly ovate, 7 × 12 mm, ciliate, with few to many appressed hairs dorsally. Hypanthium urceolate, 9–20 × 3–7 mm, longer than ovary, covered with emergences and bristles inter mixed with patent or appressed hairs; intersepalar emergences 5–9 mm long, with a terete stalk bearing lateral hairs and terminating in a head of stellate hairs, caducous; other emergences smaller in lower portion of hypanthium. Sepals 4, triangular to lanceolate, 8–17 × 2–4 mm long, ciliate and with a few to many patent hairs dorsally, caducous. Petals 4, obovate to broadly obovate, 18–25 × 22–30 mm, glabrous, margin ciliate, pale pinkto purple,. Stamens 8; filaments 7–18 mm long; anthers ‘S’ shaped, yellow, 11–21 mm long, attenuate into a narrow, tubular beak (5–7 mm long), not twisted; pore oblique on ventral side; connective prolonged into slightly undulating collar with large dorsal lobe. Ovary united with hypanthium for about two thirdof its length, anther pockets extending to the base of the ovary; remaining part glabrous or thinly clothed with short appressed hairs: style l 5–25 mm long, glabrous. Capsules urceolate, 1l–19 × 4.5-l0 mm, neck widens towards rim, densely covered with emergences and hairs which often fall off when mature; seeds minute, 0.1–0.2 mm long, numerous, curved, muricate.

Figures

Fig. 20. OSbeCkia ROStRata D.DON: aa.. Habit; b. FlOweR; CC.. HypaNthiUM; dd.. BRaCt; e. CalyX lObe; F. INteRSepalaR eMeRgeNCe; g. OtheR eMeRgeNCe; hh.. StaMeNS; ii i. SeedS.

Fig. 21. OSbeCkia Stellata BUCh.-HaM. eX D.DON VaR. Stellata: a & bb.. Habit; C. FlOweR; d & e. HypaNthiUM; F. BRaCt; g. CalyX lObeS with iNteRSepalaR eMeRgeNCeS h h. CalyX lObe; ii.. INteRSepalaR eMeRgeNCe;jj.. StaMeNS; k. SeedS.