Garcinia lanceifolia Roxb. var. oxyphylla (Planch. & Trian.) Laness., Mem. Garcin.

N., Mohanan, P. S., Shameer, Abstract, T. Sabu & L., Garcinia, 2023, Taxonomic revision of Garcinia (Clusiaceae) in India, Rheedea 33 (3), pp. 101-158 : 136-137

Garcinia lanceifolia Roxb. var. oxyphylla (Planch. & Trian.) Laness., Mem. Garcin. 48. 1872; Maheshw., Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 126. 1964; N.P. Singh in B. D.Sharma & Sanjappa (eds.), Fl. India 3: 117. 1993. Garcinia oxyphylla Planch. & Trian., Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. ser. 4., 14: 342. 1860. Lectotype (designated by Maheshwari, 1964): Assam, 1845, W. Hooker & Jenkins s.n. (K [ K001273091 digital image!]). FiG. 12

Dioecious evergreen large shrubs or small trees, 4–10 m tall; branches horizontally spreading; exudation yellow; branchlets terete. Lamina linear-oblong, 5–8 × 2.5–3.5 cm, attenuate at base, margins entire, acute at tip. Flowers almost similar to var. lanceifolia ; staminodes 8–13, in 2–4 bundles; ovary globose, 0.3–0.4 cm in diam., 7–10-locular. Berries ovoid-disciform, 3.5–4 cm in diam., obscurely grooved, red on ripening.

Vernacular names: Rupohi-thekera (Assamese).

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from November to January; fruiting from Ferbuary to June.

Habitat: Commonly found in evergreen forests;

between 75–1250 m elevation.

Distribution: India.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Assam, Jorhat district, Sibpur, 11.08.2015, P. S. Shameer 79697 ( TBGT); Karbi Anglong d istrict, Bokajan , 21.06.1963, D. B. Desh 35243 (ASSAM); Mikir Hills , Kalioyi Reserve , 04.02.1977, S. K. Borthakur 69152 (ASSAM); Kokrajhar district , Chakrasila WLS, 11.06.2008, Ranjit Daimary 111425 (ASSAM); Chakrasila WLS, 11.07.2008, Ranjit Daimary 117863 (ASSAM); Lakhimpur district , Jokai Reserve , 18.03.1914, U. N. Kanjilal 4085 (ASSAM); Sivsagar district , Bokajau Reserve , 85 m, 15.12.1913, U. N. Kanjilal 121 M (ASSAM); Dimapur, 24.03.1913, U. N. Kanjilal 2166 (ASSAM); Sibsagar, July 1882, G. Mann s.n. ( CAL); Sibasagar, s.d., S. Peal 83 ( CAL) . Meghalaya, Khasi & Jaintia Hill district, Jarain , 1250 m, 22.05.1965, A. S. Rao 42512 (ASSAM); Khonshnong, 05.02.1915, U. N. Kanjilal 713 P (ASSAM); Nartiang, 27.11.1937, S. R. Sharma 16055 (ASSAM) . Mizoram, Mamit district, Saitahl, 04.09.1990, D. K. Singh 98940 (ASSAM); Dampatlaung , 1100 m, 03.09.1990, D. K. Singh 99161 (ASSAM); Dampa Tiger Reserve , Saithal Hill, 450 m, 25.09.2006, B. K. Singha & N. Odyuo 112963 (ASSAM) . Nagaland, Dimapur district, Balijan, Rangapahar , 02.05.1946, G. K. Deka 22091 (ASSAM); Ibid., 02.05.1946, G. K. Deka 22091 (ASSAM) . Tripura, Tripura district, Deoracherra, 30 m, 19.01.1962, D. B. Deb. 26877 (ASSAM). Without precise locality, s.d., Wallich 4862 ( CAL); s.d., Wallich s.n. ( CAL [ CAL46423 ]) .

Uses: The fruits are acidic and eaten raw (Baruah et al., 2021).

Notes: Garcinia lanceifolia var. lanceifolia and var. oxyphylla looks similar in vegetative stages and can be distinguished only in the fruiting stage. G. lanceifolia only is recorded in most of the recent floras ( Kanjilal et al., 1934; Balakrishnan, 1981; Chauhan, 2000; Singh, 2002).

Garcinia microstigma Kurz, Jour. Bot. 13: 324. 1875, Forest Fl. Burma 1: 91. 1877; Pierre, Fl. Forest. Cochinch. 4: t. 19. 1883; King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 59: 157.1890; Vesque in A.DC., Monogr. Phan. 8: 434. 1893; Gamble, Man. Indian Timb. 53. 1902; Brandis, Indian Trees 52; C.E.Parkinson, For. Fl. Andaman Islands 90. 1923; Maheshw., Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 125. 1964; N.P.Singh in B.D.Sharma & Sanjappa (eds.), Fl. India 3: 119. 1993; Hajra et al., Fl. Andaman Islands 1: 140. 1999; Dagar & N.T.Singh, Pl. Resour. Andaman & Nicobar Isl. 2: 419. 1999. Lectotype (designated by Maheshwari, 1964): INDIA, South Andaman, Mount Harriot, 02.02.1875, S. Kurz s.n. (CAL [CAL0000208110!]); isolecto (K [K000677640 digital image!]).

Dioecious semi-evergreen shrubs, 2–3 m tall; exudate yellow; branchlets tetra-angular, glabrous. Petioles 1.2–2 cm long, slender, adaxially ligulate at base; lamina elliptic to elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, 10–13 × 3.5–6 cm, cuneate at base, margins entire, obtuse or acuminate at apex; midrib prominent above; lateral veins 7–8 pairs, parallel, inconspicuous. Staminate flowers tetramerous, axillary or terminal, solitary or 2–3, fascicled, 0.8–1 cm in diam., pedicel 0.5–0.6 cm long; sepal orbicular, 0.5–0.6 cm long, outer pair keeled, larger than inner, margins membranous; petals red, obovate-orbicular, 0.5 cm in diam., concave; stamens 20–35, on a tetragonous torus, filaments c. 0.1 cm long; rudimentary pistil absent. Pistillate flowers tetramerous, terminal, solitary; sepals and petals same as staminate flowers; ovary globose, 0.5–0.8 cm in diam. Berries globose, 3.5–5 cm in diam., smooth, slightly depressed, with persistent sepals and very minute discoid, persistent stigma. Seeds 2 or more, oblong, 3–4 cm long, with scanty aril.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from September to November; fruiting from December to February.

Habitat: Semi-evergreen forests, very rare.

Distribution: India and Myanmar.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, South Andaman district , s.d., S .

Kurz s.n. (CAL [CAL0000208111]); Bommungla , 16.09.1916, C. E . Parkinson 1000 ( CAL); North and Middle Andaman district, Baratang Island, December 1913, C. E . Parkinson 165 ( DD); Betapav, 28.03.1916, C. E . Parkinson 1140 ( CAL, DD); Rangat, May 1915, C. E . Parkinson 580 ( DD) .

Conservation status: Data Deficient ( IUCN, 2020).

Notes: Kurz (1875), in the protologue noted that the species is similar to Garcinia kydia in leaf characters. Only very few old specimens are represented in herbaria, and there were no recent collections made. In our observation both species show some distinct differences, viz. smooth, slightly depressed fruits with a persistent discoid stigma in G. microstigma against globose-ovoid fruits 6–8 grooved towards apex and with a short mamillate tip in G. kydia (= G. cowa var. kydia ).

Figures

FiG. 12. Fruit of Garcinia lanceifolia var. oxyphylla (Planch. & Trian.) Laness. (Photo by N. Mohanan & P.S. Shameer).