Hubera senjiana R.Muralidharan, Naras. & N.Balach., 2015

Muralidharan, Ramachandran, 2015, A new species of Hubera (Annonaceae) from Peninsular India, Phytotaxa 205 (1), pp. 129-134 : 129-132

Hubera senjiana R.Muralidharan, Naras. & N.Balach. , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1a–h , 2a–b )

Type: — INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Gingee, Villupuram District , Devathanampettai , Pakkamalai Reserve Forest , 12° 10.146’ N, 79° 19.280’ E, 250 m, 17 August 2008, Muralidharan & Narasimhan 7210 A, (holotype MH!; isotypes,7210 B-C, CAL!) .

Diagnosis: The new species differs from Hubera jenkinsii (Hook.f.& Thomson) Chaowasku in having usually smaller leaves and shorter petioles, more fruitlets (35–40) and a shorter and slenderer stipe ( Table 1).

Trees, ca. 5 m high, bark develops even on young branchlets, blackish–grey, apical bud covered by rusty brown tomentum. Leaves elliptic–oblong, 6.5–13.5 × 2.0–4.0 cm, oblique or rounded at base, undulate, acute to acuminate at apex; shiny above; midrib raised below, grooved above; pubescent on margins of midrib on the lower side of leaf; lateral veins ca. 5 pairs; domatia absent; petiole ca. 5 mm long; pubescent. Cymes axillary, 1–2–flowered, inflorescences on young and old, leafless branches, pendulous; flowers ca. 3.5 cm across, pale yellowish green in vivo; pedicel slender, ca. 7 mm long; puberulous. Peduncle bract 1, ovate, ca. 1 mm long; rusty pubescent on the outer side. Sepals 3, ovate to sub orbicular, ca. 3–4 mm long and recurved at margin, rounded at apex, hirsute outside, glabrous inside. Petals 6; outer 3, elliptic-obovate, 1.5–2.0 × 0.7–1.0 cm, entire at margin, acute–obtuse at apex, puberulous on the outer side; inner 3, elliptic–oblong, 1.4–2.2 × 0.5–1.0 cm, entire at margin, obtuse at apex, yellow tinged at base in vivo; puberulous on the outer side; faintly nerved in the middle. Stamens many, pale yellow in vivo; filaments ca. 1 mm long; hirsute; connectives polygonal, flat at top, ca. 1 mm across; anthers oblong, ca. 1.2 × 1.0 mm. Carpels ca. 50, oblong, each ca. 2 × 1 mm long, hirsute on ovary; ovule 1, basal, style indistinct; stigma capitate. Torus slightly raised, hairy. Fruitlets 20–30, densely packed, ellipsoid, 5 × 3 mm; pointed at apex; glabrous; stipe slender, ca. 5 mm long; fruiting pedicel slender, ca. 1 cm long; fruitlets red in vivo when ripe; seed 1, 2 × 1 mm, ellipsoid, brown in vivo; endosperm ruminations spiniform.

Flowering & Fruiting:— August–March

Local Name:— Kothukala (Tamil)

Etymology:— The species is named for the type locality, namely Senji (Gingee).

Distribution and Ecology:— Endemic to Gingee hills, Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is rare, growing in dry rocky soils along forest fringes associated with Phyllanthus polyphyllus , Stenosiphonium russellianum and Justicia beddomei , at an elevation of 200– 300 m.

Other specimens examined:— INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Gingee, Villupuram District, Devathanampettai, Pakkamalai Reserve Forest, 12° 10.146’ N, 79° 19.280’ E, 250 m, 23 March 2012, Muralidharan & Narasimhan 7674. Gingee, Villupuram District, Devathanampettai, Pakkamalai Reserve Forest, 12°10.146’ N, 79°19.280’ E, 250 m, 2 October 2013, Balachandran 12801.

Notes:— Hubera senjiana is morphologcally most similar to H. jenkinsii , a northeastern Indian species, than it is to H. cerasoides or H. korintii , which are widely distributed in southern India.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Hubera senjiana. a. Flowering twig. b. Front view of the flower. c. Back view of the flower. d. Sepal. e. Petal, inside view. f. Petal, outside view. g. Mature flower, entire thalamus with stamens and carpels. h. Fruiting branch.

FIGURE 2. a. Hubera senjiana, flower. b. Hubera senjiana, fruitlets.