Pimenta racemosa (Miller, 1768) J. W. Moore, 1933

Nissar, Vettathukattil Abdulgafoor Muhammed, Rajagopal, Sivaranjani, Mana, Harinarayanan Cheruppoyilath, Elampilay, Sheeja Thotten, Payatatti, Vijesh Kumar Illathidath, Prabhukumar, Konickal Mambetta, Jagadamma, Rema & Saji, Koryampallil Vijayan, 2024, Revisiting the identity and distribution of Allspice (Myrtaceae), a misidentified spice in India, Phytotaxa 653 (3), pp. 208-218 : 210-212

Morphological key to delineate P. racemosa from P. dioica

1a. Hypanthium densely pubescent, calyx and corolla 5-lobed, persistent calyx lobes closely arranged without exposing the receptacle portion in fruit, 1–2 seed per fruit .......................................................................................................................................... P. dioica

1b. Hypanthium glabrous, calyx and corolla 4-lobed, persistent calyx lobes laxly arranged, exposing the receptacle portion in fruit, 3–6 seeds per fruit ................................................................................................................................................................... P. racemosa

Pimenta racemosa (Miller 1768: 5) J.W. Moore (1933: 33) = Caryophyllus racemosus Miller (1768: 5)

Type: Antigua and Barbuda, Miller., herbarium at BM ( BM 000953736). [Link: https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/3268e9dd-7097-4230-ad37- 99fa4c921778].

Tree up to 12 m high. Young twigs glabrous, light green, usually 4-angled flattened at petiole juncture, becoming grey-brown and terete at maturity; trunk greyish brown, bark smooth and papery-flaky. Leaves opposite, sub-sessile to shortly petiolate; petiole to 0.4–0.8 cm long; blades obovate to elliptic, 4.5–10 × 2.2 –5.7cm, slightly discolorous, dark green becoming gray adaxially when dried, light green on the abaxial side, stiffly coriaceous at maturity, both surfaces punctuate, glossy and glabrous, entire margin slightly revolute in fresh material, undulating in dry material, apex acute to obtuse, base cuneate. Secondary veins 3–5 mm apart, 10–12 pairs per blade, held at an angle of c. 60° relative to the mid-vein; marginal vein c. 1.0 mm from the margin at the midpoint, tertiary veins conspicuous on the abaxial side; midvein canaliculate adaxially, keeled abaxially; crushed leaves have a blended aroma of clove and cinnamon. Inflorescence a panicle with 20–100 flowers, 4–8cm long, sub-terminal, rachis mostly glabrous, with white-grayish simple trichomes on the apical portion and in the axils of branches; branches opposite terminating in dichasia; peduncle glabrous. Bracteoles linear, 2–3mm long, caducous before flower anthesis; floral bud clavate, constricted between the ovary and hypanthium, mature buds to c. 5mm long, densely covered in white hairs. Flower hermaphrodite, 5–9 mm diam. Hypanthium glabrous, 1.5–2 × 3.5–4 mm, slightly extended above ovary summit. Corolla free, 5-merous, c. 4 × 3 mm wide. Sepals pale green, sometimes dark gray in dried material, dentate, opening to a star shape at anthesis, lobes c. 1× c. 2 mm, apex acute, base truncate, internally and externally covered in white hairs. Petals white, obovate, reflexed at anthesis, externally pubescent, internally mostly glabrous, apex rounded, base truncate, 3.5–4 × 3.0– 3.5 mm. Staminal ring pubescent, 1.0– 1.5mm wide; stamens ca. 90 in number, anthers 4–6mm long; style 4–8mm long, filiform. Ovary bilocular, free apical placentation, ca. 10 ovules. Fruits subglobose, 10–13 mm in diam. with persistent calyx lobes, glabrous and purple when mature. Seeds 3–6, brown to black and sub-globose.

Taxonomic notes: From the specimens collected and images took from different locations of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa, it is confirmed that the species widely cited as allspice in India is P. racemosa . Herbarium specimens housed at various herbaria viz. P, K, E, G, BR, CAL, MH, CALI, LWG, CMPR, KFRI and TBGT confirmed that the identity of so called ‘allspice’ in India as P. racemosa and allows us to assert that all the previous reports regarding the identity and distribution of true allspice ( P. dioica ) were based on the erroneous identifications at species level associated to data produced by different workers in their publication. Being an exotic, cultivated species, the representation of specimens in herbaria is confined to very few sheets. During the herbarium survey, we found a collection housed at Madras Herbarium ( MH) and TBGT, by M. Mohanan in 20 February 1979 from the Bonacuad region of Agasthyamala, Trivandrum district, Kerala, that perfectly matched P. dioica (Coll. No. 59334; Acc. No. MH 00230332). We visited the locality and confirmed the identity after examination of the flowering and fruiting specimens. A study of the leaf essential oil profile of P. racemosa ( Pragadheesh et al. 2013) planted at the CSIR-CIMAP campus, Lucknow, was published with the correct identity. Reference of the taxonomic key and the type specimens suggests that the variety of P. racemosa being grown in India is P. racemosa var. racemosa . The distinguishing features of P. dioica and P. racemosa are given below ( Table 1 ) based on the literature and field studies.

Distribution: Pimenta racemosa is grown mainly in the south Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra either as intercrops or as sole trees in homesteads under the wrong identity. The plant is often misidentified as allspice and the dried berries and leaves are harvested and sold in some places. The trees were found to grow well from sea level to an altitude of 1200 m. Profuse flowering and fruiting is observed in hill areas with cooler climate whereas in the plains it is sporadic or absent. Occasionally some trees are found to produce flowers and fruits at low elevations. The dried berries are traded as allspice though the volume is meager. The occurrence of Pimenta in India is represented in Fig. 1

The present study reveals that true allspice ( P. dioica ) in India is, as far as we know, strictly confined to Bonacaud, Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala (two fruiting trees and a few seedlings) which could have been planted during the British ruling period. The distinguishing features of P. dioica and P. racemosa are given below ( Table 1 ) based on the literature and field studies.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Pimenta in India.