Argyreia boseana Santapau & Patel, Trans. Bose Res. Inst. Calcutta

P. R., Lawand & Shimpale, V. B., 2024, Revision of the genus Argyreia (Convolvulaceae) from India, Rheedea 34 (5), pp. 337-396 : 349-350

6. Argyreia boseana Santapau & Patel, Trans. Bose Res. Inst. Calcutta 22: 35. 1958. Type: INDIA, Bombay state [Maharashtra], near Mahabaleshwar, Fitzgerald Ghat [Ambenali Ghat], 15.07.1956, Z. Kapadia 2083 (holo BLAT!) Fig. 3e–h

A perennial climber, rarely prostrate. Stems semiwoody,warty, terete, herbaceous towards apex, younger stem hairy, green sometimes purplish.Leaf petiole 10–15 cm long, shorter than the peduncle, adaxially shallowly grooved, green to pale purple, hairy; leaf lamina widely ovate, 15–22 × 10–15 cm, apex acute to narrowly acute, base cordate, secondary veins 10–12 pairs, conspicuously raised beneath, sparsely hairy to nearly glabrous above, sparsely hairy below, hairs density more on veins. Inflorescence an axillary compact dichotomously branched cyme, 10–15 flowered; peduncle hairy like petiole, green, terete, 15–25 cm long, usually longer than the petiole. Flower sub-sessile, bracteate; bracts 2, 1–2 cm, narrowly oblong, apex acute, sparsely hairy outside, glabrous inner. Sepals 5, persistent in fruiting, unequal, outer three narrower and longer than inner two, lanceolate, outer three 1.5–2.0 cm while, inner two 1.0– 1.5 cm long, apex acuminate, glabrous inner, sparsely hairy outer. Corolla infundibuliform, pink, 5–6 cm long and 5–6 cm across; corolla tube 2.5–3 cm long, dark purple inside, hairy on midpetaline bands, corolla lobes shortly apiculate, twisted in bud. Stamens 5, included in the corolla tube, 3–4 cm long; filaments white, dilated and glandular hairy at base; anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary pale green in color, encircled with annular disc; style 1, white 2.5–3 cm long; stigma biglobose, white. Berries yellow, c. 1 cm in diam.

Flowering & Fruiting: flowering from late July to October and fruiting from November to January.

Vernacular names: Gaveli, Sonarin (Marathi).

Habitat: Species grows along the forest edges.

Distribution: Endemic to peninsular India: Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Etymology: The species is named after Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose , on the occasion of his birth centenary.

Specimens examined: INDIA. Karnataka, Uttar Kannada District, Yellapur, Teligeri , 13.03.1957 ,

S.K. Jain 16505 (BSI); Uttar Kannada District,

Balehalli, 30.10.1980, R . Raghavan 67943 (BLAT);

Uttar Kannada District , Yellapur, 11.03.1957, S. K .

Jain 16272, ibid 16505 (BLAT); Shimoga District,

Agumbe, 18.05.1960, R. S . Raghavan 62637 (BLAT);

Belgaum District , Yedur, 27.08.1963, R. S. Raghavan

90270 ( BSI). Maharashtra, Satara District, Mahabaleshwar , Oct.1924, R . D. Acland 759( BLAT) ;

Satara District, Fitzgerald Ghat, Mahabaleshwar,

06.09.1954, U. M. Patel 767 ( BLAT); Satara District ,

Mahabaleshwar, Lingmala Falls, 21.12.1954,

U.M. Patel 1129 (BLAT); Satara District, Wada,

Kas, 02.12.1983, S . D. Deshpande 166571 ( BSI) ;

Sindhudurg District, Phonda Ghat, 18.08.1965,

B.G. Kulkarni 105572 (BSI); Satara District,

Mahabaleshwar, 30.01.1956, V. D. Vartak 3021 &

2107 (AHMA); Satara District, Mahabaleshwar,

03.10.1955, V. D. Vartak 1186 ( AHMA); Satara

District, Valmiki plateau, 09.09.2016, P. R. Lawand

& V.B. Shimpale 005 (NCK); Satara District,

Mahabaleshwar, Ambenali Ghat, 16.09.2018, P. R .

Lawand 031 (NCK). (Often most of the specimens except the collections by present authors have labelled as A. hookeri , now corrected to A. boseana ).

Conservation status: The taxon is endemic to peninsular India and is found abundantly throughout the northern Western Ghats. The EOO of the species is more than 54,000 km ², and its AOO is greater than 2,000 km ². Populations of the species occur at many locations, so it does not meet the criteria for Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Therefore, it should be placed in the Least Concern (LC) category of the IUCN (2024).

Notes: Argyreia boseana is similar to A. involucrata , but the former is a climber with orbicular cordate leaves, dichotomously branched cyme, oblong bracts and acuminate sepals. A. boseana also shares similarities with A. hookeri C.B. Clarke in having orbicular cordate shaped leaves, loosely arranged cyme, size of flower and yellow colored berries. However, it differs in having glabrous leaves, larger and oblong bracts, and sepals with unequal, acuminate apices. Morevover, A. hookeri is restricted to the northeastern region (Lawand & Shimpale, 2020), where as A. boseana is endemic to peninsular India. The former is often erroneously recorded from peninsular India ( Cooke , 1908).

Figures

Fig. 3. Argyreia bella (C.B. Clarke) Raizada (a-d): a. Habit; b. A flower with exserted stamens and gynoecium; c. Sepals; d. Fruits. Argyreia bOSeana Santapau & V. Patel (e-h): e. Habit; f. Flower side view; g. Bracts; h. Sepals. Argyreia braCteata Choisy (i-l): i. Flowering twig; j. Leaf abaxial surface;k. Bracts;l. Sepals.