Argyreia elliptica (Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) Choisy, Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve

P. R., Lawand & Shimpale, V. B., 2024, Revision of the genus Argyreia (Convolvulaceae) from India, Rheedea 34 (5), pp. 337-396 : 359-360

13. Argyreia elliptica (Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) Choisy, Mem. Soc. Phys. Geneve 6: 417. 1834.

Ipomoea elliptica Roth ex Roem. & Schult., Syst.

Veg. ed. 15 [ibs]. 4: 248. 1819. Lettsomia elliptica

Wight , Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 4(2): 12. 1848. Type:

“ India Orientale ”, May 1800, B . Heyne s.n. (K

[K000857268 digital image!]). Fig. 5i–l

Perennial climbing shrubs; older stems woody, with lenticels, terete, glabrous while the younger stem brown appressed strigose, terete. Leaf lamina lance ovate to elliptic, 9–12.5 × 4.5–7.5 cm, apex narrowly acute, base obtuse to rounded, secondary veins 8–10 pairs raised conspicuously beneath, sparsely strigose on both the surfaces, hair density more on veins, the leaves of younger branches upwardly directed appears as gathered at apex; petiole dorsally shallowly grooved, green, appressed strigose, 2–4.5 cm long, shorter than the peduncle. Inflorescence many flowered axillary cyme to an aggregate corymb; peduncle appressed strigose, 7.5–12 cm long, longer than the petiole. Flower subsessile, bracteate. Bracts 1–2 mm long, very early caducous. Sepals 5, subequal, widely elliptic to orbicular, 0.5–0.6 × 0.4–0.6 cm, apex round to obtuse, appressed strigose outer, glabrous inner, margins of inner sepals are hyaline, parallel veined, pale green color with purple-black tinge at base. Corolla Infundibuliform, purple–rose pink, 3.5–4.5 cm long and 3.5–3.8 cm across, throat c. 1 cm in diam.; lobes twisted in bud; tube very sparsely hairy on midpetaline bands. Stamens 5, inserted, unequal, 2 long, 3 short, 1.3–1.8 cm long; filaments white, 1–1.4 cm long, dilated and glandular hairy at base; anthers arrow headed, 1–3 mm long, purple to pink, basifixed. Ovary glabrous, off white in color, bilocular with one ovule in each locule; style single; stigma biglobose, pink, papillate. Berries c. 1 cm across, brown, epicarp thick, leathery; seeds dark brown to black, with visible hilum.

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

Habitat: It is common along the moist semi-evergreen forest outskirts and along the roads.

Distribution: India (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka.

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘ elliptica ’ referred to its elliptic leaves.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Karnataka, Uttar Kannada District, Castle Rock, s.d., G.A. Gammie

15754 ( BSI); Mysore District , Hunsur, 21.08.1978 ,

S.R. Ramesh 2247 (CAL); Chikkamagaluru

District, Sankaveri , Baba budhan, October 1908 ,

A. Meebold 8558 ( CAL) ; Belgaum District , on the way to Goa, 12.08.2016 , P. R. Lawand and V.B.

Shimpale 011 ( NCK). Kerala, Idukki District, Vandanmedu , 24.11.1961, K. N. Subramanian

77083 (BSI); Kottayam, Changanacherry,

Melukavu, 11.12.1985, Fr. Kadavil 1321 ( CAL) ;

Wayanad District , Bramhagiri, 15.11.1978, V. S .

Ramachandran 58759 (CAL); Idukki District,

Valara, 16.09.1993, E. S. Santhoshkumar 14465

(TBGT); Idukki District, Munnar, s.d., Usha &

Deepthi 86458 (TBGT); Wayanad District, Way to

Pakshipathalam, 06.10.2010, Geetha Kumary & A . G .

Pandurangan 69654 ( TBGT); Kottayam, Pulliparai to Peruvantham, 22.01.1965, K. Vivekanathan

22938 ( MH). Maharashtra, Satara District, Mahabaleshwar, Fritzgerald Ghat , 22.12.1954 ,

U.M. Patel 1167 (BLAT); Satara District, Khandala,

March 1917, E. Blatter 22307 ( BLAT); Satara

District, Lonavala, 31.07.1954, U. M. Patel 732

(BLAT); Satara District , Khandala, 27.09.1954 ,

U. M. Patel 805 ( BLAT); Satara District, Lonavala on Tungarli Hills, 01.08.1954 , U. M. Patel 734

(BLAT); Satara District , Khandala, 15.09.1959 ,

B. Balamani 451 (BLAT); Satara District,

Mahabaleshwar, Fitzgerald Ghat, 22.12.1954,

U.M. Patel 1166 (BLAT); Satara District, Khandala-

Forbay Tank, 26.09.1954, U. M . Patel 801 (BLAT);

Satara District, Mahabaleshwar, 15.10.1905,

W.A. Talbot 4501 (BSI); Pune District, Bhushi

Dam, 21.08.1964, P . Venkata Reddi 98701 ( BSI); Satara District , Koyna-Karanjwade, 27.12.1972, R. K . Kocchar 158033 ( BSI); Satara District, Khandala- Foot of Bhima hills, 23.12.1962, R. S . Rao 83422 ( BSI); Ratnagiri District , Amboli, 07.11.1965, B. G . Kulkarni 106389 ( BSI); Satara District, Yavateshwar , 18.09.1983, S . D. Deshpande 165881 ( BSI); Satara District , Mahabaleshwar, s.d., T . Cooke s.n. ( BSI); Satara District , Khandala, 30.12.1902, R. K . Bhide 851 ( BSI); Sindhudurg District, Amboli Ghat , 03.12.1983, V . D. Vartak 593 ( AHMA); Sindhudurg District, Amboli Ghat , 27.11.1983, V . D. Vartak 0020557 ( AHMA); Ratnagiri District , Kumbharli Ghat, 06.10.2009, V. S . Ghate 0024959/0024960/0024958 ( AHMA); Satara District , Yavateshwar, August 2016, P. R . Lawand & V. B . Shimpale 012 ( NCK); Kolhapur District , Panhala, 18.09.2016, P. R . Lawand 040 ( NCK); Pune District , Mulshi, 13.10.2016, P. R . Lawand 042 ( NCK). Tamil Nadu, Tiruchirapalli District , Tiruchi, 23.11.1978, K. M . Matthew & C . Manoharan 19462 ( CAL); Coimbatore , Thekkumalai, 25.09.1956, K. M . Sebastine 843 ( CAL); Nilgiri District , Sirur, 13.11.1970, G. V . Subba Rao 37210 ( MH); Coimbatore District , on the way to Ooty, November 2017 P. R . Lawand 041 ( NCK) .

Vernacular Names: Duwel, Duyal (Marathi); Unnayangodi, Thaalvendaankodi (Tamil); Ugani ham bu, Kongepataballi (Kannada).

Uses: The wiry and flexible stems are used by local people to tie up the fardel (pers. obs.).

Notes: The species is closely related to A. lawii C.B.Clarke in terms of leaf shape, flower size and flower shape. However, it differs in having 1–2 mm long and very early caducous bracts as opposed to.5– 2.5 cm, lanceolate and persistent in A. lawii . The plants also differ in the hairiness of the plant body.

This species exhibits variations in flower numbers per inflorescence, as well as the lengths of the peduncle and pedicel. Among the specimens collected from Mulashi (Pune), approximately 30 individuals had one to a few flowers per inflorescence. The peduncle length in these Mulashi specimens measured 1.3–2.5 cm, which is shorter than in typical populations. Similarly, the pedicel length measured 1.2–2 cm, which is an infrequent trait for this species. Additionally, the sepals in this species are glabrous, a rare characteristic. Despite these differences, we conclude that these represent intraspecific variations rather than distinct species-level differences. Dassanayake and Fosberg (1980) reported the presence of secondary veins in the leaves of Argyreia elliptica . However, this feature is absent in Indian populations of the species.

Figures

Fig. 5. Argyreia CymOSa (Roxb.) Sweet (a-d): a. Habit; b. An inflorescence; c. Bracts; d. Sepals. Argyreia daltOnii C.B. Clarke (e-h): e. Habit;f. Leaf abaxial surface;g. Bracts;h. Sepals.Argyreia elliptiCa (Roth ex Roem.& Schult.) Choisy (i-l): i. Habit;j. Inflorescence; k. Sepals;l. Infructescence.