Argyreia hirsuta Wight & Arn., Madras J. Lit. Sci.

P. R., Lawand & Shimpale, V. B., 2024, Revision of the genus Argyreia (Convolvulaceae) from India, Rheedea 34 (5), pp. 337-396 : 363-364

15. Argyreia hirsuta Wight & Arn., Madras J. Lit. Sci. 5: 18. 1837. Rivea hirsuta (Wight & Arn.)

Wight , Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. 3(2): 8, t. 891. 1844.

Rivea zeylanica Thwaites var. hirsuta ( Wight &

Arn.) Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 209. 1860.

Argyreia hirsuta Wight & Arn. var. coacta C.B. Clarke, Hook.f. Fl. Brit. India 4: 189. 1883. Argyreia populifolia Choisy var. coacta (C.B. Clarke) Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 3: 208. 1895. Argyreia coacta (C.B. Clarke) Alston, Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. 11: 209. 1929. Lectotype (designated by Krishnaraj, Joseph & Ramalingam, 2018:389): INDIA. “ in montibus Peninsulae australioribus ”, Wight Cat. 2254 (E [E00174874 digital image!]; Isolecto E [E00174875, E00174876 digital images!]; G [G00017109 digtial image!], K [K000830726 digital image!]. Fig. 6e–i

A twiner on moderate sized evergreen elements; older stems woody, glabrous and terete, c. 1.5 cm in diameter, young stems twining, terete, violet to green in color, densely appressed strigose. Leaf lamina ovate to widely ovate, 8–12 × 6–9 cm, base cordate, lobes rounded, apex acute to acuminate; secondary veins 9–11 pairs, raised beneath, strigose-hirsute below, strigulose above; petioles 7–14 cm long, shorter than the peduncle, violet in color, hirsute-strigose, terete, dorsally shallowly grooved. Inflorescence axillary compound dichasial cyme, 15–25-flowered; peduncles 13–20 cm long, terete, violet, densely hirsute, longer than the petiole. Bracts 2–3, lanceolate, two long and other small, longer 2–4 × 3–3.5 cm, smaller 1.2–1.5 cm long, hirsute on both sides, pinnately veined, persistent, bract of the flower between fork later enlarges become foliaceous. Flower sub-sessile, pedicel 1–3 mm, shortly enlarges in fruit. Sepals 5, sub-equal, lance-ovate to ovate, 0.7–0.9 cm, apex acute, hairy outer, glabrous inside. Corolla infundibuliform, 4.5–6 cm long and 4.5–5.5 cm across, rose pink in color, hairy on midpetaline bands; corolla lobes obtuse. Stamens 5, unequal, 2 long, 3 short; filaments 0.7–1.3 cm long, white, base dilated, glandular hairy; anthers 4–5 mm, basifixed, pink. Ovary 1–1.2 mm in diam.; style equaling the height of stamens; stigma biglobose, pink. Berries globose, yellow, 1–1.3 cm across. Seeds 2–4, trigonal, brown or white, trigonal, with clearly visible hilum.

Flowering & Fruiting: Flowering from August to October and fruiting from November to February.

Habitat: It grows in moist evergreen forest borders.

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

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘ hirsuta’ is cause of massive hirsuteness of plant.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Karntaka, Belgaum District, Chorla ghat, 19.11.2016, P. R. Lawand &

V.B. Shimpale 013 (NCK). Kerala, Palghat District, Kumattanthode slopes, 07.10.1979 , N.C. Nair 64394

(CAL); Quilon District , Near Ranni, 30.08.1977 ,

N.C. Nair 50710 (CAL); Quilon District , Pamba to Anathode, 30.09.1976 , K. Vivekananthan 48357

(CAL); Calicut District , Chedaleth, 18.08.1964 ,

J.L. Ellis 20406 (MH [MH00139509]); Kannur

District , Cannanore, Manantoddy, 7.08.1979 ,

V.S. Ramachandran 62754 (MH [MH00139507]);

Quilon, Pamba to Anathode, 30.09.1976, K .

Vivekanathan 48357 (MH). Tamil Nadu, Madurai District, High Wavy mountains, May

1917, E Blatter 22333 (BLAT); Coimbatore, Ooty,

Lovedale, April 1920, C . McCann 50271 (BLAT);

Andiparai, Solai, 23.10.1961, J . Joseph 13214 (CAL);

Chennai, Perumal, 9.08.1913, Rev . Aug. Sauliers

988 ( CAL); Nilgiri District , Pykara Falls, August 1884, J . S . Gamble 15297 ( CAL); Nilgiris District , Nilgiris Hills, August 1878, G . King s.n. (CAL).

Vernacular names: Sonarin (Marathi).

Notes:This species is similar to Argyreia coonoorensis W.W. Sm. & Ramaswami in their leaf shape, the relative length of the petiole and peduncle, flower size, fruit color and size. However, A. coonoorensis differs in its indumentum, longer bracts and smaller sepals. Traiperm and Staples (2017) noted that Wight and Arnott first published the name in the Madras Journal of Literature and Science. It was subsequently republished in Pugillus Plantarum in April 1837 and later that same year in Nova Acta Physico-Medica... . As per nomenclatural rules, the later-published names are considered isonyms.

Figures

Fig. 6. Argyreia FulgenS Choisy (a-d): a. Habit; b. Fruiting twig; c. Leaf showing gland in enlarge view; d. Sepals. Argyreia hirSuta Wight & Arn. (e-i): e. Habit; f. Inflorescence;g & h. Bracts; i. Sepals. Argyreia hOOkeri C.B. Clarke (j-m): j. Habit; k. Inflorescence; l. Bracts; m. Sepals.