Argyreia pomacea Choisy var. triflora C.B. Clarke

P. R., Lawand & Shimpale, V. B., 2024, Revision of the genus Argyreia (Convolvulaceae) from India, Rheedea 34 (5), pp. 337-396 : 391-392

Argyreia pomacea Choisy var. triflora C.B. Clarke in Hook f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 188. 1883. Type: SRI LANKA, Without locality, Thwaites C.P.1932 (holo K [ K000830642 digital image!]; iso P [ P00584830 digtial image!]. Fig. 15a–d

A woody lianal older stems without hairs, woody, 2–2.5cm in diam.,younger stems green, herbaceous,

appressed white strigose, terete. Leaf lamina ovate or elliptic, 5–9 × 3–5 cm, base shallowly cordate in mature leaves or rounded, obtuse, apex acute or sometimes emarginate, upper surface strigose,

lower surface densely white tomentose, secondary veins 7–8 pairs, raised beneath; petiole 2–5 cm

long, adaxially grooved, white appressed strigose,

terete. Inflorescence axillary cyme, 2–5-flowered;

peduncle shorter than the pedicel, 2–4 cm long,

hairy like stem. Flower pedicellate, bracteate. Bracts

2; outer larger c. 3 × 0.5 cm, elliptic; inner bract 1–1.5 × 0.4–0.5 cm, lance-ovate, tomentose on both sides, persistent. Sepals 5, subequal, lanceolate,

0.8–0.9 cm long, inner three wider, apex obtuse,

sparsely hairy outer, glabrous inner, enlarges in fruit. Corolla infundibuliform, rose pink colored,

4–5 cm long, same across, throat dark purple, 1

cm wide, hairy on midpetaline bands. Stamens 5,

unequal 2 long 1–1.5 cm long, 3 short 0.8–1 cm

long; filaments dilated and glandular hairy at base,

pink colored; anthers 4–5 mm long, pink. Ovary conical, pale white; style 1, c. 1 cm long, white;

stigma biglobose, white, papillate. Berries fleshy,

yellow, 1–1.2 cm across, 2–4 seeded.

Flowering & Fruiting: Flowering from early September to November and fruiting from November to January.

Habitat: The plants are found frequent in the disturbed open areas, climbing on the shrubs in abandoned fields and along roadsides.

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

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘ zeylanica ’ is named after the type locality Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ).

Specimens examined: INDIA, Kerala, Palghat District, Attapadi block, 27.08.1966, E. Vajravelu

27846 ( CAL); Kasargod District , Periya reserve forest, 08.08.1984, R . T . Balakrishnan 40359 (CALI);

Kottayam, Mariyur-Dearkolam, 18.06.1963, M .

Chandrabose 30563 (MH00139621); Kottayam,

Chinnar to Mariyar, 19.04.1964, K. M. Sebastine

18310 ( MH). Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, Anaikatti forest , 28.05.1994, S. K . Mondal 7116 ( CAL); Coimbatore, Mettupalayam , 28.09.1962, C. P . Sreemadhavan 15406, 318288 ( CAL); Coimbatore, Thenisipillam Hills , 10.05.1970, C. E. C . Fischer 1894, 310581 ( CAL); Coimbatore, Muruthamalai , 20.07.1956, K. M . Sebastine 338 ( CAL); Coimbatore, Foot of Konamalai , 570 m, 18.09.1963, C. P . Sreemadhavam 811 ( MH); Coimbatore, Anakkatti, 850 m, 23.06.1970, M. V . Viswanathan 669, ( MH [ MH00139609 ]); Coimbatore, Noyil River side, 466 m, 1.07.1968, M . Chandrabose 30271, ( MH [ MH00139603 ]); Coimbatore, Slope of Kuridimalai , 10.07.1956, K . Subramanyam 236 ( MH [ MH00139472 ]); Coimbatore, Noyel River Side, 01.08.1968, M . Chandrabose 30563 ( MH [ MH00139621 ]); Coimbatore, Palamalai , 5.09.1969, M. V . Viswanathan 119 ( MH [ MH00139620 ]); Coimbatore, foot of Konamalai , 18.09. 1963, 570 m, C. P . Sreemadhavan 811 ( MH [ MH00139617 ]); Coimbatore, Anaikatti , 23.06. 1970, 850 m, M. V . Viswanathan 669 ( MH [ MH00139606 ]); Coimbatore, Anaikatti to Sholayur Road , Forest near Anaikatti , 26.11.2017, P. R . Lawand 028 ( NCK); Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, on the way to Ooty , 30.10.2018, P. R . Lawand 070 ( NCK) .

Vernacular names: Unam kodhy (Tamil).

Notes: The species is morphologically similar to Argyreia bracteata , sharing characteristics such as leaf shape and overall hairiness. However, it is distinct due to its lance-ovate bracts, longer peduncles, and few-flowered inflorescence. The species is popularly referred to as A. pomacea among Indian taxonomists. However, Staples and Traiperm (2017) have synonymized this name under A. zeylanica .

Argyreia lakshminarasimhanii S. Shalini, Sujana, Arisdason & D. Maity , a recently described species from the southern Western Ghats of India ( Shalini et al., 2020), closely resembles A. zeylanica in several aspects. Both species share ovate, whitesericeous abaxial leaves, lance-ovate to lanceolate bracts, and compact inflorescences.

Notably, A. lakshminarasimhanii was described based on the adnation (attachment) of stamens at the base of the corolla tube—a feature considered unique and absent in other Indian Argyreia species. However, our observations reveal that this character is also present in A. elliptica , A. kondaparthensis , A. mastersii , A. mollis , A. sikkimensis , and even in A. zeylanica .

Figures

Fig. 15. Argyreia zeylaniCa (Gaertn.) Voigt (a-d): a. Inflorescence; b. Stamens;c. Gynoecium;d. Fruit.