Cinnamomum gamblei Geethakum., Deepu et Pandur., 2017

Geethakumary, M. P., Deepu, S. & Pandurangan, A. G., 2017, A new species of Cinnamomum and notes on the status of C. palghatensis in Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 326 (4), pp. 252-258 : 252-257

Cinnamomum gamblei Geethakum., Deepu et Pandur. , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 & 2 )

Type:— INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri Distr., Thai shola, 11° 13.521‘ N & 76° 35.521‘ E, ± 2248 m, 26 March 2014, Geethakumary & Pandurangan 80824 (holotype TBGT 34532!, isotypes TBGT 34533!, TBGT 34534!, CAL!, MH!).

Cinnamomum macrocarpum auct non Hook. f., Kostermans in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 25(1–4): 100. 1983

Trees, 8–14 m high, buttressed; bark brown; branchlets angular, covered with appressed hairs when young; terminal bud densely sericeous. Leaves opposite or subopposite, ovate to broadly elliptic to lanceolate, 5–16.7 × 2.2–8.5 cm, coriaceous, smooth, glossy dark green above, pale beneath, glabrous, with faint smell of cinnamon; base cuneate or obtuse, apex acute; midrib prominent below, lateral nerves arising 10–15 mm above the base, reaching near the apex with arcuate branches, tertiary nerves parallel, 3–4 mm apart, prominent; petioles stout, 1–1.8 cm long, flat above. Panicles terminal or from the axils of terminal leaves or extra-axillary, few flowered, sericeous; main peduncle thickened, 3–13.5 cm long; branchlets 3–7, 1.5–2.5 cm long; pedicels sparsely appressed pilose, 3–7 mm long. Flowers yellowish green, 7–12 × 3–3.5 mm, appressed pubescent. Tepals fleshy, 6 in 2 whorls of 3 each, ovate to elliptic, ca. 4.5 mm long, densely sericeous, apex acute, incurved. Stamens 9 in 3 whorls of 3 each, all 4-locellate; whorls I and II 2–2.5 mm long, anthers oblong, fleshy, introrse; filaments 1–1.2 mm long, pilose; whorl III ca. 2.5 mm long, anthers oblong, extrorse; glands shortly stipitate, broadly ovate, ca. 1 mm long; staminodes shorter than the stamens, ca. 1.7 mm long, sub-cordate, stipes pilose. Ovary ellipsoid, ca. 1.6 mm long, glabrous; style 1.6–2 mm long, thick; stigma peltate. Fruits ellipsoid, ca. 2.5 cm long; cupule cup shaped, base conical, with remnants of tepal bases.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting was observed from March to October.

Etymology:—The specific epithet “ gamblei ” refers to James Sykes Gamble (1847–1925), a Forest Officer of British India, in recognition of his contributions to the Indian flora.

Distribution:— Cinnamomum gamblei is distributed in the Western Ghats across Kerala and Tamil Nadu ( Fig. 2 H ), mostly confined to high altitude montane forests.

Conservation status:—The new species has been located in two distinct places i.e., Nilgiri Plateaus and Kodaikanal region, separated by Palghat gap. The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is <500 km 2, the habitable sites within the EOO are restricted to the above-mentioned localities and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) is <20 km 2. At the type locality, we could locate more than 100 reproductively mature individuals and in overall> 250 in the population. Each subpopulation contains>50 mature individuals. The species is having a restricted area of occupancy and number of locations (≤5) with a plausible future threat due to an apparently low recruitment rate, as evident by the fact that the population contains over 80% reproductively mature individuals, which could drive the taxon to a higher threat category. Therefore, as per preliminary conservation assessment, we recommend that this species may be treated as Vulnerable [VU C2a (i, ii); D2] ( IUCN, 2012a &b, 2016). Since the type locality is within a National park and core area of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve the species receives adequate protection.

Discussion:— Cinnamomum gamblei resembles C. macrocarpum in its large fruit (ca. 2.5 cm), but it is morphologically allied to C. wightii Meissner (1864: 11) in its leaf shape, long peduncled inflorescence, 4-locellate whorl III stamens. It differs in leaves having lateral nerves almost reaching the apex, with arcuate branches toward the margin (vs lateral nerves reaching 2/3 of lamina, without arcuate branches), inflorescence with long branchlets (vs short branchlets), appressed pubescent flowers (vs fulvous sericeous), sub-cordate staminodes (vs narrowly sagittate staminodes), and ca. 2.5 cm long fruits (vs ca. 1.5 cm long fruits). The main character state differences between these species are summarized in Table 1.

Notes:— This species was found to be having sporadic flowers with up to 8 tepals ( Fig 2 D–E ), 12 stamens, and staminodes bearing single or a pair of glands ( Fig 1 L–M ), which might be due to developmental aberration.

Additional specimens examined:— INDIA. Kerala: Palakkad Distr., Silent valley, ± 850 m, 03 August 2008, Geethakumary 60438 ( TBGT). Tamil Nadu: Nilgiri Distr. , Naduvattom , 11°29‘9.41‘‘ N & 76°34‘22.22‘‘ E, ± 1953 m, 27 March 2014, Geethakumary 80843 & 80844 ( TBGT) ; ibid, 25 April 2015, Deepu Sivadas 78693 ( TBGT) ; Nilgiris near Pykara , 2000 m, 03 April 1973, Kostermans 24532 ( P01978314 !) ; ibid., Kostermans 24533 ( L0309656 !, L0309655 !, P01978316 !) ; ibid., Kostermans 24534 ( P01978315 !) ; Shola forests near Naduvattom on Ootacamund— Gudalur Road, 14 May 1963, K. N. Subramanian 286 ( L0309638 !) ; Ooty-Naduvattom Road , 2100 m, 10 March 1969, D. B. Deb 31616 ( MH, L) ; Naduvattom , May 1984, s. coll., s.n. ( MH Acc. No. 44480) ; Naduvattom , 830 m, 08 May 1983, Shylaja 26213 ( CALI) ; Pykara, s.coll., s.n. ( MH Acc. No. 44459) ; Above Sispara , 6000 ft., May 1889, J. S. Gamble 20635 & 20636 ( MH) ; Sispara, 6000 ft., May 1889, J. S. Gamble s.n. ( MH Acc. No. 44454) ; Carrington, 2025 m, 05 April 1972, K. Vivekananthan 40707 ( MH). Coimbatore Distr., Iyerpadi , 20 October 1901, C. A. Barber 3832 ( MH). Dindigul Distr. , Kodaikanal , 13 March 1956, J. Pallithanam JP1361 ( RHT) ; Poombarai Plateau, 2150 m, 20 May 1987, K. M. Matthew & M. Charles 49575 ( RHT) ; Kuthirayar at Kukkal, 1850 m, 20 May 1987, K. M. Matthew & M. Charles 49591 ( RHT) ; Bombay shola, 2100 m, 23 May 1987, K. M. Matthew & M. Charles 49679 ( RHT) ; Kodaikanal, Marian shola Bunglow , 2300 m, 17 May 1986, K. M. Matthew & N. Rajendran 45133 ( RHT) ; Mahilkundram shola, 2100 m, 23 May 1987, K. M. Matthew & M. Charles 49698 ( RHT) ; Dindigul, 2100 m, 22 May 1987, K. M. Matthew & M. Charles 49666 ( RHT) ; Levinge path below LA Province , 2100 m, 01 June 1988, K. M. Matthew 53017 ( RHT) .

Lectotypification of C. macrocarpum :— When J.D. Hooker (1886) described this species, he cited “ C. iners, Wight Ic. t. 130. Carua, Ham. in Trans. Linn. Soc. i. 57.— Rheede Hort. Mal. i. t. 51.” along with a collection of Dalzell from Canara. As Hooker mentioned several elements and did not designate any of them as type, there is a need of lectotypification. We could trace two sheets belonging to the collections of Dalzell at K (K000778608!) and L (L0309662!). Both are syntypes and take precedence over Rheede’s illustration in choice of a lectotype. As Hooker’s types are known to be mainly at K and the sheet K000778608! is stamped ‘Herbarium Hookerianum’, it is treated here as lectotype and the sheet at L as isolectotype in accordance with the Art 9.12 of ICN ( McNeill et al. 2012) ( Fig. 3 ).

Gangopadhyay (2008: 89) described Cinnamomum palghatensis based on a fruiting specimen collected by Vajravelu in May 1979 from Palakkad (Palghat) District of Kerala, India (MH 62860!). On critical analysis of the type specimen, several other collections and fresh materials ( Fig. 4 ), it was confirmed that this species is conspecific with C. macrocarpum .

Cinnamomum macrocarpum Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 133. 1886.

Lectotype (designated here):— INDIA. Karnataka: Kanara (Canara), Dalzel s.n. ( K000778608 !; isolectotype, L0309662 !).

= Cinnamomum palghatensis Gangop. , Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon 15(2): 89. 2008, syn. nov.

Holotype:— INDIA. Kerala: Palghat district, Singampatti to Vattaparai forest , Siruvani western slopes, 625 m, 29 May 1979, E. Vajravelu 62860 ( CAL; isotype MH!).

Kostermans (1983) in his revision of the south Indian species of Cinnamomum provided an illustration supposedly showing C. macrocarpum . However, this illustration was based on some misidentified specimens from Naduvattom, Nilgiri ( L 0309655!, L 0309656!, P 01978314!, P 01978316!), quite different from Hooker’s description and type specimen. Later workers followed his drawing, rather than the type material and Hooker’s description, and erroneously identified the specimens similar to Kostermans’ description as C. macrocarpum . On perusal of various herbaria viz. L, MH, CALI, TBGT, RHT we could trace several specimens of C. gamblei wrongly identified as C. macrocarpum Hook. f.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Cinnamomum gamblei sp. nov. A. Flowering twig; B–E. Tepals, B. first whorl abaxial side, C. first whorl adaxial side, D. second whorl abaxial side, E. second whorl adaxial side; F–G. Stamens of outer whorl, F. adaxial side, G. abaxial side; H–I. Stamens of whorl III, H. adaxial side, I. abaxial side; J–M. Staminodes, J. adaxial side, K. abaxial side, L–M. aberrant staminodes with glands; N. Pistil; O. Fruit (A–N from Holotype).

FIGURE 2. Cinnamomum gamblei sp. nov. A–B. Flowering twigs; C. Twigs with old flowers/very young fruits; D–E. Abnormal tetramerous flower; F. Immature fruit; G. Empty cupule; H. Distribution map.

FIGURE 3. Type specimens of Cinnamomum macrocarpum. A. Lectotype K [(K000778608) digital image!] [© the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]; B. Isolectotype, L [(L0309662) digital image!] [© the Leiden Herbarium].

FIGURE 4. Cinnamomum macrocarpum. A. Tree; B. Flowering twig; C. Fruiting twig; D. Seed.