Rohdea wattii (C.B. Clarke 1890: 78 ) Yamashita & M.N.Tamura (2004: 369)

Dhatchanamoorthy, Narayanasamy, Devanathan, Krishnamoorthy, Lokho, Kreni, Begum, Syeda Noorunnisa & Balachandran, Natesan, 2024, Rediscovery and lectotypification of Rohdea wattii (C. B. Clarke) Yamashita & M. N. Tamura (Asparagaceae) from Manipur, India, Phytotaxa 641 (2), pp. 177-182 : 178-181

Rohdea wattii (C.B. Clarke 1890: 78) Yamashita & M.N.Tamura (2004: 369)

≡ Campylandra wattii C.B. Clarke (1890: 78) ≡ Tupistra wattii Hooker (1892: 325) , Fig.2 .

Type:— INDIA. Manipur, Kupra , 6000 ft, February 1882, G.Watt 5885, CAL (Lectotype designated here: CAL0000253817!) Fig. 1 ; isolectotype: K (K000846034 digital image!), BM (BM000617038 digital image!); paralectotype: Ching Sow (presently Chingloubung ), April 1882, 7000 ft, G. Watt 6544 (K [K000846032 digital image], CAL [CAL0000253814!, CAL0000253816!]) ; Kala Naga Hills , May 1882, 5000 ft, G. Watt 6437 (K [K000846033 digital image!], CAL [CAL0000253815!]) .

Description:— Rhizomatous herbs, up to 50 cm high. Aerial stem up to 25 cm long, subcylindric or subterete, glabrous; inter nodes 1–4.3 cm long. Leaves 4–9; young leaves covered with sheaths; sheaths cylindric, linear-lanceolate, 3.8–5 × 1–1.5 cm, hyaline at margins, acuminate at apex many-veined, chartaceous; leaf blade elliptic-ovate to ellipticlanceolate, 10–19 × 3.5–6.7 cm, cuneate at base, entire at margins, acuminate at apex, chartaceous, glabrous; primary veins c. 7 pairs; petiole flat to sub-canaliculate, 4–8 cm long, shortly-hyaline along margins, sheathing or auriculate at base and clasping to the stem, folded when dry, glabrous. Inflorescence a spike, terminal, ellipsoid, c. 3 × 1.5 cm, densely-flowered, terminating with many sterile bracts; peduncle c. 3 cm long. Flowers depressed globose in bud, 6–9 mm across, greenish-yellow. Fertile bracts 2, subulate to linear-lanceolate, 10–14 × 2–4 mm, hyaline and obscurely-denticulate at margins, acute to shortly-acuminate at apex, glabrous. Perianth syntepalous, campanulate, 6–9 mm across, greenish-yellow; perianth tube 3–5 mm long; perianth lobes 6, broadly ovate to suborbicular, 3–4.2 × 3.2–4.2 mm, hyaline and obscurely-denticulate at margins, acute to shortly-acuminate at apex, glabrous, imbricate in bud. Stamens 6; filaments 2–2.5 mm long, recurved; anther broadly oval-oblong, 0.8–1.2 mm long, greenish-yellow. Ovary depressed globose, c. 2.2 × 2.2 mm, glabrous; style columnar, c. 0.2 mm long; stigma 3-fid. Berries globose, c. 10 × 10 mm, glabrous, scarlet-red when ripe.

Phenology:— Flowering and fruiting were observed from February onwards.

Habitat:— R. wattii thrives well as an understory plant in the dense moist deciduous forests at the elevation of about 2380 masl. Brassaiopsis aculeata (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) Seem., Dendrocalamus sp. , Maesa indica (Roxb.) A. DC. , Mahonia imbricata T.S.Ying & Boufford , Michelia doltsopa Buch. -Ham. ex DC., Mycetia sp. , Quercus lamellosa Sm. and Senecio scandens Buch. -Ham. ex D. Don. are growing associated with this species.

Global distribution:— Bhutan ( Tanaka 2010), China, India, and Vietnam.

Other specimens examined:— INDIA. Manipur: Senapati district, Khungho hills , 2380 m, 17.02.2017, N. Dhatchanamoorthy 120389 ( FRLH) ; Nagaland: Naga Hills , May 1886, D. Prain s.n. ( CAL [ CAL180762 !]) . CHINA. Guangxi (also known as Kwangsi): Beijing Exped. 891016 ( PE02018169 digital image!) ; Soh Hch Tsuen Lin Yuin Hsien, Lao Shan forest , 1900m, 06.04.1933, Steward & Cheo 135 NY (03959954 digital image!) . Guizhou: Kaili , 7 May 1959, Qiannan Exped. 1363 ( PE01318222 digital image!) ; Nayong , 22 April 1974, Bijie Exped. 656 ( PE01318218 digital image!) ; Rongjiang, 22 April 1959, Qiannan Exped. 02981 ( PE01318219 digital image!). Yunan: Funing , 18 April 1940, C.W. Wang 88691 ( PE00593284 digital image!) ; Jingping , 17 May 1956, Sino-Soviet Exped. 1590 ( PE00035416 digital image!) ; Malopo , 21 February 1940, C.W. Wang 87053 ( PE00593272 digital image!) ; Nanjian , 22 March 2012, E.D. Liu et al. 3507 ( PE01920734 digital image!) ; Pingbian , 10 October 1965, K.M. Feng 4817 ( PE 00593289 digital image!) ; Simao , 26 March 1957, Sino-Soviet Exped. 9116 ( PE02088736 digital image!) ; Xichou , 3 September 1965, Y.Q. Mo 2393 ( PE00593282 digital image!) ; Zhenkang , March 1936, C.W. Wang 72455 ( PE00593280 digital image!) ; South of Red River , 1901, A. Hendry 10871A NY (03959953 digital image!) ; Long Ki, 1894, Delavay 5139 P ( P02157089 , P02157093 digital image!) ; s.l., Delavay 5109 P ( P02157091 digital image!) ; Montagur a Long Ki , April 1894, Delavay 5109 P ( P02157090 digital image!). Kouy Tcheou: Blanda , P.O Oma, 1200m, 12 May 1916, Esquirol 5132 P ( P02157092 , P02157094 digital image!) . VIETNAM. Lao Cai Province: Road to Phong Tho from Sapa, in Bob's Valley , 22° 20' 58'' N, Longitude: 103° 46' 15'' E, 1950 m, 29 Mar. 1997, Rushforth et al. 4432 E ( E00110005 image not available) ; Sa Pa district, Hoang Lien National Park , Tram Ton area , In the forest, N 22° 20' 45'' E 103° 46' 50'', 2000m, 24.11.2009, Nuraliev M.S. 145 MW ( MW0735011 digital image!) ; Bank of Golden Stream , N 22° 20' 15'', E 103° 46' 45'', 2020m, 21.11.2009, Nuraliv M.S. 146 (MW0735010 digital image!) ; Bank of Golden Stream , N 22° 20' 15'', E 103° 46' 45'', 2020m, 21.11.2009, Nuraliv M.S. 147 ( MW0735009 digital image!) . Cao Bang Province: Bao Lac district, Dinh Phung Nam Linh municipality, N 22° 47' E 105° 49', 1550–1600m, 15 April 1999, P.K. Loc, P.H. Hoang & L. Averyanov 1385 P ( P00991528 digital image!) .

Habitat and conservation status:— During our field expeditions, we observed that severe soil erosion followed by landslides changing the topography of the original habitats and is the main threat to the populations of R. wattii . We also noticed the continuous decline in the population size in terms of mature individual numbers in the past six years. Recent visit in 2021, we accounted for a total of only about 35 to 40 mature individuals in three adjacent locations and it was about 100 mature individuals in previous account. Based on the field observations and IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria Ver. 15.1 ( IUCN 2022) for the regional and local assessment, R. wattii falls under the criteria Critically Endangered A2(a+c), B2(biii+v, civ), C2(ai).

Lectotypification:— C.B. Clarke published the name Campylandra wattii C.B. Clarke (1890: 78) based on Watt’s collections from Northern Manipur (as North Muneypore) at the elevation of 6500 feet and other collections from Manipur (as Muneypore) during 1882 along with a line diagram (C.B. Clarke 1890: t. 32) and without designating proper type. Yamashita & Tamura (2004) transferred this species under Rohdea based on the molecular and karyotype evidences as R. wattii without mentioning type details. The recent revision on the genus Rohdea by Tanaka (2010) also collectively designated all the Watt’s collections during 1882 from Manipur as syntype. Hence, there is an aperture to designate lectotype following Articles 9.3 and 9.12 of ICN ( Turland et al. 2018). An extensive search in various herbaria (CAL, P, E, K & BM) resulted in a total of seven sheets belonging to three various collection numbers and places by George Watt in the year 1882 from Manipur at elevations ranging from 5000 to 7000 ft. Among them, the sheet in CAL with the barcode number CAL180761 is designated here as a lectotype, since it is nearly matching with the line diagram by C.B. Clarke (1890: t. 32) as well as in good condition. Other specimens at BM (BM000617038) and K (K000846034) are isolectotypes and also specimens at CAL (CAL180759, CAL180760) and K (K000846032, K000846033) are designated here as paralectotypes.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lectotype of Rohdea wattii (C.B. Clarke) Yamashita & Tamura ≡ Campylandra wattii C.B. Clarke

FIGURE 2. Rohdea wattii. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence close-view. C. Flower close-view. D, E. Bract adaxial & abaxial view. F. Tepal. G. Stamen. H. Pistil. I. Fruits close-view.