Litsea udayanii Robi, 2015

Robi, A. J., George, Satheesh & Thushar, K. V., 2015, Litsea udayanii (Lauraceae): A new species from the southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 222 (1), pp. 44-50 : 45-48

Litsea udayanii Robi sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 )

The new species is closely similar to L. cubeba in its inflorescences clustered on a brachyblast and L. beddomei in fruits. Litsea udayanii differs from L. cubeba by its coriaceous leaves, 12 staminodes in the female flowers, ellipsoid fruits, and an enlarged and cup-shaped perianth tube; it differs from L. beddomei by its elliptic-oblong leaves with cuneate to rounded base and abaxially prominent tertiary veins, and by its clustered inflorescence. In contrast, L. cubeba is characterized by chartaceous leaves, 8–9 staminodes in the female flowers, subglobose fruits, and a small and flattened perianth tube and L. beddomei is distinguished by linear-oblong leaves with acute to attenuate base and abaxially inconspicuous tertiary veins, and by its inflorescences arranged on 1–5 cm long brachyblasts. ( Table 1).

Type:— INDIA, Kerala, Idukki dist.: Pambadumshola National Park, ± 1950 m, 23 January 2009, A. J. Robi & P. S. Udayan 5467 (holotype, MH!, isotypes, CMPR!, KFRI!, CALI!).

Shrubs to small trees, to 10 m tall; bark brown, smooth, lenticellate, inner bark pale yellow; branchlets adpressed sericeous or glabrous, purple colored, slender; young leaves reddish or purple. Leaves simple, alternate, estipulate; petiole 5–10 mm long, stout, glabrous, slightly grooved above, purple colored; lamina 6–11× 2–4 cm, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, base cuneate to rounded, apex obtuse, acute or attenuate, margin entire, glabrous on both sides, smooth and glossy above, glaucous below, coriaceous; midrib slightly raised above, prominent beneath, glabrous on both sides; secondary veins 6–10 pairs, pinnate, slender, arcuate, prominent abaxially, obscure adaxially, looped towards the margin; intercostae finely reticulate, prominent. Inflorescences on umbel-bearing reduced branchlets (brachyblasts) with the appearance of a raceme of umbels, in axils of leaves, brachyblast ca. 1 cm long, bearing 2–7 umbels; peduncle of umbels 5 mm long, stout, straight, adpressed sericeous; involucral bracts 4, 3× 3 mm, orbicular, concave, densely adpressed hairy outside, glabrous and glossy inside, coriaceous, caducous. Flowers 4 in each umbel, greenish-white, 4 mm long; pedicels up to 2 mm long, silky-pubescent; tepals 6, 1.3× 0.8 mm, oblong, acute or incurved at apex, subequal, membranaceous, glabrous on both sides, white. Male flowers: not seen. Female flowers: staminodes 12, those of the outer rows linear; inner rows subulate, 1–1.3 mm long, glabrous, 2-glandular; ovate, 0.5 mm long glands. Ovary 1 mm long, globose; style 1 mm long, straight, stout, pale-yellow, glabrous; stigma capitate, papillose, white. Fruit a berry, 1 cm long, ellipsoid, glabrous, greenish, white specked, reddish on maturity, seated on the turbinate perianth tube; perianth tube cup-shaped, sparsely pubescent, margin entire; fruiting pedicels terete, stout, sparsely pubescent.

Flowering & Fruiting: January–May.

Distribution: So far, from the Anamalai hills (Kerala).

Ecology: Litsea udayanii is growing in stunted tropical montane forests (Shola) at an altitudinal range 1400–2400 m, which is very rare in sholas.

Etymology: The new species is named in honor of Dr. P.S. Udayan, Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, Sreekrishna College, Guruvayur, for his contribution to Indian plant taxonomy.

Conservation status: Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(i,ii) + B1ab(iii)). The taxon has been assessed according to the IUCN criteria ( IUCN, 2010). Its area of occupancy is estimated to be less than 10 km 2 and its habitat is severely fragmented. The species is known to exist only in two locations. A continuous decline in quality of habitat and extent of occurrence is noticed.

Note: The new species shows similarities with L. beddomei J. D. Hooker (1886: 177) in the Western Ghats in its umbels, fruit shape, and cupule. But L. udayanii can be easily differentiated by its reddish young leaves, pale glaucous abaxial surface, prominent lateral veins below, and 12 staminodes.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes):— INDIA, Kerala, Palakkad dist., Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Karimalagopuram , ± 1430 m, 08 March 2007, P. S. Udayan et al. 4972 ( CMPR!) ; Palakkad dist., Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Karimalagopuram , ± 1400 m, 26 March 2010, P. S. Udayan et al. 6698 ( CMPR!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Litsea udayanii Robi sp. nov. A. Habit; B. Female umbels on brachyblast; C. Umbel; D. & E. Inside and outside view of involucral bracts; F. Flower; G. & H. Tepals; I. Tepal with staminode; J. Staminode; K. & L. Staminode with glands; M. Pistil; N. Fruit (A–M from A.J. Robi & P.S. Udayan 5467; N from P.S. Udayan et al. 6698).

FIGURE 2. Litsea udayanii Robi sp. nov. A. Habit; B. Bark and inner bark; C. Young leaves; D. Leaves-adaxial view; E. Leaves-abaxial view; F. Female Inflorescence; G. Female umbels with flowers; H. & I. Fruits (images by A.J. Robi).