Hedyotis beddomei Hook.f. (1880: 52)

Prabhukumar, Konickal Mambetta, Jagadeesan, Raveendran, Aiswarya, Pilathottathil, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan, Thomas, Valukattil Ponnachan, Prasad, Kothareddy & Balachandran, Indira, 2018, On the identity and rediscovery of Hedyotis beddomei Hook. f. (Rubiaceae): a lesser known endemic species of Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 375 (3), pp. 229-234 : 229-232

Hedyotis beddomei Hook.f. (1880: 52) . Fig.1 , fig. 2.

Replaced synonym: Hedyotis capitata Bedd. (1868–1874: 191), nom. illeg. hom., non Hedyotis capitata Lam. (1789) , non Hedyotis capitata Korth. (1851) . ≡ Oldenlandia beddomei (Hook. f.) Kuntze. (1891: 292) . Type: India , Kerala, Palakkad hills, 2000 m., March 1872, Beddome 255(K000031036!).

Erect shrubs, 15–30 cm high, dichotomously branched. Stems angular, canaliculated, broadened below nodes, slightly winged towards tips when young, terete when mature, stipular scars present, whitish when dry, glabrous. Leaves simple, opposite, sessile or subsessile, compactly arranged; stipules 4.2–4.5 × 2.5–3.2 mm, triangular, pubescent on the middle; lamina 2–3 × 1–2 cm, elliptic–ovate or elliptic–oblong, acute at apex, entire, rounded and contracted at base to 1 mm long petiole, coriaceous, glabrous, green above, pale beneath; nerves 6–9, conspicuous, nerves never reaching the apex, glabrous, convergent. Inflorescence terminal or axillary umbellate cyme, involucrate up to 80-flowered; peduncle 2.5–3 cm long, purple, pubescent, canaliculate, slightly winged, flattened above; bracts in 2–3 series, sessile or subsessile; outer bracts 5–10 × 5–8 mm, orbicular–ovate, acute at apex, truncate at base, ciliate on margin, 6–8- nerved, nerves obscure on upper and prominent beneath, glabrous, sparsely pubescent beneath; inner bracts 4.5–7 × 1.8–5, ovate–elliptic or lanceolate, acute at apex, ciliate on margins, glabrous. Flowers 6–8 mm long, compact, sessile, pubescent. Calyx greenish-purple, pubescent; tube 1.8–2.2 × 1.2 × 1.4 mm; 4-lobed, lobes valvate, lanceolate to triangular, 1.8–2mm long, acute, pubescent, green. Corolla tubular, blue, pubescent; tube 2.2–2.5 long, woolly inside, sparsely pubescent outside, 4-lobed; lobes 1.4–1.7 × 0.8–1.2 mm, lanceolate, acute, recurved, sparsely scabrid on both surfaces, glandular ciliate on margin. Stamens 4, epipetalous, filament 0.3–0.5 mm long, to nearly sessile, pubescent; anthers 9–11 mm long, linear–oblong, dorsifixed, dark blue, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 1.2–1.5 mm long, oblong, sparsely pubescent, green; ovules 2–5 in each locule; style 2.2–2.4 mm, pubescent towards tip; stigma bi-lobed, papillose. Capsule oblanceolate, 3.4–3.6 × 1.6–1.8 mm, hispid, angular, 15–20 seeded, dehiscing septicidally. Seeds planoconvex or angular, 1.2–1.4 × 0.5–0.8 mm, testa reticulate, black, glabrous.

Phenology:— October–March.

Habitat and Distribution:— Occurs in grasslands at an altitude of ± 2100 m in Elivalmala region of Muthikulam forest in the Agali Forest Range of the Mannarkad Forest Division, Palakkad. The Muthikulam forest area is located on the northern side of the Palakkad gap, a comparatively less explored region with rich biodiversity ( Prabhukumar et al. 2014).

Conservation Assessment:— Nayar&Sastry (1987) commented on the status of H. beddomei in the Red Data Book of Indian Plants: “Endangered, known only from the original collection made about 100 years ago. Though the region has been well explored, it could not be rediscovered”. During our first exploration in the region in 2013, we noted the vegetative stages of the species but were unable to identify it in the absence of flowers. The present collections with profuse flowering material made during November 2016 helped us to finally identify the species. The area of occupancy is estimated to be less than 1 km ². The number of individuals in the population varied from 25–40. Since 2007, previous explorations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu state of Western Ghats , especially in Palakkad Hills and Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve regions, helped us to conclude that this species is strictly endemic to the Elivalamala region of Muthikulam forest . Based on the area of occupancy, number of populations and individuals per population, the species is assessed here as ‘ Critically Endangered’ ( CR B1 ab(i,ii,iv); 2ab(i,ii,iv); E) following IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria .

Note:— The species was initially described as H. capitata Bedd. (1872: 191) by Beddome, was based on one of his collection from Palakkad Hills. However, Beddome overlooked several earlier homonyms, which rendered the name an illegitimate later homonym. Hence, Hooker replaced the same as Hedyotis beddomei honored to R.H. Beddome.

The Muthikulam forest area is a comparatively little-explored region in Palakkad district, Kerala. The authors made ample botanical surveys in the region during 2013–2017and described several new taxa such as Isacne manilaliana Sunil, K.M.P. Kumar & V.P. Thomas (2017: 101) , Arundinella muthikulamensis Sunil, K.M.P. Kumar & V.P. Thomas (2017: 101) , Habenaria sahyadrica K.M.P. Kumar, T.K. Nirmesh, V.B. Sreek. & Kumar (2016: 196) , Ophiorrhiza sahyadriensis Hareesh, V.B. Sreek. & K.M.P. Kumar (2015b: 219) , Impatiens glabrata K.M.P. Kumar, Hareesh & Bhaskar (2016: 33) , Exacum keralense Geethakum., K.M.P. Kumar, Pandur. & Deepu (2016: 429) , and also reported the rediscovery of Gnidia glauca (Fresen.) Gilg var. sisparensis (Gardner) Kumari (1987:214) by Prabhukumar et al. (2014: 131).

During 1860–1872, Beddome have done many collection from the Western Ghats especially on ‘Palakkad Hills’ as indicated on the labels of his collections ( Beddome 1864). Interestingly, we have found many species that Beddome reported from ‘Palakkad hills’ from Elivalmala area at 6000 ft. such as Gnidia glauca var. sisparensis and H. beddomei at an elevation of ± 6000ft. We guess, the type locality of Beddome’s collection from ‘Palakkad hills’ might be the Elivalamala region of Muthikulam forest.

Specimens examined: — INDIA : Kerala, Palakkad district, Muthikulam forest, Elivalmala , ± 2050m., 13 November 2016, K. M. Prabhukumar& P. M. Binu Prakash 9895 ( CMPR!) ; ca. 2000 m., 13 November 2016, C. N. Sunil & V. P. Thomas 4564 ( SNMH!) ; Palakkad district, Palakkad hills, March 1872, Beddome 255 ( K000031036 !) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Hedyotis beddomei Hook.f.: A. Habit; B. & C. Inflorescence; D. & E. Flower; F. Stipule; G. Calyx; H. Outer bract; I. Inner bracts; J. Corolla lobe; K. Stamen; L. Pistil; M. Fruit; N. Seed. (from CMPR 9895; Photos credit: KM Prabhu)