Ophiorrhiza nicobarica N.P. Balakrishnan (1980: 411)

Hareesh, Vadakkoot Sankaran & Sabu, Mamiyil, 2018, The genus Ophiorrhiza (Rubiaceae) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India with a new species, Phytotaxa 383 (3), pp. 259-272 : 266-269

4. Ophiorrhiza nicobarica N.P. Balakrishnan (1980: 411) . ( Figure 5 )

Type: — INDIA. Great Nicobar Island ; South Nicobar , 17 km from Campbell Bay to Alexandra River, ± 75 m a.s.l. 21 August 1975, N. P. Balakrishnan PBL3027 A (Holotype CAL0000010862 !; Isotypes PBL3027 B [ CAL0000010863 !], PBL3027 F, PBL3027 H, PBL3027 G) .

Erect herbs, 15–45 cm tall; stem decumbent, branched, woody at base, terete, densely pubescent; internodes 2.5–7 cm long. Stipules linear with broadened base, 3–5 mm long, apex acuminate, entire, acute at apex, hispid, persistent. Petioles 2–4 cm long, slender, pale green, pubescent; leaf blades ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–13 × 1.5–6 cm, acute to acuminate at apex, acute to attenuate at base, green, densely pubescent adaxially, abaxially pale green, glabrous except densely pubescent secondary veins; secondary veins 6–12 pairs on each side. Inflorescence terminal sub-corymbose cyme, 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter; peduncle up to 3 cm long in flowering and elongated up to 7 cm long in fruiting, slender, hispid; bract and bracteoles similar, linear, 3–5 mm long, puberulent, persistent. Pedicels 1.75–2 mm long, densely pubescent. Flowers 12–16 mm long, white. Hypanthium cup shaped, 1.5–2 × 1–1.35 mm, hispid; disc 0.75–1 mm tall. Calyx lobes linear, 4–5 × 0.3 mm, reddish, acute at apex, adaxially hispid, abaxially glabrous. Corolla narrowly infundibuliform, 10–14 mm long, white, pubescent outside, glabrous inside with a ring of villous hairs just below the middle; lobes ovate, 2.75–3 × 1.75–2.25 mm, acute at apex, shortly keeled on back, reflexed. Short-styled flowers 12– 15 mm long: stamens 7.5–9.5 mm long, inserted just above the base of corolla tube below the villous ring; filaments 5.5–6.5 mm long, white, glabrous; anthers oblong-linear, 2–3 mm long, pale yellow; style filiform, 5.5–6 mm long, glabrous; style branches 2, ovate-lanceolate, 1.75–2 × c. 0.5 mm, papillose. Long-styled flowers 12–16 mm long: stamens 3.5–6.5 mm long, inserted just above the base of the corolla tube below the villous ring; filaments 1.5–3.5mm long, white, glabrous; anthers oblong-linear, 2–3 mm long, pale yellow; style filiform, 12–14 mm long, filiform, white, glabrous; style branches 2, linear-lanceolate, 2.25–2.5 mm long, glabrous. Ovary 2-celled, ovules numerous. Capsule obcordate, 5–8 × 4–11 mm, with persistent calyx lobes, hirsute; seeds many, angular.

Specimens examined:— India. Great Nicobar Island : 17 km on East-West road ± 75 m a.s.l. 29 July 1976, N. P. Balakrishnan 4073 ( PBL!) ; Great Nicobar Island ; 17 km on East-West road ± 75 m a.s.l. 02 December 1975, P. Chakraborty 3232 ( PBL!) ; Great Nicobar Island ; 37 km on East-West road, Path to Shompen Village, ± 75 m a.s.l. 23 July 1976, N. P. Balakrishnan 3980 ( PBL!) ; Great Nicobar Island ; Great Nicobar Island ; 25 June km East-West road, 14 October 1979, D. K. Hore 6797 ( PBL!) ; Great Nicobar Island ; near Galathea bridge on East-West road, ± 100 m a.s.l., 06 December 1978, G. K. Nair 7179 ( PBL!) ; 16 km on East-West road, 15 November 1993, B. K. Sinha 16350 ( PBL!) .

Phenology:— Flowering form June to October, fruiting from September to December.

Distribution, habitat and ecology:— Ophiorrhiza nicobarica grows in Galathea river village, path to Shompen Village, 16 km onwards to 37 km East-West road in moist shady areas and along the Alexandra riverside between 65–100 m a.s.l. The majour threat we observed was that the natural calamities like land slides, tsunami etc. and developmental activities eroded most of the areas, which badly affected the natural population.

Notes:— The specimen collected by B.K. Sinha (PBL16350) and deposited in PBL of O. nicobarica was misidentified as O. mungos . Shompens, the tribal communities in the Great Nicobar Island use the leaves of O. nicobarica as antiseptic for wounds, the pastes of the leaves applied locally on infected parts [P. Chakraborty 3232 (PBL!)].

Figures

FIGURE 5. Ophiorrhiza nicobarica. A. holotype. B. inflorescence. C. a twig with inflorescence and infructescence. Photos by Joju P. Alappatt.