Peliosanthes macrophylla Wall. ex Baker (1879: 505)

Roy, Dilip Kr., Mao, Ashiho A. & Averyanov, Leonid V., 2017, Lectotypification of Peliosanthes macrophylla (Asparagaceae), and its amended morphological description, Phytotaxa 323 (2), pp. 194-196 : 194-196

Peliosanthes macrophylla Wall. ex Baker (1879: 505)

Type (lectotype, designated here):— INDIA, Mishmi, s.d., W. Griffith 5841 ( P 00214605!). Note:—According to the protologue, the type collection consists of several elements collected by different collectors ( J.D. Hooker & T. Thomson, C. B. Clarke and W. Griffith). Hence one sheet deposited in Muséum national d′ Histoire naturelle ( P) with barcode P 00214605 ( W. Griffith 5841, Mishmi) is selected here as the lectotype. This sheet was examined by Baker and matches well the protologue. The collection of C. B. Clarke from Sikkim Himalaya, India mentioned in the protologue could not be traced out. While scrutinizing the original materials of the species, we came across one herbarium specimen deposited at Kew Herbarium ( K 000099358!) with the collection number 5842 by W. Griffith from Himalayan Orientals. This specimen is cited in the protologue of Peliosanthes violacea Wall. in Baker (1879: 504). Examination of this specimen and protologue of both P. macrophylla and P. violacea revealed that it (Grifith 5842, K 000099358!) is not matching the description of P. violacea , however it matches the description of P. macrophylla . However, in the protologue of P. macrophylla this collection number was not cited.

Description based on living material:—Rhizomatous and/or stoloniferous, terrestrial or lithophytic herbs; rhizome short, to 5 cm long, hard, thick, horizontal, or sometimes vertical, sheathed with the remnants of scarious scales, to Ø 1.5 cm, stolons (if present) procumbent to erect, with internodes 7–15 cm long, Ø 0.4 –0.7 cm, covered with scales at nodes; internodes 1.0– 1.5 cm long. Roots thick, stout, Ø 0.3 –0.5 cm, velutinous. Cataphylls lanceolate, 2.5–28 × 0.5–2 cm, papyraceous, margins membranous, later becoming partially disintegrated. Rosettes of 2–4-leaves; leaves petiolate, suberect. Petiole rigid, almost straight, terete, (12–) 24–80 cm long. Leaf blade lanceolate, broadly oblong-oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, gradually tapering to the base, 35–60 × 5–18 cm, glabrous, glossy, acuminate at apex; longitudinal veins over 50, unequal in thickness; secondary veinlets usually not or hardly visible, irregularly spaced. Inflorescences axillary, erect. Scape with a few sparse sterile bracts throughout, stout, Ø 2.5 – 0.5 cm, usually longer or shorter than raceme, (4.5–)15–30(–37) cm long, dark purplish to almost black; sterile bracts ascending, lanceolate, 1.5–3 × 0.3–1 cm, margin membranous, dark brown. Raceme stout, subdense, 25–65-flowered, 10(–15)–30(–40) cm long, dark purplish to almost black, longitudinally finely ridged. Fertile bract located below flower, ascending, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1–3 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, exceeding flower, purplish-brown, margin membranous; bracteole lateral to flower, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 3.5–6 × 1–2 mm, purplish-brown. Flower pedicellate, solitary per bract, drooping, Ø 1.2 –1.7 cm, greenish-purple to violet; pedicel cernuous, longitudinally finely ribbed, 0.3–1.2 cm long. Perigone tube broadly obconical, 3–4 mm long; lobes 6, similar, ovatelanceolate, obtuse, 5–6 × 3.2–5.5 mm, spreading, slightly incurved at apex. Corona (staminal tube) broadly conic, Ø 4.0 – 4.5 mm, about 3 mm high, rounded to slightly hexagonal, convex. Anthers 6, sessile, introrse, inserted at distal edges of corona, oblong, 1.5–2 × 0.6–0.8 mm, white. Ovary superior, conoid, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam., 3-loculed; style narrow, 3-angular, 2–3 mm long; stigma 3-partite, dark purple. Seeds oblong, 1 × 0.5 cm.

Phenology:—Flowering in February–June and fruiting in July–September.

Distribution:— India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim), Bhutan, Nepal.

Habitat:—In moist shady forest floors on rocky loam, sometimes on the moist rock in the bank of streams.

Additional specimens examined:— INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh: Dibang Valley, Roing , 450 m, 1 April 1999, M. Bhaumik 2264 ( CAL!) ; ibidem, M. Bhaumik 2268 ( CAL!) ; Dambuck , 430 m, 4 March 2004, M. Bhaumik 104748 (ASSAM!) ; Lohit, Haynliang , 14 January 1970, J. Joseph 48946 ( CAL!, ASSAM!) ; Mawwai & Nathai areas, 30 December 1969, J. Joseph 48851 (ASSAM!) ; ibidem, 23 September 1969, A. S. Rao 48047 (ASSAM!) ; Nara to Heyuliang , 398-494 m, 19 November 1957, R. S. Rao 10711 (ASSAM!) ; Kameng, Sissini, 25 March 1957, G. Panigrahi 5982 (ASSAM!). Assam: Lakhimpur District , Kakoi RF, 9 February 2011, N. Odyuo & R. Daimary 121190 ( ASSAM!) ; Kokrajhar District, Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary , 6 August 2007, R. Daimary 110684 ( ASSAM!) ; Dulong RF, 21 November 1957, G. Panigrahi 11287 ( ASSAM!), Naharbari , 17 May 1966, D. M. Verma 46447 ( ASSAM!) ; Sonitpur District, Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Begnajhuti , 10 April 1976, P. K. Hajara 65444 ( ASSAM!). BHUTAN. Eastern Bhutan : Samdrup Jhonkar Forest , 13 October 1965, N. P. Balakrishnan 43833 ( ASSAM!) ; Deothang-Samdrup Jhonkar Forest , 29 March 1965, N. P. Balakrishnan 41950 ( ASSAM!) .