Sonerila victoriae Soumya & Maya, 2017

Murugan, Soumya, Rajamani, Rampradeep, Kunnamkumarath, Jisha, Pathiyil, Arabhi, Ambat, Rekha Vasudevan & Nair, Maya Chandrasekharan, 2017, Sonerila victoriae, a new species of Melastomataceae from Southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 324 (2), pp. 187-192 : 188

Sonerila victoriae Soumya & Maya , sp. nov. ( Figs.1 & 2 )

The new species can be delineated from S. wallichii and S. gadgiliana by distinct taxonomic traits such as miniature plant size, nature of leaf and peduncle, inflorescence with 1–3 flowers, absence of glandular hairs on dorsal side of petals, conspicuous excurrent raphe and uniformly distributed tubercles on seed surface.

Type: — INDIA. Kerala: Palakkad district, Pothumala, Nelliyampathy hills, 1160 m 10°30’10” N, 76°42’17” E, 12 October 2016, Soumya Murugan & Maya C. Nair 1900 (Holotype: MH!; isotypes: CALI!, TBGT!) .

Rhizomatous acaulescent delicate herb, 50–80 mm tall. Rhizome white, 4 × 2 mm, globose. Leaves petiolate, petiole 15–45 mm, adaxially grooved, with sparse glandular trichomes. Leaf blade 20–45 × 10–15 mm, nerves 1 pair from base;1 pair little above base from midrib and 2 pair from mid rib, prominenty visible below; cordate, membraneous, upper surface hirsute, lower surface with scattered glandular trichomes, base obtuse, acute at apex, margins serrate. Inflorescence terminal, 1–3 flowered cyme. Peduncle 40–70 mm long, flowers 3-merous, pedicel 4–5 mm long with few glandular trichomes. Hypanthium green, 4 × 2 mm, campanulate with scattered glandular trichomes. Calyx lobes 3, 1–2 mm long triangular, non-caducous, with few glandular trichomes. Petals 3, 3–5 × 3–3.5 mm obovate, acuminate at apex. Stamens 3; anthers yellow, 2.5–3 mm long, non-beaked, deeply cordate at base, acuminate at apex; filaments white, 3–3.5 mm long, glabrous. Style slightly pink, 5–6 mm long, curved. Stigma capitate, glabrous. Capsule green, 4–4.2 × 3–3.2 mm, campanulate, with occasional glandular trichomes. Seeds many, brown, 0.7 × 0.3 mm, raphe prominent and excurrent. Tubercles evenly distributed over the seed surface.

Phenology: —Flowering: October–November; Fruiting: November

Etymology: —The specific epithet is named after Govt. Victoria College Palakkad, Kerala, India, one of the premier educational institutions in Kerala with a long-standing history of 130 years. It is through this institution Britishers laid foundations of higher education in Kerala and is the alma mater for all the authors.

Distribution and ecology: —The species thrives on high altitude shady rock surfaces with moist loose soils at altitudes of 1140–1160 m along the Pothumala hill tract of Nelliyampathy hills. Each population of this taxon, with about 6–8 individuals have been found growing in association with the bryophytes Hypopterygium tamarisci ( Swartz 1806: 1825) Brid. ex Müller (1851: 8) and Thuidium pristocalyx ( Müller 1854: 573) Jaeger (1878: 323) .

Apart from the type locality, the taxon is not currently known from anywhere else. As per present assessment, the area of occupancy is less than 10km 2 and the population size is estimated to a number fewer than 50 mature individuals, and hence, the species can be tentatively assigned a status of Critically endangered (CR) using IUCN Strategies and criteria ( IUCN, 2016).

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — INDIA. Kerala: Palakkad District, Pothumala, Nelliyampathy hills, 1260 m, 10°30’10” N, 76°42’17” E, 22 October 2016, Soumya Murugan & Maya C. Nair 1903 ( MH!) ; 2 November 2016 Maya C. Nair & Rampradeep R. 101 ( CALI!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sonerila victoriae A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Single flower. D. Three flowered inflorescence. E. Calyx with pedicel. F. Petal. G. Stamen. H. Gynoecium. I. Ovary CS. J. Flower LS. K. Seed. (Photos: Soumya Murugan & Maya C. Nair based on Soumya Murugan & Maya C. Nair 1900).

FIGURE 2. Sonerila victoriae A. Habit. B. Single flower. C. Calyx. D. Petal. E. Stamen. F. Gynoecium. G. Ovary CS. H. Flower LS. I. Seed. (Drawings by Soumya Murugan based on Soumya Murugan & Maya C. Nair 1900)