Garcinia pushpangadaniana T. Sabu, N. Mohanan, Krishnaraj, & Shareef, 2013

Sabu, Thygarajan, Mohanan, Narayanan Nair, Krishnaraj, Moothedathu Venugopalan Nair, Shareef, Sainudeen Muhammed, Shameer, Peerumuhammed Subaida & Roy, Ponnus Ezabelrajam, 2013, Garcinia pushpangadaniana (Clusiaceae), a new species from the southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 116 (2), pp. 51-56 : 52-55

Garcinia pushpangadaniana T. Sabu, N. Mohanan, Krishnaraj, & Shareef , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 )

Garciniae xanthochymae similis, sed foliis elliptico -oblongis (versus lineari -oblongis vel ovato-oblongo -lanceolatis), floribus femineis pedicello 1–1.5 cm longo (versus 2–3.5 cm longo), staminodiis peltatis (versus subulatis), ovario 6–8-loculari (versus 3-vel 4-loculari), stigmate 6–8-lobato (versus 5-lobato), fructu pagina irregulariter porcata maturitate axem perpendiculari symmetrico dilute brunneo apice papillis distinctis (versus pagina laevi, maturitate pendenti assymetrico clare luteo apice mammillis distinctis), seminibus planoconvexis laevibus vel rugosis, testa dilute brunnea (versus seminibus oblongis irregulariter porcatis e medio ad basin testa atrobrunnea) differt.

Type:— INDIA. Kerala: Kadalar , N 10 0 7 ’ 46.1˝ E 077 0 01 ’ 18.7˝, 1379 m, 15 May 2012 (with flowers), Sabu, Shareef & Krishnaraj 72601 (holotype TBGT!, isotypes CAL!, CALI!, MH!)

Trees, ca. 20 m tall, with pyramidal crown; branchlets tetragonous, dark brown; latex remains milky; whole plant glabrous except for the ciliate margins of sepals and petals. Leaves 14–20 × 6–8 cm, elliptic-oblong, coriaceous, base rounded, margin subrepand, acute or obtuse at apex, dark green above, light green below; lateral nerves 30–34 pairs, laxly reticulated; petiole 1.5–2 cm long, quadrangular; stipule ca. 6 × 3 mm, intrapetiolar. Inflorescence axillary or from the axils of fallen leaves, fascicled, 2–10-flowered. Flowers pinkish-white. Male flower: Pedicel 7–9 mm long. Sepals 5, ciliate, membranous at margin, unequal, ca. 6 × 5 mm, orbicular–suborbicular, fleshy at middle, vasculature indistinct. Petals 5, ca. 1 × 0.8 cm, orbicular, glabrous, fleshy at middle, shortly clawed at base, membranous towards margin, vasculature indistinct. Stamens 12–15 in phalanges, alternating with fleshy intrastaminal 5-parted disc; filaments ca. 1 mm long; anthers brown, ca. 0.5 mm long, rudimentary pistil present. Female flower: pedicel 1–1.5 cm long. Sepal ca. 6 × 5 mm, orbicular–suborbicular. Petals 1–1.2 × 1.2 cm, membranous and ciliate at margin, fleshy at middle. Staminodes 3-5, slender, peltate. Ovary ca. 6 × 6 mm, globose, locules 6–8, greenish yellow; style very short; stigmatic rays 6–8, oblong, stellate, brownish, lobes centrally depressed, glabrous. Fruit ca. 12 × 11 cm, arranged perpendicular to the axis at maturity, fleshy, without any pulp, irregularly ridged on the surface, symmetric, pale brown with a distinct papilla at apex; seeds plano-convex, smooth or rugose, whitish-yellow, ca. 2 × 1 cm; seed coat light brown, papery.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting May–December.

Distribution: — Garcinia pushpangadaniana is endemic to the semi-evergreen forests of the Southern Western Ghats of Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki and Wyanadu districts) and Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore district) in elevations between 850 and 1400 m.

Ecology in the type locality:—Quantitative analysis of vegetation data of the type locality was carried out based on the quadrat methods described by Oldeman (1974). The first storey (25–35 m) covers major tree species viz. Vateria indica Linnaeus (1753: 515) . The second storey (15–25 m) constitutes 3 individuals of Garcinia pushpangadaniana having a GBH of 46, 47 and 60 cm respectively, along with Cullenia exarillata Robyns (1970: 249) , Syzygium hemisphericum ( Wight 1841: t. 525.) Alston (1931: 115), Palaquium ellipticum ( Dalzell 1851: 36) Baillon (1884: 1500) , Elaeocarpus munronii ( Wight 1839a: 83) Masters (1874: 407) , etc. The third storey (5–15 m) was dominated by Syzygium rama -varmae ( Bourdillon 1904: 147, t. 2.) Chitra (1983: 157), along with one individual of Garcinia pushpangadaniana having 35 cm GBH. The fourth storey (<5 m) constitutes Syzygium munronii ( Wight 1841: t. 546) Balakrishnan (1980: 174), Ochlandra scriptoria ( Dennstedt 1818: 31) Fischer (1934: 1863) , Piper attenuatum Buch. - Ham. ex Miquel (1843: 306), Ophiorrhiza nutans Clarke (1882: 84) , Thottea sivarajanii Santhosh Kumar, Shanavas Khan & Binu (2000: 117) , etc.

Eponymy:—The specific epithet honors Dr. P. Pushpangadan, former Director of Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden & Research Institute for his invaluable contributions in the fields of Plant conservation, Ethnobiology, Ethnopharmacology and Pharmacognosy.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— INDIA. South India , without precise locality, s. dat., Barber 3963 ( MH!) ; South India , without precise locality, s. dat., Barber 5240 ( MH!) ; Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore , 1250 m, 22 October 1961, Joseph 13093 ( MH!) ; Coimbatore , 1400 m, 22 July 1978, Chandrabose 57234 ( MH!) ; Coimbatore, Ayerpady , 20 April 1903, Barber 2841 ( MH!) ; Coimbatore, Aserpady , s.dat., Barber 3841 ( CAL!) . Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram, Ponmudi , 850 m, 7 March 1980, Vivekanandan 66141 ( MH!) ; Thiruvananthapuram, Ponmudi , 7 March 1980, Mohanan 66618 ( MH!) ; Wayanadu , without precise locality, s. dat, Beddome s.n. ( MH!) . Kerala: Idukki, Irumbuthara , 1300 m, 29 March 2012, Shareef & Roy 72414 ( TBGT!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Garcinia pushpangadaniana. A. Habit with inflorescence; B. Female flower; C. Sepal (male flower); D1. Petal (Female flower); D2. Petal (Male flower); E. Staminate flower without sepals and petals; F. Pistillate flower without sterile stamens; G. Stigma; H. Cross section of ovary; I. Fruit; J. Seed. (Drawn after Sabu, Shareef & Krishnaraj 72601 by M.V. Krishnaraj).

FIGURE 2. Garcinia pushpangadaniana. A. Habit; B. Blaze (inset); C. Leaves; D. Female flower bud; E. Opened female flower; F & G. Fruits at various stages of maturity; H. Mature fruit; I. Ripened fruit; J. Seed. (Prepared by S.M. Shareef from living plants at Kadalar, Idukki district, the type locality of G. pushpangadaniana).