Codonopsis benthamii Hook.f. & Thomson, J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot.

S. S., Dash, S., Lahiri, A., Ghosh & Sinha, B. K., 2020, Notes on two lesser known Codonopsis (Campanulaceae) from eastern Himalaya, India, Rheedea 30 (2), pp. 286-292 : 286-287

Codonopsis benthamii Hook.f. & Thomson, J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 2: 14. 1857. Lectotype

(designated by Hong, 2010): INDIA, Sikkim, Lachen , 2740 m, 31.07.1849, J.D. Hooker s.n. (K [K000814213 digital image!]). Fig. 1

Erect foetid herbs. Stems 18–90 cm long, ascending, scandent, branched, sparsely hairy. Leaves alternate or nearly opposite; petioles 6–35 mm long, sparsely villous; lamina broadly ovate or ovate–lanceolate, 3–8 × 1.5–5.5 cm, acute or acuminate at apex, cuneate at base, irregularly lobed along the margins, crenate, deep green and sparsely puberulous adaxially, pale green and densely hirsute abaxially, with a prominent midrib, 4–5-nerved. Flowers solitary, terminal; pedicels 3.5–5 cm long, villous. Calyx tube obconic, 14–20 mm long, adnate to half of the hypanthium, 10-ribbed; lobes ovate, 10–13 × 4–7 mm, acute at apex, glabrous, rarely sparsely hispidulous, denticulate towards apex, ciliate. Corolla tubular, narrowly campanulate, somewhat constricted in the middle, 17–30 × 13–20 mm, yellow-green with dull purplish veins, glabrous outside, brown spotted inside; lobes five, triangular, 2.5–4 mm long, acute at apex. Stamens 5; filaments 5–9 mm long, wholly villous and narrowly dilated at base; anthers dorsally setose, 4.5–5.5 mm long, monothecal, dorsifixed. Ovary semi-inferior; style c. 7 mm long, densely ciliate; stigma 3-lobed, creamy white, recurved, glabrous. Capsules globose, with persistent calyx.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering and fruiting from July to September.

Habitat: It grows in the alpine scrub forest, on soil surface, usually associated with Cynoglossum wallichii G.Don ( Boraginaceae ), Gypsophila cerastoides D.Don ( Caryophyllaceae ), Meconopsis paniculata (D.Don) Prain ( Papaveraceae ), Strobilanthes wallichii Nees ( Acanthaceae ), etc.

Distribution: India, Bhutan, China, N. Myanmar and Nepal.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Sikkim, East district, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary, N 27̊22'30.69'', E 88̊43'28.35'', 3336 m, 03.07.2018, S. Lahiri & S.S. Dash 86684; s.loc., 2740–3350 m, 1861, J.D. Hooker s.n.; Yakla, 3050 m, 20.10.1869, C.B. Clarke 10224; Ibid., 15.10.1869, C.B. Clarke 9879; Gangtok, 09.08.1877, G. King 4439; Ibid., 08.08.1877, G. King’s Collector 4440; Chola Range-Nathu La, 4270, 29.09.1892, G.A. Gammie 1322; Lachen, 2440 m, Sept-October 1909, Ribu & Rhomoo 3016; Selu Valley , 3050 m, 03.09.1892, G.A. Gammie s.n. (CAL) .

Notes: Codonopsis benthamii closely resembles C. tubulosa Kom. and C. vadsea S.S.Dash & A.A.Mao , but differentiated by its foetid smell and larger leaves (Dash & Mao, 2011). Lidén and Adhikari (2019) mentioned the occurrence of C. benthamii from east of Anini in Upper Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh, but without giving any collection details.

Figures

Fig. 1. CodonopSiS benthamii Hook.f. & ThomSon: a. Habitat; B & c. Flowering twig; d. LeaveS–adaXial SurfaCe; e. LeaveS–abaXial SurfaCe; f. GynoeCium with CalyX; g. Corolla–Spilt open; h. StamenS (from S. Lahiri & S.S. DaSh 86684; photoS by Subhojit Lahiri).