Ophiorrhiza brunonis var. johnsonii Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind.

S. V. N., Akhilesh, A., Gangaprasad & Rameshkumar, K. B., 2021, Rediscovery and lectotypification of Ophiorrhiza brunonis var. johnsonii (Rubiaceae) - an endemic variety of the southern Western Ghats, India, Rheedea 31 (4), pp. 307-310 : 307-310

Ophiorrhiza brunonis var. johnsonii Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3:80. 1880; Deb & Mondal, Bull. Bot. Surv. India 39 (1–4): 34. 1997.

Lectotype (first-step designated by Deb & Mondal, 1997; second step designated here): INDIA, Kerala, Cochin, s.d. Johnson s.n. ( K [ K000031150 digital image!]); isolecto ( K [ K000031151 digital image!]). FigS. 1 & 2

Herbs, 10–25 cm tall; stems erect, puberulous. Leaves 7–12 × 2.5–4 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex, cuneate at base, thin, membranous, glabrous above, puberulous on nerves beneath; lateral nerve pairs 8–12; petioles 1–2 cm long, puberulous; stipules 7–11.5 mm long, subulate or linearlanceolate, entire, puberulous. Inflorescence terminal, sub-corymbose cymes, 2.5–3 cm across; peduncles 2–2.5 cm long, puberulous. Flowers 13– 20 mm long; bracts 10–15 mm long, linear or filiform, slightly puberulous; bracteoles 8–11 mm long, linear or filiform, slightly puberulous; pedicels 0.7–1 mm long, slightly puberulous. Hypanthium 1–1.8 × 1.5–2 mm, obovoid, slightly puberulous. Calyx lobes 0.9–1.6 × 0.6–0.8 mm, subulate, acute, slightly puberulous. Corolla tube 12–17 mm long, infundibuliform, narrow, slightly puberulous outside, villous within; lobes 2–2.5 × 0.5–1 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Stamens adnate to the base of corolla, inserted; filaments 0.2–0.7 mm long, glabrous; anthers 1.8–2.25 mm long, narrowly oblong with obtuse apex. Ovary 0.75–1 × 1–1.25 mm; disc 0.6 mm high; style 8–11 mm long, glabrous; stigma 2-lobed, 1.7–2.25 mm long, lobes lanceolate, acute, glabrous. Capsules 3–4 × 5–5.3 mm, crowded, slightly puberulous, bilocular, locules ovate-oblong, tip slightly inclined outwards. Seeds 0.5–0.6 × 0.4–0.5 mm, irregularly angular, glabrous, brown; testa areolate, areoles alveolate, wall of the areole thin with several tubercles on it and hooded over the areolar space.

Pollen: Pollen grains oblate-spheroidal, angular in polar outline, polar axis (P) × equatorial axis (E) = 18–22 × 21–22.5 µm, tricolporate; colpi 12–16 × 2.5–3.5 µm, tapering to acute ends; ora circular, 2.5–3.5 µm in diameter; sexine 2.25 µm, nexine 0.25 µm, micro-reticulate; surface lumen diameter 0.1– 0.3 µm.

Flowering & fruiting: Flowering from March to October and fruiting from August to December.

Habitat: Grows in moist, shady places of rocky slopes at an altitude of 1100–1200 m along with Ophiorrhiza barberi Gamble , O. eriantha Wight , Andrographis producta (C.B.Clarke) Gamble ( Acanthaceae ), Argostemma courtallense Arn. ( Rubiaceae ), Sarcandra chloranthoides Gardner ( Chloranthaceae ).

Distribution: Endemic to southern Western Ghats.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Chemunji Hills , N 8 ̊40'53.7", E 77 ̊11'16.1", 1100–1200 m, 26.12.2019, Akhilesh S. V . Nair 10828 (KUBH).

Typification: Ophiorrhiza brunonis var. johnsonii was originally described by Hooker (1880) based on the specimens collected by Rev. E. Johnson from Cochin. There are two sheets available at K and both were used by Hooker for the description. Deb and Mondal (1997) designated Johnson s.n. at K as type and did not specify a single specimen. Thus, the typification by Deb and Mondal (1997) could be considered as a first-step lectotypification. Since the two specimens on the sheet K000031150 ( Fig. 2 ) is complete, and agrees well with the details provided in the protologue, it is designated here as the second-step lectotype as per Art. 9.17 of the ICN ( Turland et al., 2018) and the other specimen (K000031151 digital image!) consequently as the isolectotype.

Notes: Ophiorrhiza brunonis var. johnsonii can be discriminated from the typical variety O. brunonis var. brunonis by its puberulous stem and stipules, longer corolla tube and style.

Figures

Fig. 1. Ophiorrhiza brunoniS Var. johnSonii Hook.f.: A. Habit; b. Leaf-adaXial Side; c. Stipule;d. InfloreSCenCe; e. BraCt; f. BraCteole; g. Flower bud; h. Flower;i. Longitudinal SeCtion of a flower;j. PiStil;k. Stamen;L.Fruit;m. SeedS;n. SEM image of pollen,equatorial View;o. SEM image of pollen, polar View (from AkhileSh S.V. Nair, GangapraSad A. & K.B. RameShkumar 10828; photoS by S.V. N. AkhileSh).

Fig. 2. LeCtotype of Ophiorrhiza brunoniS Var. johnSonii Hook.f. (K000031150). © The Board of TruSteeS for the Royal BotaniC GardenS, Kew. ReproduCed with permiSSion.