Arisaema translucens Fischer (1933: 344)

Prabhukumar, Konickal Mambetta, Chhabra, Tarun, Robi, Aloor Jose, Jagadeesan, Raveendran & Balachandran, Chandrasseril Narayanan Sunil And Indira, 2017, Rediscovery of Arisaema translucens (Araceae) and notes on A. tuberculatum, two strict endemics of Nilgiris, India, Phytotaxa 306 (1), pp. 85-90 : 85

Arisaema translucens Fischer (1933: 344) .

Type:— INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Nilgiris district, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,Carrington Tea Estate, near Thia Shola, 6000 ft., 1932, Barnes AR.4 ( K!). Figs. 1 , 2 .

Dioecious, perennial herbs. Pseudostem up to 30 cm long. Underground stem a subglobose tuber, 2–2.5 × 3–4 cm across, white–pale yellow. Roots pale purple. Cataphylls 3; inner 8.5–10 cm long, apex obtuse, pale purple; outer 4–5 cm long, apex obtuse. Leaf solitary, radiate; petiole 20–30 cm long, pale purple mottled with brown and white; leaflets 9–11, lanceolate to oblong–oblanceolate; lamina 8–15 × 2–3.5 cm, base attenuate, apex acuminate, margin entire– revolute, glabrous, pale green above, glossy below. Inflorescence dioecious, reaching to halfway length of the stem; peduncle 12–14 × 0.2–0.8 cm, broader distally, light yellow-pink; spathe 7.5–9 cm long including limb; tube cylindric, 3–3.2 × 1.2–1.5 cm, cucullate at mouth, striped c. 30 longitudinal lines; mouth obcordate–obovate; apex caudate with filiform tail, tail up to 2.5 cm long, deflexed. Male spadix sessile, 4.5 cm long; fertile region stout, c. 1.9 × 0.3–0.4 cm, narrower towards the distal; appendix sessile, c. 2.5 × 0.2–0.3 cm, tapered to the tip, pale purple. Male flowers clearly stipitate; stipe 1–1.5 mm long; anthers 2–6, 0.5–0.7 × 0.6–0.8 mm, reniform, purple, lax, dehiscence through apical slits. Female spadix sessile, cylindrical; spadix is longer than the tube; appendix up to 5 cm long, stipitate, green-light purple streaked, cylindrical at the base, tapering towards the tip, apical part white; neuters c. 5 mm, above the fertile zone, directed upwards. Fruit not seen.

Phenology:— The flowering occurred during April–June.

Distribution:— Endemic to the type locality of Thia Shola, Tamil Nadu.

Specimens examined: — INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Nilgiris district, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Thia Shola , Carrington Tea Estate , ± 2050 m. alt. 03 June 2016, Prabhukumar, Tarun Chhabra, Sunil & Binu Prakash 9167 ( CMPR!) ; 16 July 2016, Prabhukumar, Tarun Chhabra & Binu Prakash 9312 ( CMPR!) ; Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris district, Thia Shola, Carrington Tea Estate , 6000 ft, 16 June 1932, Barnes s.n, Barcode no. K000499312 , K000499313 , K000499314 , K000499315 ( K!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Arisaema translucens C.E.C.Fisch.A. Habit; B. Tuber with inflorescence; C. Mouth showing filiform tail; D. Spathe showing the translucence nature; E. Inflorescence; F. Spadix.

FIGURE 2. Colour illustration of Arisaema translucens C.E.C. Fischer.A. Habit; B. & C. Inflorescence.