Pogostemon jaitapurensis Chandore & S.R.Yadav, 2021

Chandore, Arun Nivrutti, Tamboli, Asif Shabodin, Borude, Devidas Bhausaheb, Gholave, Avinash Ramchandra, Govindwar, Sanjay Prabhu & Yadav, Shrirang Ramachandra, 2021, Pogostemon jaitapurensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from India based on morphological and molecular evidence, Phytotaxa 502 (1), pp. 28-50 : 40

Pogostemon jaitapurensis Chandore & S.R.Yadav , sp.nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 , 4 and 5 )

Type: — INDIA, Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur, near to Jaitapur , Karel , 16°35’251’’N, 73°24’713’’E, 71 m, 3 December 2015, A.N.Chandore 1991 (holotype CAL!, isotypes BSI!, K!, SUK!) .

Diagnosis: — Pogostemon jaitapurensis is similar to Pogostemon deccanensis , but differs in its densely long hairs on stem internodes (vs. glabrous or short hairs on stem internodes), leaves linear to lanceolate, throughout densely hairy (vs. linear, glabrous or slightly hairy), bracts linear to lanceolate, ca. 3 × 0.7 mm, long hairs, longest hairs up to 1.3 mm (vs. bracts linear, ca. 1.2 × 0.3 mm, very short hairs, longest hairs up to 0.2 mm), calyx campanulate with long bulbous-based hairs, hairs up to 1.6 mm long (vs. hemispheric or broadly campanulate with short bulbous-based hairs, hairs up to 0.2 mm long), corolla glabrous outside, white, up to 3.2 mm long (vs. corolla hairy outside, lilac to purple, up to 2.2 mm long), filaments of moniliform hairs up to 1.6 mm long (vs. moniliform hairs up to 0.5 mm long). Other differences between Pogostemon jaitapurensis and P. deccanensis and P. erectus are listed in Table 3.

Perennial herbs with woody rootstock and fibrous roots, 7–25 cm long. Stem creeping, 45–90 cm long, 3.8–4.3 mm in diameter, decumbent, much branched, flexible with short internodes, strigose hairy, rooting at the nodes; erect part 8– 25 cm long, 1–4 mm in diameter, with dense white strigose hairs. Leaves sessile, in whorls of 6–12, linear-lanceolate, 5–10 × 1.3–2.3 mm, densely hairy throughout, (submerged leaves 12–20 at each whorl, filiform, 3–18 × 0.2–0.6 mm), margin entire, midrib prominent, tip acute. Spikes 3–7 cm long; 5–8 mm in diameter in fruiting; bracts linear to lanceolate, always longer than calyx, 2.5–3.3 mm long, 0.65–0.78 mm width, densely strigose hairy, longest hair up to 1.3 mm, persistent. Flowers dense arranged in spiciform inflorescences; calyx campanulate, 5-lobed, lobes connate at the base, deltate at apex, subequal, linear to lanceolate, 2.1–2.3 × 0.38–0.42 mm, densely strigose hairy, hairs 1.3–1.6 mm long, translucent or whitish, tube 1.4–1.6 mm long; corolla 4-lobed, 3.0– 3.2 mm long, white, glabrous; lobes subequal, smooth outside, ovate, tube 2.3–2.5 mm long; stamens 4, equal, filaments 4.5–5 mm long, lavender in upper half, translucent or whitish in lower half with long moniliform hairs from the middle to connective of anthers, anthers 1-locular; ovary 5.8–6.2 mm long, 4-lobed, style bifid. Mericarps oblong to ovoid, 0.68–0.75 × 0.43–0.47 mm, pale yellowish-brown, smooth and shining.

Distribution: —Endemic to India, occurring in Maharashtra; Konkan region, Ratnagiri district, Rajapur Tehsil, Karel, Kombe and Sakar.

Habitat: — Pogostemon jaitapurensis grows on lateritic plateaus of Konkan in and along the edges of natural ponds at an elevation of about 71 m in association with Aeschynomene aspera Linnaeus (1753: 713) , Aponogeton nateshii Yadav (2015: 9) , Blyxa sp. , Corynandra elegans Chandore et al. (2016: 89) , Cryptocoryne sp. , Cyperus pulchellus Brown (1810: 213) , Eleocharis konkanensis Chandore et al. (2016: 154) and Eriocaulon rayatianum Chandore et al. (2019: 73) .

Phenology: —Flowering and Fruiting from November to February.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ jaitapurensis ” is given after the place Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

Conservation Status:— The occurrence of Pogostemon jaitapurensis is estimated to be less than 2 km 2 of Karel, Kombe & Sakar, where a new Nuclear Power Project is being developed which could be major threat for the survival of the species. It is assessed here as Critically Endangered (CR, B1b (iii, v)) ( IUCN 2019).

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes):— INDIA, Maharashtra, Ratnagiri District, Rajapur Tahsil, Karel , 14 December 2015, A.N.Chandore 1997 (SUK!); Kombe, 15 December 2015, A.N.Chandore 1998 (SUK!); Sakar, 15 December 2015, A.N.Chandore 1999 (SUK!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitat and habit comparison between Pogostemon jaitapurensis Chandore & S.R.Yadav, sp. nov., P. deccanensis (Panigrahi) Press, and P. erectus (Dalzell) Kuntze. A & B P. jaitapurensis habitat; C & D P. deccanensis habitat; E & F P. erectus habitat. Photos by A.N. Chandore & S.R. Yadav.

FIGURE 2. Comparison between Pogostemon jaitapurensis Chandore & S.R.Yadav, sp. nov., P. deccanensis (Panigrahi) Press, and P. erectus (Dalzell) Kuntze. A. P. jaitapurensis flower; B. P. deccanensis flower; C. P. erectus flower; D. P. jaitapurensis bract; E. P. deccanensis bract; F. P. erectus bract; G. P. jaitapurensis calyx, H. P. deccanensis calyx; I. P. erectus calyx; J. P. jaitapurensis dissected calyx (outer surface); K. P. deccanensis dissected calyx (outer surface); L. P. erectus dissected calyx (outer surface). Photos by A.N. Chandore & S.R. Yadav.

FIGURE 4. Pogostemon jaitapurensis Chandore & S.R.Yadav, sp. nov., A–D Habitat; E. Leaf; F. Inflorescence; G. Close up to a inflorescence showing florets; H. Flower; I. Corolla without stamens; J. Ovary; K. Mericarps. Photos by A.N. Chandore & S.R. Yadav.

FIGURE 5. Pogostemon jaitapurensis Chandore & S.R.Yadav (Chandore 1991)A. Habit; B. Leaf; C. Flower; D. Bract; E. Calyx (outside); F. Corolla tube; G. Corolla lobes (outside); H. Filament with moniliform hairs; I. Mericarp. Illustration drawn by D.B. Borude.