taxonID	type	description	language	source
D16387A52D5ABD7942B58424FAA183B1.taxon	materials_examined	Type: INDIA. Assam, Sonitpur, Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, (N 26 ⁰ 55 ′ 0; E 92 ⁰ 28 ′ 44 ″), 05 April 2024, M. Baruah, (Holotype, ASSAM MB 0055!; Isotype, GUBH MB 0056!, MB 0057!).	en	Baruah, Manash, Saikia, Gitartha, Devi, Nilakshee (2025): Ardisia assamica sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from Assam, India. Phytotaxa 722 (1): 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8
D16387A52D5ABD7942B58424FAA183B1.taxon	description	Description: Shrub 2 – 4 m tall. Branches terete, slender, smooth; mature branches glabrous, young branches rusty; lateral branches bearing small clusters of leaves. Leaves petiolate, exstipulate, lanceolate, margin undulate to entire, base and apex attenuate, 14 – 6 × 2.5 – 3 cm, alternate and spirally arranged, venation dextrose brochidodromous. Inflorescence cymose, compound cyme; peduncle slender, 0.5 – 1.5 cm long, glabrous. Bracts 0.5 – 0.6 cm long. Flowers light pink to pinkish white, punctate, with a white blotch towards the base, 0.8 – 1 cm long. Calyx 5, triangular, acute, punctate, non – overlapping, 1 – 1.5 × 0.75 – 1 cm, margin laciniate, ciliate, cilia tip golden yellow. Corolla 5, imbricate – contorted, basally united, tip acute, 0.5 – 0.3 × 0.15 – 0.2 cm. Androecium 5, opposite to petals, epipetalous, 0.3 – 0.2 × 0.8 – 1.2 cm; anthers sagittate, dithecous, introse, apex caudate, dehiscence longitudinal. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, 0.1 – 0.12 cm; style cylindrical, glossy, persistent, smooth, tapering towards apex, 0.4 – 0.6 cm long; stigma fulcate. Fruit a globose drupe, black when mature.	en	Baruah, Manash, Saikia, Gitartha, Devi, Nilakshee (2025): Ardisia assamica sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from Assam, India. Phytotaxa 722 (1): 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8
D16387A52D5ABD7942B58424FAA183B1.taxon	distribution	Distribution: Semi-deciduous forests of Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Sonitpur district of Assam, India (so far known only from the type locality).	en	Baruah, Manash, Saikia, Gitartha, Devi, Nilakshee (2025): Ardisia assamica sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from Assam, India. Phytotaxa 722 (1): 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8
D16387A52D5ABD7942B58424FAA183B1.taxon	biology_ecology	Habitat and ecology: Ardisia assamica is upright shrubs found in hilly slopes at 152 m elev., in the foothills of the Great Himalayas. The specimen with flowers and young fruits was collected in the month of May. Phenology: Flowering occurs from March to May with a peak in April. Mature fruits are observed in between June to July taking approximately three months to develop after flowering.	en	Baruah, Manash, Saikia, Gitartha, Devi, Nilakshee (2025): Ardisia assamica sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from Assam, India. Phytotaxa 722 (1): 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8
D16387A52D5ABD7942B58424FAA183B1.taxon	etymology	Etymology: The specific epithet “ assamica ” refers to Assam the Indian state where the type specimen was collected.	en	Baruah, Manash, Saikia, Gitartha, Devi, Nilakshee (2025): Ardisia assamica sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from Assam, India. Phytotaxa 722 (1): 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8
D16387A52D5ABD7942B58424FAA183B1.taxon	discussion	Note: Ardisia assamica is a 2 – 4 m. tall shrub with slender, smooth branches, rusty when young and glabrous when mature. It bears lanceolate leaves with undulate margins and attenuate base and apex, larger than A. quinquangularis but lacking the scaly abaxial surface unlike A. quinquegona. The species is readily distinguished by its terminal cymose or compound cyme inflorescence (3 – 10 cm long) with a short glabrous peduncle (0.5 – 1.5 cm), triangular sepals with golden – yellow ciliate margins and imbricate petals bearing white blotches near the base on the adaxial surface. The fruit is a globose drupe that is not pentahedral, in contrast to the obtusely 5 – angled drupe of A. quinquegona and the globose – pentahedral fruit of A. quinquangularis. These consistent morphological differences, in combination with its distinctive floral and fruit characters, justify the recognition of Ardisia assamica as a new species to science.	en	Baruah, Manash, Saikia, Gitartha, Devi, Nilakshee (2025): Ardisia assamica sp. nov. (Primulaceae-Myrsinoideae) from Assam, India. Phytotaxa 722 (1): 81-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.722.1.8
