Schizotechium paniculatum (Edgew.) Pusalkar & S.K. Srivast., 2016

Pusalkar, Prashant K. & Srivastava, S. K., 2016, The genus Schizotechium (Caryophyllaceae) resurrected, Phytotaxa 252 (1), pp. 81-84 : 83

Schizotechium paniculatum (Edgew.) Pusalkar & S.K. Srivast. , comb. nov.

Bas.: Stellaria paniculata Edgeworth (1845 (1851): 35)

≡ S. monosperma var. paniculata (Edgew.) Majumdar (1965: 141) .

Type: ― In nemoribus, alt. ped. 9000–11,000 (ft.), Jauglig (Himalaya), mense Octobri (1844), M. P. Edgeworth 165 (holotype, K-000723665). Image of the type available at http://apps.kew.org/herbcat/getImage.do?imageBarcode= K 000723665

Description:—Perennial, sub-scandent, 0.3–0.8 m high; roots fusiform, thick, fleshy; stem weak, usually much branched, sometimes simple, 4-angled, glossy, glabrous or pubescent, often with a line of jointed ciliate hairs from nodes; lower nodes sometimes with few fibrous roots. Basal and lower leaves withered by anthesis; cauline leaves opposite, petioled, membranous, narrowly to broadly elliptic, oblong-elliptic to lanceolate or ovate, 2–12 × 0.7–4 cm, base narrowed, cuneate, rounded to truncate, often decurrent on petiole; margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous or pubescent with jointed cilia; uppermost leaves sometimes sub-sessile; petiole to 2 cm, glabrous or ciliate. Flowers white or greenish (apparently green due to very small petals), 2–3 mm, as across, 5-merous, in terminal, many-flowered, irregularly or 2–3- chotomously much-branched, glandular-pubescent panicle of compound cymes; calyx slightly elongated to 4.2 mm in fruit; peduncle and pedicels slender, spreading, densely glandular-ciliate; bracts/bracteoles lanceolate to elliptic, glandular-ciliate. Sepals lanceolate, linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, rarely linear or linear-spathulate, 2–3(–4) × 0.5–1 mm, acute, sub-acute or obtuse, margins narrowly to broadly membranous, outer surface glandular-ciliate. Petal 1/2–1/4 th the sepal, base narrowed; lamina subsickle-shaped or obovate-cuneate in outline, 2-lobed for half to nearly the base of lamina; lobes ovate, oblong or lanceolate, obtuse or rounded. Stamens 5 or 10, all of equal length or 5+5 (alternately long and small); filaments, 0.8–1.5 mm, shorter than to exceeding petals, base conspicuously fused, without glands; anthers sub-orbicular-oblong, 0.2–0.4 mm. Styles 3, linear, 1–2 mm. Disc not lobed. Capsule ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid, equaling or slightly exceeding calyx; seeds 1(–2), brown, reddish-brown or blackish-brown, suborbicular-ovoid, 1.5–2 mm, often slightly pointed (beaked) towards inner end, wrinkled, rugose.

Distribution:— Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam.