Oldenlandia vasudevanii Soumya & Maya, 2017

Soumya, Murugan, Sojan, Jose, Suresh, Veerankutty & Nair, Maya Chandrashekaran, 2017, Oldenlandia vasudevanii (Spermacoceae, Rubiaceae) a new species from the Southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 305 (1), pp. 41-46 : 44

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.305.1.6
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/423E87D4-FFF5-FA39-FF4D-3D7F1F4DEE31
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Oldenlandia vasudevanii Soumya & Maya
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Oldenlandia vasudevanii Soumya & Maya View in CoL sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 & 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Oldenlandia vasudevanii is similar to O. stocksii and O. hygrophila , but can be delineated in terms of traits such as stout stem and pedicel, calyx lobes exceeding the level of corolla, stipules with two prominent bristles, three accessory calyx teeth, comparatively smaller size of corolla tube as well as anther and style with bilobed papilose stigma.

Type: — INDIA: Kerala: Palakkad district, Karassuri, Nelliampathy hills, 1260 m 2 August 2015, Soumya M. & Maya C. Nair 1018 (Holotype: CALI!, isotypes MH!, JNTBGRI!, GVCH!)

Annual herb, 50–100 mm tall, usually branched. Stem puberulous, sub-terete. Stipules with 2 prominent bristles, sheath base 1.5–2.5 mm wide, bristles 2–2.5 mm long. Leaves sub-sessile, linear-lanceolate, base attenuate, blades bright green, with setulose revolute margin, 1-nerved, 1–2 × 3–5 mm, apex aciculate. Inflorescence axillary or terminal 2-flowered cymes, or flowers solitary. Flowers 30–45 × 30–35 mm, pedicel stout, puberulous, 6–13 mm long. Hypanthium sub-globose, puberulous. Sinuses of the calyx lobes marked by the presence of prominent calyx teeth 1.3–1.5 mm long, subtended by smaller ones on either side. Calyx lobes 3–3.5 mm long, exceeding the level of corolla, margin revolute with pointed apex. Corolla campanulate, white with purplish tinge, tube 1.5 mm long, lobes 1.5–2 mm long, oblong, acute tip, glabrous on both sides. Stamens 4, exerted and extrorse. Filaments 0.7–1mm long, glabrous. Anthers oblong, glabrous 0.5–0.6 mm long. Ovary 1× 1 mm, ovules numerous in each locule in axile placentation. Style stout, 1.5 mm length, glabrous, stigma 1.7–2 mm, bilobed, densely papilose. Capsule sub-globose, 1.5–2.5 × 2–3.5 mm, puberulous. Seeds many, angular 0.2–0.4 × 0.2–0.4 mm.

Phenology: — Flowering: July–September; fruiting: August–October.

Etymology: —The species is named after Prof. R. Vasudevan Nair, an eminent retired taxonomy professor of Govt. Victoria College, Palakkad, who have made original collections of Oldenlandia hygrophila , recorded from Palakkad District of Kerala, India.

Distribution and ecology: —The species grows at about 1260 m in hydrogeomorphic exposed rock surfaces with mosses along the Karassuri hill tract of Nelliampathy hills. The species is found to grow with Drosera indica ( Droseraceae ) and Utricularia lazulina ( Lentibulariaceae ), indicating the critical nitrogen deficiency in the soil and the habitat specificity.

Small populations with an average of 60-70 mature individuals were observed thriving within a distance of 100 meters in slightly water logged microhabitats. Apart from type locality, the specimen could not be collected from anywhere else. So based on the extent of occurrence and number of mature individuals in populations, the species is tentatively classified as Endangered (EN) using IUCN strategies and criteria ( IUCN, 2016).

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — INDIA: Kerala: Palakkad District, Karassuri, Nelliampathy hills, 1260 m, 8August 2015, Soumya. M & Maya C. Nair 1019 ( ERRCH!) ; 31August 2015, Maya C. Nair & Soumya M. 90 ( GVCH!) ; 15 August 2015, Suresh V. & Soumya M. 92 ( GVCH!) ; 5 September 2015, Maya C. Nair & Sojan Jose 93 ( GVCH!) ( ERRCH — Environmental Resources Research Centre Herbarium; GVCH — Government Victoria College Herbarium) .