Miliusa tirunelvelica, a new Species of Annonaceae from the Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India

2004·1.7 MB·

by  C Murugan

Miliusa tirunelvelica, a New Species of Annonaceae from the
Kalakkad—Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India
C. Murugan, V. S. Manickam, V. Sundaresan, and G. J. Jothi
Centre for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Department of Botany, St. Xaviers College,
Palayamkottai—627 002, India, [email protected]
ABSTRACT. The new species of Miliusa tirunelvel¬ carpellis paucis, ca. 20 (in ilia multis); carpellis adulto-
rum apice obtusis, (in ilia apice acutis) differt.
ica (Annonaceae), collected from the Kalakkad—
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve on the Western Ghats
Evergreen small tree 2—4 m tall; bark black, gla¬
of Tamil Nadu, is described and illustrated. It is
brous, wrinkled when dry; branchlets terete, brown
distinguished by the pubescence on branchlets,
pilose; internode 5—10 mm long. Leaves alternate,
petioles, and pedicels; by the shape of die stamen’s
simple, elliptic to lanceolate, 4—9 X 1-2.5 cm,
connective and monocarp apices; and by its stipi-
membranous, glabrous except midrib, base widely
tate fruit, witli the stipe to 20 mm.
cuneate, margin entire, ciliate, apex caudate; sec¬
Key words: Annonaceae, India, Kalakkad— ondary veins 6 to 8 pairs, slightly conspicuous be¬
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Miliusa, Tamil Nadu, low, looped at blade margins; petioles 2—3 mm long,
Western (dials. brown pilose. Flowers axillary, solitary. 1 — 1.5 cm
diam.. bisexual, regular, actinomorphic; pedicels
file genus Miliusa Leschenault, with ca. 40 spe¬ 1.5—4 cm long, slender, sparsely pilose; bracts 2 or
cies, is distributed in India, Sri Lanka, east across 3, ovate, ca. 0.5 mm long, proximal above the base;
southern Asia in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, sepals 3, elliptic to lanceolate, ca. 1.5 X 1 mm,
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Borneo, In¬ sparsely pubescent, valvate, reflexed; petals 6 (3 +
donesia, as well as Australia and New Zealand (Mi- 3). 2 whorled, valvate; outer petals 3, sepaloid, lan¬
tra, 1993). Among these, 14 species are found in ceolate, as long as sepals, sparsely pubescent, al¬
India: 6 occur in Tamil Nadu, and 5 (Miliusa er- ternate to sepals, reflexed: inner petals 3, alternate
iocarpa Dunn, M. indica Leschenault, M. montana to outer petals, pink with white tinge, elliptic, ca.
Gardner ex Hooker f. & Thomson, M. nilagirica 1.5 X 0.8 cm. eonnivent, sparsely pubescent, rath¬
Beddome, M. tomestosa (Roxburgh) Sinclair) in the er less so within, base cuneate, apex widely acute;
Tirunelveli Hills. Recent botanical explorations stamens ca. 30—40, 6-seriate, ca. 1.5 mm long; con¬
(1996—2000) to the Tirunelveli Hills, in the core nectives flat, not concealing anthers, hemispherical
/one of the Kalakkad—Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve at apex; anthers ovate, ca. I mm long, 2-celled;
at the southern extension of the Western Ghats in carpels ca. 20, free, oblong, rarely falcate, 1—1.5
the state of Tamil Nadu, India, yielded a taxon mm long, pubescent at base; ovules 2, collateral;
quite different from those Indian species of Miliusa style 0; stigma terminal, obconic, ca. I mm long.
hitherto recognized. It is described here as a new Monocarps 7 to 21. oblong, 1—1.5 X 0.8—1 cm, gla¬
species and is named after the type locality. This brous, apex obtuse, pink; stipe 10—20 mm long,
area is considered one of the biodiversity hot spots terete, glabrous; seeds ovoid, 5—8 mm diam.,
in India (Nayar, 1996; Murugan et ah. 2001). smooth.
[Miliusa tirunelvelica C. Murugan, V. S. Manick¬ Distribution. Endemic to Tirunelveli Hills; re¬
am, V. Sundaresan & G. J. Jothi, sp. nov. corded so far from only four hilly tracts, viz. Pa-
TYPE: India. Tamil Nadu: Tirunelveli District, panasam, Kalakkad, Kothayar. and Mahendragiri in
Kakachi Hills, Kakachi-Sengaltheri path, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India; 800—1500 m el¬
800-1300 m, 1 Sep. 1998, V. S. Manickam evation.
17205 (holotype, XCH; isotypes, MIL MO, Flowering and fruiting. June to April.
XCH). Figure 1. Ecology. The new species is found along
streams of wet evergreen forests between 900 and
Miliusae wightiancte afinis, sed rariiulis et petiolis pi¬
1700 m. It is associated w ith Acronychia peduncu-
losis (in ilia glabris); pedicellis longioribus, 1.5—4 cm lon-
gis et pilosis (in ilia curtioribus, 1.5—2.5 cm longis et gla¬ lata (L.) Miquel (Rutaceae), Aglaia simplicifolia
bris); connective apice hemisphaerico (in ilia apiculato); (Beddome) Harms (Meliaceae), Begonia failax DC.
Novon 14: 102-104. 2004.
Volume 14, Number 1 Murugan et al. 103
2004 Miliusa tirunelvelica from India
Figure 1. Miliusa tirunelvelica Murugan et al. —A. Twig. —If. Flower. —C. Inner petal (outer and inner surfaces).
—I). Androecium. —E. Stamen. —F, G. Carpel (immature). —H. Monocarp. —I. Seed. Drawn from llie type, V. S.
Manickam 17205 (XCH).
(Begoniaceae), Cullenia exarillata Robyns (Bom- aceae), Saprosma corymbosum (Beddome) Beddome
bacaceae), Elaeocarpus munronii (Wight) Masters (Rubiaceae), Syzygium mundagam (Bourdillon)
(Elaeocarpaceae), Euonymiis crenulatus Wallich ex Chithra (Myrtaceae), and Xanthophyllum flavescens
W ight & Arnott (Celastraeeae), Gomphandra cori- Roxburgh (Xanthophyllaceae).
acea W ight (Icacinaceae), Impatiens cordata W ight, Etymology. The species epithet refers to the
/. uncinata W ight (Balsaminaceae), Lasianthes ci- type locality of this species.
nereus Gamble (Rubiaceae), Leea indica (Burman Miliusa tirunelvelica C. Murugan. V. S. Manick-
f.) Merrill (Leeaeeae), Ophiorrhiza eriantha Wight am, V. Sundaresan & G. J. Jothi is allied to Miliusa
(Rubiaceae), Orophea thomsoni Beddome (Annon- wightiana Hooker I. & Thomson by its leaf shape.
104 Novon
flower, pedicel, and stamens. However, the new Chief Conservator of Forests, Chennai, and the
species differs by pubescence on branchlets and Field Director, Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger lie-
petioles; the pedicel length 1.5-4 cm long; the sta¬ serve, Tirunelveli. for their permission to undertake
men connectives hemispherical at apex; the mon¬ the fieldwork; 1*. Daniel, Joint Director, botanical
ocarps obtuse at their apex with a stipe to 10-20 Survey of India (BSI), Coimbatore for his permis¬
mm long. The new species is often confused with sion to consult herbarium specimens at Madras
Miliusa nilagirica and \1. wightiana by their sim¬ Herbarium (MH); V. J. Nair. F anerilus Scientist,
ilar pedicel length. BSI, for the Latin diagnosis; Shri. H. Sankar, St.
Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, for preparing the
Paralypes. INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Tirunelveli District, illustration; and Shri I. Jegan Babu, Shri A. Rex,
Papanasam Hills, Kannikatti-Peyyar, 5 June 1997, V. S.
Shri M. Sunder, and Shri P. John Peter, for help
Manicknm 12007 (XCH); Kalakkad Hills, Sengaltheri, ft
during field studies.
Dec. 1996, 1. S. Manicknm 11652 (XCH); Kakachi Hills.
Kakachi-Sengaltheri path, 1 Sep. 1998, V. S. Manicknm
Literature Cited
17197 (XCH); on way to Sengaltheri, 29 May 1999. V. S.
Manicknm <£: C. Murugan 19201 (XCH); Kanniyakumari Mitra, I). 1993. Annonaceae. Pp. 212—223 in B. 1). Shar-
District, Kothayar Hills, Kothayar-Muthukuzhivayal, 1 I ma, N. P. Balakrishnan, R. I{. Rao & P. k. Ilajra (ed¬
Mar. 1998, V. S. Manicknm 14951 (XCH); Mahendragiri itors), Flora of India, Vol. I. Botanical Survey of India,
Hills, on way to Parvatham from Red Fort Estate, 20 Mar. Calcutta 700 (X) 1.
1999, V. S. Manicknm 10592 (XCH). Murugan, C., V. S. Maniekam & V. Sundaresan. 2001.
Memecylon tirunelvelicum, a new species of Melasto-
Acknowledgments. We are grateful to the Uni¬ mataceae from Peninsular India. Novon 11: 197—199.
Nayar. M. P. 1996. Endemic plants of Peninsular India.
versity Grants Commission, New Delhi (NoF.3-39/
Pp. 1—62 in Hot Spot of Endemic Plants of India, Nepal
96), India, for financial support. We also thank the and Bhutan. SB press, Trivandram-1.