Species New to Science

Argyreia manjolaiensis (Convolvulaceae), a new species from the southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, is described and illustrated. Detailed description, photoplates, and distribution map are provided. Information on population status and ecology is also presented to facilitate the identification and conservation of the species.

Keywords: Endemic species, Morning glory, Tamil Nadu, Taxonomy

Yadav P.B.S., Karuppusamy S. and P.S.S. Richard. 2024. A New Species of Argyreia (Convolvulaceae) from the southern Western Ghats, India. Rheedea. 34(5);  rheedea.in/journal/GI7f2reS 

Primulina xingyiensis X.X.Bai & F.Wen, a new species of Gesneriaceae in the karst landforms of Xingyi City, Guizhou Province, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, the species is similar to P. davidioides on corolla, while it is distinguished from P. davidioides by characteristics of thinner and smaller leaves, shorter peduncles, fewer flowers, smaller corolla, glabrous staminodes, and ovary shorter than style. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the combined dataset of rpl32-trnL, trnL-trnF, atpB-rbcL, and ITS sequences of the new species and 151 other species of Primulina Hance showed that the two populations of P. xingyiensis clustered into a clade, while it was most closely related to P. malingheensis. Following criteria D1 in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the new species should be assessed as ‘vulnerable’ (VU).

Key words: Endemic species, Gesneriaceae, Karst, morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy

João Barbosa Rodrigues, a renowned Brazilian botanist, spent years intensively studying Orchidaceae and Arecaceae and oversaw two important institutions in Brazil: the Museu Botânico do Amazonas and the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. However, when it comes to his taxonomic studies, there are controversies about the existence of specimens mentioned in the protologues of his new species. For example, for the palm genus Astrocaryum, several issues have arisen regarding identifying and designating nomenclatural types of the species he described. Different researchers presumed that the entire collection of types was destroyed after the Museu Botânico do Amazonas closed and due to natural disasters, that affected his collections in city of Rio de Janeiro. Thus, in this study we investigated the names of Astrocaryum described by Barbosa Rodrigues. We conducted a comprehensive investigation of Barbosa Rodrigues’ works to determine the origin and current location of the possible nomenclatural types associated with the Astrocaryum species he described. Additionally, we reviewed the designations proposed by Jan Wessels Boer and Sidney Glassman for these species in the previous century. Based on our thorough search, we confirmed the absence of the specimens mentioned in the protologues of these species. Furthermore, we substantiated the typifications made by Wessels Boer and Glassman, which were based on illustrations by Barbosa Rodrigues. Our findings confirm the assignment of six lectotypes and twelve neotypes for Astrocaryum based on the Shenzhen Code.

illustrations, lectotype, Museu Botânico do Amazonas, neotype, palms, Monocots

A new species of the palaeotropical genus Stenandriopsis S.Moore (Acanthaceae) is described from Daraina region (Loky-Manambato) in northeastern Madagascar, and named S. darainensis I.Darbysh. & Callm. It is compared to the most similar species morphologically, S. boivinii (S.Moore) Benoist, and notes on its habitat preferences and conservation status (extinction risk) are provided — it is assessed using IUCN criteria as Vulnerable [VU D2]. In addition, Stenandriopsis leptostachys Benoist var. longifolia Benoist from southern Madagascar is re-elevated to full species status and a new combination in Stenandriopsis is made for this taxon, Stenandriopsis longifolia (Benoist) I.Darbysh. & Callm.

Colchicum akanii Sonay, M. Keskin & Balos (Colchicaceae) from Elazığ, eastern Turkey, is described as a new species. It is morphologically similar to C. balansae and C. macrophyllum, but differs from them mainly by the structure of the corm and outer and inner tunics, cataphyll colour, leaf shape and size, tessellate perigon, filament that is much shorter than tepals, as well as capsule and seed structure. Following the IUCN criteria, we assessed C. akanii to be Critically Endangered (CR).

Colchicum akanii Sonay, M. Keskin & Balos

Keskin M., Sonay V. & Balos M.M. 2025. Colchicum akanii (Colchicaceae), A New long-necked Species from Turkey.  Ann. Bot. Fennici. 62: 11–17. 

  instagram.com/p/DEUXh_liYfO/?img_index=MarufBalos

Begonia pingxiangensis, a new species from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species resembles B. daxinensis in the leaf blade and flower, but can be distinguished by its leaf blade shape (ovate to broadly ovate vs obliquely ovate to suborbicular), size (4–8 × 3–7 cm vs 10–24 × 10–17 cm), flower color (white vs white or pinkish), smaller staminate flowers (outer two 5–8 × 6–10 mm, inner two ca. 3–4 × 2 mm vs outer two 12–19 × 10–16 mm, inner two 12–14 × 4–5 mm) and pistillate flowers (outer two tepals 7–8 × 8–10 mm, inner one 3–4 × 2 mm vs outer two tepals 10–15 × 10–12 mm, inner one 5–7.5 × 2–5 mm) sizes. Detailed description is provided.

Keyword: Begonia, Begonia daxinensis, China, Guangxi, new taxon, taxonomy

 

Microtoena wawushanensis, a new species from Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated here. The new species is closely related to M. moupinensis and M. prainiana, but differs distinctly from both in leaf, calyx and bract morphology. It is further distinguished by its highly variable and unstable calyx tooth ratio (1.36–2.13), red-marked lateral lobes on the lower corolla and filaments that are barbate at both the upper and basal parts, with nearly imperceptible hairs in the middle section. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 81 coding regions of the chloroplast genome, suggest that M. wawushanensis belongs to sect. Delavayana and is sister to a clade formed by M. urticifolia, M. prainiana and M. megacalyx.

Key words: Lamiaceae, Microtoena, new taxon, taxonomy

 Microtoena wawushanensis Xue X. Wu & Qiang Wang, sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Microtoena wawushanensis is morphologically similar to M. moupinensis (Franch.) Prain and M. prainiana Diels (Table 2), but differs from M. moupinensis and M. prainiana by having a crenate leaf margin with distinct mucrones (vs. with or dentate without any mucro), a cuneate to truncate-subcordate leaf base (vs. truncate-subcordate or cuneate leaf base), a lax, more or less compact to spike-like panicle inflorescence (vs. inflorescence sometimes with one-sided branches or ...

A new species of Convolvulaceae from India, Distimake aparantae, is described and illustrated. The species is restricted to the northern Western Ghats, on sea-facing slopes in coastal regions, at low altitude and may be Critically Endangered. It is morphologically similar to D. rhyncorhiza, differing by the pendulous flowers (vs erect in D. rhyncorhiza), corollas widening from the base without a cylindrical tube (vs funnel-form), leaves deeply lobed with entire margins (vs deeply dissected margins), seeds shortly pubescent, with long golden hairs along the margins (vs mostly glabrous) and pollen 15-pantocolpate (vs 12-pantocolpate). A key to the species of Distimake in India is also provided. Distimake currently includes 49 species, the vast majority are native to Tropical Africa and Tropical America. Only nine species of Distimake occur in Asia, most of them are pantropical, extending their distributions into this region. Three are, however, restricted to Asia, of which two are widespread across SE Asia (D. vitifolius and D. quinatus) and one is narrowly endemic in the Western Ghats (D. rhyncorhiza). The latter three have been demonstrated to be phylogenetically closely related to each other. Distimake aparantae raises the total of Distimake species in Asia to ten and becomes the second species of Distimake endemic to the Western Ghats. It is expected to be phylogenetically close to D. rhyncorhiza, D. vitifolius and D. quinatus. This is the first time that 15-pantocolpate pollen is reported in Distimake. We estimate that the species diversity of this small, Asian clade of Distimake may have been overlooked and that more species remain undescribed, especially in such highly diverse regions as the Western Ghats.

Key Words: Endemism, Merremieae, morning glory, Sahyadri Mountains