Article · Volume 13, Issue 1 · pp. 67-70
Sonerila periyarensis sp.nov.-A new species of Melastomataceae from Kerala, India
Deepthy Kumary Kunjukrishna Pillai1, Sreekala Appukuttan Nair Kamalabhai1, Usha Vikraman Pillalai Sarojini Amma1, Raju Ramasubbu1
- 1Plant systematics and Evolutionary Science Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, INDIA.
- 1Conservation Biology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, INDIA.
- 1Department of Biology, The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University), Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, INDIA.
Abstract
Sonerila periyarensis, a new taxon was collected from the forest of Gavi, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Pathanamthitta district, Kerala, India is described. Sonerila periyarensis is similar to S. zeylanica and S. nairii but differs from it by having erect, translucent lesser- branched stem, ovate or ovatelanceolate leaves with white-long glandular hairs adaxially, axillary condensed cyme with pink flower, funnel-shaped calyx tube with ovate-obovate petals and scattered glandular-hairy capsule. This combination of characters makes determining the relationships of S. periyarensis difficult.
Keywords: Gavi; Periyar Tiger Reserve; Sonerila zeylanica; Sonerileae
The full text of this article, with its figures and tables, is its PDF, shown below. Open the PDF in a new tab.