identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
1A969E79CA6656B2AA5067617216F144.text	1A969E79CA6656B2AA5067617216F144.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Memecylon elegantulum Thwaites	<div><p>Memecylon elegantulum Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 112 (1859); Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon, 2: 214 (1894)</p><p>Figs 1, 2</p><p>Memecylon rostratum auct. non Thwaites, K. Bremer, Opera. Bot. 50: 21 (1979), p. p.; K. Bremer in Dassan., Revis. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 6: 224 (1987), p. p.</p><p>Type.</p><p>• Sri Lanka n. l., n. d., n. coll., C. P. 2684 (lectotype: third branch from the left of PDA [PDA 00002924!], designated here); Samanala Watta side of Pettigala Forest Reserve, 17 iv 2023, H. Jayasinghe et al. HDJ 2097 (epitype: PDA 00109496, designated here) .</p><p>Description.</p><p>Memecylon elegantulum is distinguished from M. rostratum upto 2 m tall (vs treelet, to 7 m); having flush leaves deep purple-red to light pink (vs whitish green); branched, pedicellate inflorescence with 1–2 flowers (vs unbranched inflorescence with 6–9 capitate flowers); petals in bud conical with an apiculate tip (vs obtuse tip); anthers and anther connectives white (vs purplish-blue); straight anther connective without a gland (vs arched anther connective, with a prominent red gland); and fruit hanging, pale green in immature stage (vs erect, white).</p><p>Shrubs or treelets up to 2 m height; outer bark shallowly and longitudinally striate; young branchlets obscurely quadrangular, becoming terete with age; flush leaves deep purple-red to light pink; internode distance 18–25 mm. Leaves green above, much paler below, lustrous on both sides in live state, greenish-brown in dried state; petiole 1–2 mm long; lamina subcoriaceous, broadly to (rarely) narrowly elliptic, 40–65 × 15–20 mm, caudate to acuminate, obtuse at apex, narrowly obtuse to cuneate at base, margins slightly revolute toward base, slightly thickened; midrib slightly grooved adaxially, obscurely raised abaxially; lateral veins 7–9 pairs, with a few intermediaries, straight throughout, unicolorous in live state, venation visible on both sides in dried state; intramarginal vein 0.3–1 mm from the margin. Inflorescence 1 (– 2) per node, axillary on lower leaf nodes or rarely below the existing leaf nodes; main axis of the peduncle 2.5–3.5 mm long, filamentous, quadrangular, pale yellowish green, topped by (1 –) 2 capitate secondary axils, surrounded by minute bracts at the joint; secondary axils 2–3 mm long, filamentous, cylindrical, pale greenish white, topped by 2, minute, whitish bracts, holding a single flower. Flowers pedicel 4.5–5 mm long, white; hypantho-calyx broadly pyriform to infundibuliform, 1.7–1.9 mm long, 2.3–2.5 mm wide, outside smooth, white, sometimes with a bluish tinge at apex; calyx lobes 4, minute, obtuse to acute at apex; epigynous chamber smooth, without any furrows; exposed petals conical with a pointed apex in bud, white at anthesis, reflexed, 2.4–2.6 mm long, 1.8–2.1 mm wide; filaments 3.4–3.7 mm long, white; anther connective straight, 2.2–2.7 mm long, 0.6–0.7 mm wide, white; without a gland; anthers white; style 5.9–6.1 mm, white. Fruits 1–2 per inflorescence with an elongate, hanging pedicel up to 7–8 mm; subglobose, 9.5–11 × 7.5–9 mm diameter, topped by a persistent calycinal crown; surface smooth, yellowish green during immature stage, purplish blue at partial maturity, then turning blackish purple at maturity; cotyledons wrinkled.</p><p>Distribution and habitat.</p><p>Lowland rainforests of Sri Lanka, northwards to Sinharaja Forest in the elevation range 250–800 m (Fig. 3). It usually occurs at the lower level of the rainforest understorey, on ridges and as well as in valleys.</p><p>Phenology.</p><p>Flowering and fruiting were recorded twice a year, from February to April and from August to November.</p><p>Notes.</p><p>In the protologue of Memecylon elegantulum, Thwaites (1859) briefly described its inflorescence, flower and the fruit. All the morphological features and distribution details he provided, except the description of the pedicel, are consistent with our own observations. Thwaites mentioned, however, that the pedicel was ‘ as half as long as the calyx [calyce dimidio longioribus], while the taxon described here has pedicels approximately three times long as the calyx. Later, Trimen (1894) described the flower as sessile, which was repeated by Alston (1931). After a thorough search in herbaria, we encountered four syntypes. Although Trimen (1894) and Alston (1931) detailed the flower and the fruit, the syntypes we examined contained neither flowers nor fruits except for the crushed parts of a fruit in the pocket of BM 000944509! and an immature fruit in the pocket of PDA 00002922!. Although Trimen (1894), in his enumeration, mentioned that he had only scant material of this taxon, we were unable to locate any material other than the mentioned syntypes prior to Trimen’s time.</p><p>The drawing made from C. P. 2684 by H. de Alwis, Thwaites’ draftsman (Pethiyagoda 2007) curated at PDA, is a leafy branch with a single hanging fruit, which is bluish purple. This species has the longest pedicel (relative to the length of the hypanthocalyx) among the Sri Lankan species of Memecylon, while having a unique inflorescence architecture. Given that Thwaites noted that inflorescence was ‘ sparsely racemose’ [parce ramosis], it is possible that he was misled by this feature, thinking that the pedicel was a secondary axis of the inflorescence. The second branch from the left of PDA 00002924! has two broken primary axils of inflorescences, highlighting its filamentous nature. The third branch from the left of PDA 00002924! has a single broken inflorescence axis, including a part of the secondary axis. This inflorescence section features the bracts at the inflorescence branching.</p><p>Since little Sri Lankan material was available to him, Bremer (1979) provisionally synonymized Memecylon elegantulum under M. rostratum . Bremer (1979) lectotypified the name as ‘ C. P. 2684 in PDA ’ while considering C. P. 2684 in BM &amp; K to be iso-lectotypes. We note, however, that there are two sheets labelled C. P. 2684 in PDA, both of poor quality. As detailed by Jayasinghe et al. (2022), a single C. P. number often included multiple gatherings. PDA 00002922! has an indistinct pencil notation about the gathering information (possibly ‘ Gilimale, March 1853 ’) while PDA 00002924! lacks any such information. This suggests that these specimens may have been the result of multiple gatherings. It is important, however, that type specimens be from a single gathering (see Article 8.2, footnote 1). Here under Art. 9.3, newly lectotypify the name, selecting the specimen in the best condition. Since the syntpes represent multiple gatherings, they are retained as such, without considering them for iso-lectotypification. Given that all the syntypes currently lack flowers as well as a complete peduncle, they only partially represent the taxon. Hence, we designate a flowering specimen as an epitype (Article 9.9).</p><p>Specimens examined.</p><p>Sri Lanka: • Ratnapura District: Kalawana, 30 iv 1970, N. Balakrishnan NBK 315 (PDA, US 02955738) ; Approximately 2 miles from Rassagala, 09 xi 1975, S. H. Sohmer &amp; S. Waas 10491 (PDA) ; • Bambarabotuwa Forest Reserve, 15 v 2018, M. Gunathilake, N. Gunawardena &amp; A. Sumanadasa NBS / 2018 / BAM / 071 (PDA) ; • ibid., 14 v 2018, M. Gunathilake, N. Gunawardena &amp; A. Sumanadasa NBS / 2018 / BAM / 023 (PDA); • ibid., NBS / 2018 / BAM / 013 (PDA); • ibid., 06 xi 2018, B. Gopallawa &amp; S. Gamage BAM 337 (PDA); • ibid., BAM 203 (PDA); Botiyagala, Gilimale-Erathna forest, 21 viii 1993, A. H. M. Jayasuriya &amp; B. W. M. Wijesinghe 7478 (PDA) ; • Gilimale, Gilimale-Erathna forest, 4 vii 1993, A. H. M. Jayasuriya &amp; B. W. M. Wijesinghe 7415 (PDA) ; • ibid., 27 iii 2024, H. Jayasinghe &amp; Samarasinghe HDJ 2922 (PDA); • Dotalugala forest, 27 viii 1976, S. Waas 1831 (PDA, L 2545519, E 01411687) ; • Massenna forest reserve, above Rassagala estate, 25 x 1993, A. H. M. Jayasuriya &amp; B. W. M. Wijesinghe 7644 (PDA) ; • Kiribathgala forest reserve, 06 iv 2024, H. Jayasinghe, D. Samarasinghe &amp; S. Kanishka HDJ 2961 (PDA) ; • Walankanda, 19 i 2023, H. Jayasinghe, A, Perera, I. Madawala HDJ 1947 (PDA) ; • Delwala, 27 i 2023, H. Jayasinghe, A. Perera, I. Madawala HDJ 1956 (PDA) • Unknown localities: s. l., s. d., s. coll., s. n., C. P. 2684 (PDA 00002922; remaining specimens other than the lectotype of PDA 00002924; BM 000944509, K 000859185).</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1A969E79CA6656B2AA5067617216F144	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Perera, Amila;Jayasinghe, Himesh;Gopallawa, Bhathiya;Madawala, Isuru;Gunatilleke, Nimal;Geekiyanage, Nalaka	Perera, Amila, Jayasinghe, Himesh, Gopallawa, Bhathiya, Madawala, Isuru, Gunatilleke, Nimal, Geekiyanage, Nalaka (2025): Reinstatement of Memecylon elegantulum (Melastomataceae) and recircumscription of Memecylon rostratum, two species endemic to Sri Lanka. PhytoKeys 259: 67-80, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.259.146534
2E61B1634AB75C81BE3579E96AE2A22C.text	2E61B1634AB75C81BE3579E96AE2A22C.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Memecylon rostratum Thwaites	<div><p>Memecylon rostratum Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl. 111 (1859); Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon, 2: 218 (1894); K. Bremer, Opera. Bot. 50: 21 (1979), p. p.; K. Bremer in Dassan., Revis. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 6: 224 (1987), p. p.</p><p>Figs 4, 5</p><p>Type. •</p><p>Sri Lanka n. l., n. d., n. coll., C. P. 1560 (lectotype: the largest branch with flowers [second from the left] of PDA [PDA 00002923!], designated here)</p><p>Description.</p><p>A small tree, to 8 m tall; outer bark smooth, not longitudinally striate, yellowish brown; young branchlets terete; flush leaves pale yellowish green, sometimes with a red tinge; internode distance 15–30 mm. Leaves green above, paler below, lustrous on both sides in live state, brown on upper side and yellow-brown on underside in dried state; petiole 2–5 mm long; lamina subcoriaceous, elliptic to ovate 40–70 × 25–38 mm, caudate to acuminate, obtuse to rounded at extreme apex, broadly to narrowly cuneate at base, margins flat, rarely slightly revolute towards base; midrib adaxially slightly grooved, abaxially obscurely raised; lateral veins 7–9 pairs, invisible in live state, hardly visible abaxially in dried state; intramarginal vein 0.3–0.5 mm from the margin. Inflorescence 1 (– 2) per node, axillary, mainly on nodes below the existing leaves and extending in to the lower leaf nodes; peduncle often unbranched, (0 –) 2.5–5 mm long, thick, obscurely quadrangular to terete, green; secondary axils almost sessile when the peduncle is branched; flowers umbellate, 3–14 flowers per inflorescence; minute bracts at the base of the petiole early caducous, brown. Flowers pedicel 0.4–1 cm long, white; hypantho-calyx broadly infundibuliform to pyriform with an abrupt medial inflation, 1.3–1.5 mm long, 1.8–2.3 mm wide, outside smooth, white; calyx lobes 4, 0.4–0.5 mm long, 1.2–1.4 mm wide, obtuse to acute at apex; epigynous chamber smooth, without any furrows; exposed petals dome-shaped with an apiculate apex and 4 grooves radiating from the centre of each calyx lobe, white at anthesis, reflexed, 1.5–2 mm long, 1.2–1.6 mm wide; filaments 2.6–3.0 mm long, purple-blue; anther connective, curved, 1.2–1.3 mm long, 0.4–0.6 mm wide, purple-blue; with a prominent red gland; anthers pale brownish yellow; style 3.5–3.8 mm, grey. Fruits 1–5 (– 7) per inflorescence, reducing in number at maturity, on stiff pedicels up to 1–4 mm; depressed globose to oblate, 6–8 × 3–6 mm diameter, topped by a persistent calycinal crown; surface smooth, white at immature stage, indigo-blue at partial maturity, then turning to blackish purple at maturity; cotyledons hardly wrinkled.</p><p>Distribution and habitat.</p><p>Southwestern lowland rainforests of Sri Lanka except the coastal zone, in the elevation range 200 - – 500 m (Fig. 3). PDA 00002921! sheet contains information on three localities in Kandy District (the specimens were mounted by Thwaites in the 1800 s). No further collections have been reported from natural habitats in the surroundings other than from the trees planted at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya. It is thus possible that this historical gathering information may not relate to this species. Memecylon rostratum is usually confined to the upper level of the rainforest understorey, often on ridges within a given topography.</p><p>Phenology.</p><p>The main flowering season was reported from March to May, with fruits produced from May to August. A second season produces flowers from September to November, with fruits in December to February.</p><p>Notes.</p><p>Trimen (1894) mentioned that flowers of Memecylon rostratum are very pale blue, while Alston (1931), in his key to the species, repeated the same. The protologue mentioned that the petals were white. This was not necessarily a misconception: the petals are white while the inside of the hypanthocalyx and anther connectives are pale blue in this species. This is evident also from the drawing curated at PDA, which was based on syntypes.</p><p>Bremer (1979) lectotypified the name as ‘ C. P. 1560 PDA ’ while considering C. P. 1560 in BM, K &amp; US as iso-lectotypes. We found that C. P. 1560 at PDA consisting of two herbarium sheets. PDA 00002923! contains four branchlets with some detached leaves and carries no information about the gathering. PDA 00002921! contains 6 branchlet fragments, one of which retains three attached leaves; the others lack leaves, though the detached leaves are pasted separately. The branchlet with the leaves has immature flower buds, while another branchlet that lacks leaves too, bears some young flower buds. An indistinct pencil notation on this sheet contains information on three gatherings (Hantana, Gardner; Deltota, in flower; Meda Mahanuwara, July 1852), though this cannot be explicitly assigned to the branchlets glued onto the sheet. In any event, because it is composed of multiple gatherings, Bremer’s lectotypification is incorrect. The present lectotype designation rectifies that deficiency and thereby stabilizes the identity of this species. As in the previous species, we refrain from considering other C. P. 1560 specimens as iso-lectotypes. Further, we have not included the C. P. 1560 specimens accessioned in herbaria outside Sri Lanka under the ‘ specimens examined’, pending the availability of magnified images of the flowers, and since we have encountered similar looking but evidently undescribed species in the field.</p><p>Bremer (1979, 1987) quoted Waas 509 (PDA, US) under this species, which is a species of Eugenia [probably E. mooniana Wight] ( Myrtaceae). The specimens associated with C. P. 2684 and NBK 315 quoted in these publications (Bremer 1979, 1987) belong to M. elegantulum . The specimens cited as Waas &amp; Peeris 551 and Cramer 3720 do not exhibit sufficient detail to recognize them explicitly as Memecylon rostratum .</p><p>Specimens examined.</p><p>• Sri Lanka: Kandy District: Peradeniya, n. d., F. Fagerlind 4595 (E 01411685; US 2955736) ; • Royal Botanic Garden, Peradeniya, 10 iii 1979, Kostermans 27421 (L.2545523, BR 0000030741959, PDA [2 sheets]) ; • ibid., 25 v 1980, Kostermans 28473 (L.2545522); • ibid., 13 ii 1904, C. C. Hosseus 12 (M 0168532); • ibid., 2022 ix 16, H. Jayasinghe HDJ 1693 (PDA); • ibid., 1964 v 26, D. Amaratunga 818 (PDA); • ibid., 1955 v 30, T. B. Worthington 6746 (PDA Ratnapura District: Sinharaja forest, between Heend Dola &amp; Gallen Dola, 1989 iv 26, A. H. M. Jayasuriya &amp; S. Balasubramaniam 4697 (PDA) ; • Mulawella trail, Sinharaja, 2023 v 03, H. Jayasinghe &amp; D. Samarasinghe HDJ 2197 (PDA) ; Walankanda, 2 v 1976, S. Waas 1557 (E 01411686, L.2545521, PDA [2 sheets]) • Kalutara District: East Kalugala Forest, 1 v 1976, S. Waas 1534 (E 01411684, L.2545520, PDA [2 sheets]) • Galle District: Kanneliya forest near Hiniduma, 7 vi 1973, Kostermans 24727 (L.2545524, US 2955733) ; • ibid., 25 vii 1976, A. H. M. Jayasuriya &amp; A. J. Kostermans 2371 (P 05255614, PDA); • Kalubowitiyana, 2023 xi 06, H. Jayasinghe, D. Dhanushka, S. Kanishka &amp; D. Samarasinghe HDJ 2557 (PDA) ; • Opatha, 2024 v 05, H. Jayasinghe, D. Samarasinghe, A. Perera, P. Jayasundara HDJ 3061 (PDA) .</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2E61B1634AB75C81BE3579E96AE2A22C	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Perera, Amila;Jayasinghe, Himesh;Gopallawa, Bhathiya;Madawala, Isuru;Gunatilleke, Nimal;Geekiyanage, Nalaka	Perera, Amila, Jayasinghe, Himesh, Gopallawa, Bhathiya, Madawala, Isuru, Gunatilleke, Nimal, Geekiyanage, Nalaka (2025): Reinstatement of Memecylon elegantulum (Melastomataceae) and recircumscription of Memecylon rostratum, two species endemic to Sri Lanka. PhytoKeys 259: 67-80, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.259.146534
