Beilschmiedia jacobii Robi, Udayan & S. George, 2016

Robi, A. J., Udayan, P. S., George, Satheesh & Sujanapal, P., 2016, Beilschmiedia jacobii sp. nov. (Lauraceae), from Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve of southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 266 (4), pp. 282-288 : 282-283

Beilschmiedia jacobii Robi, Udayan & S. George sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , & 2)

Type:— INDIA, Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram dist.: Agasthyamala, Pongalapara, ± 1400 m, 12 March 2010 (fl. & fr.), P. S. Udayan, A. J. Robi & Satheesh George 6634 (holotype, MH!, Isotypes, CMPR!, KFRI!, CALI!).

The new species showed close similarities with B. wightii ( Fig. 3 ) of Western Ghats, but differs by shrubby habit, prominently lenticellate bark, pubescent terminal buds, petioles 5–8 mm long (vs. 1–2.5 cm long), thickly coriaceous 3–7 cm long (vs. 7–15 cm long) leaves with 5–7 pairs of lateral veins, fruiting pedicels 5 mm long, lenticellate (vs. 1 cm long, smooth) ( Table 1.).

Shrubs, to 3 m tall; bark lenticellate; branchlets subterete to terete, smooth and glabrous, lenticellate during maturity; terminal buds small, 2 mm long, ovate, acute and rusty-tomentose. Leaves opposite to sub-opposite, rigidly coriaceous; petiole 5–8 mm long, flattened above, rounded below, thick, glabrous; lamina 3–7 × 1–3 cm, elliptic, base acute, apex obtuse or rounded, margin entire, thickened and incurved, sparsely-strigose when young, glabrous during maturity, glossy on both sides, smooth, not glaucous below; midrib elevated on both sides, glabrous, stout abaxially; lateral veins 5–7 pairs, faint adaxially, thin, raised abaxially, glabrous; intercostae reticulate, prominent abaxially and faint adaxially. Inflorescences axillary, 1–2 cm long, densely cymose-paniculate with inconspicuous bracts; peduncle densely silky-tomentose; bracts usually deciduous, if present 2–2.5 × 2–2.5 mm, ovate to orbicular, acute to obtuse, concave, densely silky-pubescent and ciliate along margins. Flowers 2–3 mm long, pale yellowish-green, pubescent, bisexual; tepals 6 in two whorls of 3, 2 mm long, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, obtuse or slightly incurved at apex, equal, sparsely pubescent towards the base inside, densely pubescent towards the base and median outside; stamens 9 in 3 whorls; outer 3 c. 1.5 mm long, greenish yellow; anthers c. 0.5 mm long, ovate or orbicular, emarginate at apex, 2- locular, introrse; filament 1 mm long, linear, densely pilose at the base; middle whorl almost same as the outer; inner whorl 3 c. 1.5 mm long, latrorse, filaments densely pilose and with 2 glands at the base; glands orbicular, shortly stipitate, free; staminodes 3, c. 1 mm long, cordate, pilose at base; ovary c. 1 mm long, glabrous, attenuate into a short style, stigma capitate. Fruits berries, c. 2.5 cm long, ellipsoid, obtuse at both ends, glabrous, smooth; fruiting pedicels 5 mm long, thick, lenticellate, greenish, glabrous.

Flowering & Fruiting:—Flowering November–March, fruiting February–April.

Distribution & Habitat. The species is currently known only from the Agasthyamala hills, Thiruvnanthapuram, Kerala, India ( Fig. 4) and is observed in montane evergreen forests at an altitudinal range between 1400–1800 m. This species is rare along the camel hump region with mosaic vegetation interspersed with rocky patches in the Pongalapara region of Agasthyar Hill ranges. It forms a bushy appearance in the habitat.

Etymology. The specific epithet “ jacobii ” is named in honor of Associate Professor Mr. Jacob Abraham Pulikkal, Head, Department of Botany, St. Thomas College, Thrissur, Kerala, India for his motivation to the first author in the field of taxonomy.

Conservation Status. Very rare in all its known distribution range; the population is restricted to two isolated locations. The area of occupancy is estimated to be less than 10 km 2. Habitat degradation due to anthropogenic interference is also noticed. As per the IUCN (2014) criteria this new species belongs to the Critically Endangered (CR B2ab(i,ii+ B1ab(iii) category. Since the species is poorly known so far, a detailed survey is essential for legitimate categorization.

Paratypes. INDIA. Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district:Agasthyamala, Pongalapara, ± 1400 m asl, 23 Feb. 2012 (fl. & fr.), A. J. Robi & P. Sujanapal 23320 (KFRI!).

Figures

FIGURE. 1. Beilschmiedia jacobii. A. habit with inflorescence; B. flower bud; C. & D. ventral and dorsal view of perianth lobes; E. outer stamen with perianth lobe; F. inner stamen; G. staminal gland; H. staminode; I. pistil; J. fruits. (Drawn from P.S. Udayan, A.J. Robi & Satheesh George 6634 by K.M. MANUDEV).

FIGURE. 3. Beilschmiedia wightii. A. habit; B. Terminal bud; C. leaves, abaxial view, and young inflorescences; D. branch with young inflorescences; E. flower, enlarged; F., G. immature fruits. (Photos by A. J. ROBI).