Ledebouria hyacinthina f. karnatakensis (Punekar & Lakshmin.) S. Dutta, K. Chakral & H. Rodrigues

Chakral, Kiran Gangadhar, Dutta, Suchandra Ranjit, Rodrigues, Hensal & Dwivedi, Mayank, 2024, Revisionary insights into the genus Ledebouria (Asparagaceae) from India, Phytotaxa 641 (1), pp. 1-21 : 13

Ledebouria hyacinthina f. karnatakensis (Punekar & Lakshmin.) S. Dutta, K. Chakral & H. Rodrigues forma et. stat. nov.

≡ Ledebouria karnatakensis Punekar & Lakshminarasimhan (2011: 500) , basionym.

Type: — INDIA. Karnataka, Uttar Kanada, Anshi National Park, Ulavi Road, 6 June 2006, Sachin A Punekar 5168 (Holotype: CAL!)

Description: —Bulb 2–4 × 1.5–3 cm; leaves 2–4, 15–20 × 1–2.5 cm, lanceolate, apex acute, apex angle <90, blotches present during the time of flowering, bulbil present, margin straight or slightly bend; inflorescence 1–2, erect or flaccid, bearing ca 40 flowers, sterile flower present at the base; ovary ellipsoid without beak at base.

Distribution: —Amboli road, along the roadside Ulavi-Kumbharwada road.

Habitat: —Growing on the open basalt rocky outcrops as well as on soil under the shades of trees.

Phenology: —May to July.

Associates: — Senna tora ( Linnaeus 1753: 376) Roxburgh (1832:340) , Cyperus nemoralis Chermezon (1921: 553) and species of Cyperus Linnaeus (1753: 44)

Specimens examined: — INDIA. Karnataka: Uttar Kanada, 17 June 2018, Nandikar, 1437, 1438 (NGCPR!); Anshi, 17-06-2016, Nandikar, 1437 (NGCPR!). 6 June 2023, Suchandra et al., SHK 24 ( RDNCP!).

Notes: — Ledebouria karnatakensis was described on the basis of presence of blotches, bulbil and number of flowers. However, after a detailed morphological study, we conclude that it resembles Ledebouria hyacinthina population collected from Kankavli, Maharashtra ( Table 3 .) Phylogenetically, L. karnatakensis is nested within L. hyacinthina . Thus, we reduce the status to a variety level .