Elaeocarpus gadgilii A.M.Maya, V.Suresh & K.M.P.Kumar, 2021

Manoharan, Maya Ammathil, Prabhukumar, Konickal Mambetta, Arjunan, Sujana K., Jose, Sojan & Veerankutty, Suresh, 2021, Elaeocarpus gadgilii (Elaeocarpaceae), a new species from Western Ghats (India), Phytotaxa 489 (1), pp. 87-93 : 88-91

Elaeocarpus gadgilii A.M.Maya, V.Suresh & K.M.P.Kumar sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Diagnosis:—the new taxon differs from E. serratus and E. variabilis by the coriaceous leaves with conspicuous venation on adaxial surface, the outer tooth of anthers with very long shining setae, and the wider fruits.

Description:—Trees, generally ≥ 12 m (up to 20 m high), with cylindrical trunk; stem grayish-green, with scattered adpressed, white hairs throughout. Branchlets slender, terete, felted, lenticellate. Leaves 1-foliate, alternately arranged and slightly crowded towards the branchlet apices; petiolate, petiole slender, terete, 13–30 × 1.2–2.4 mm, greenish to reddish, sparsely pubescent, with a pair of pegs at the apex. Lamina elliptic to broadly elliptic, 5–10 × 3.3–5.2 cm, thick, coriaceous; base cuneate, obtuse; apex acute or obtuse, shortly acuminate or emarginate; margin revolute, remotely crenate-serrulate; leaf teeth 3–17 mm long; main veins in 3–5 pairs, mid-vein and main veins conspicuous on adaxial side, more prominent on abaxial side, densely adpressed to semi spreading light brown hairs over mid vein and main veins on abaxial side, main vein forks at 8–19mm from mid vein. Domatia at the angle between the mid-vein and the main veins, covered with sparse adpressed brown hairs. Inflorescence axillary or lateral racemes, 8–28 flowered. Peduncles are slender, sub-terete, 35–82 × 1.2–2.1 mm, overtopping or condensed on twig tip, moderately to densely covered by adpressed brown hairs. Flower buds ovoid, with apex acute. Flowers pedicellate, pedicel slender, terete, 3.5–7 × 0.7–1.5 mm, pinkish to reddish-brown, densely covered in light brown hairs; bracts caducous, 2–2.2 mm long, lanceolate, brownish, floccose tomentose on outer surface. Sepals 5, free, 4–8.3 mm long, reddish-brown, lanceolate, with acute apex, base truncate, persistent after petals fall. Outer surface of sepals verrucose, densely covered by short, adpressed brown hairs, Inner surface of sepals margin and midvein are densely covered with adpressed white hairs with light brown tinge at its base. Petals 5, free, obovate, 6–9 × 1.2–4 mm, with 25–37 divisions, each divisions 2.2–4.7mm long with round apex, white colored with pinkish strips at the base of outer surface, both outer and inner surface with sparse white adpressed hairs in lower half and margin with few hairs. Disk lobes 1.0–1.05 × 2–3.5 mm, ovate, with rounded or truncate base, surrounding the ovary and partially covering its base, yellow to pink, densely covered with long, adpressed white hairs; hairs ½ times longer than disk remnants. Stamens 25–38; filaments straight, sometimes slightly curved to sigmoid (sigmoid ones more often in the outer ring of stamens), 0.05–1.70 × 0.04–0.17 mm; anthers 0.65–3.24 × 0.2–0.4 mm, basifixed, moderately hairy during anthesis, with the outer tooth longer than the inner, both with rounded apex, outer tooth apex having 3–6 long setae; setae 0.15–1.88 mm long, up to ½– ¾ times longer than anthers. Ovary 1.2–3 mm long and 0.9–1 mm in diameter, greenish, felted with long, adpressed white hairs, ½ times longer than ovary; locules three, each locule with 2 inversely comma-shaped ovules, fertile locule one, with only one functional ovule developing into 1 functional seed; style 1.6–4.4 × 0.14–0.4 mm. Fruits ellipsoid, 30–50 × 15–25 mm, with apex round and shortly acuminate, base acute to round, surface smooth or slightly knobby, greenish to reddish, with white small spots or patches, sparsely pubescent; mesocarp creamy white, suffused with reddish towards the inner side; endocarp 0.3–0.4 cm, surface with ovoid stone like hard projections and sparse, short, light brown, adpressed hairs. Seeds elliptic, round in cross section.

Type:— INDIA. Kerala: Palakkad District, Nelliyampathy, Mattumala , 10°31’41.34”N, 76°31’41.34’’E, 21 September 2018, A. M. Maya GVCP-SV0025 (Holotype: MH; Isotypes: CALI, CMPR, KFRI) .

Paratypes: — INDIA. Kerala: Palakkad District, Mannarkad, Varadimala , 22 October 2011, K. A. Anilkumar 4133 ( CMPR!), Ibidem , 21 September 2019, A. M. Maya GVCP-SV183 (MH), Siruvani , s.d., 900 m, D. B. Deb 28393 ( MH!), Kearalamedu, 20 November 2019, A M. Maya GVCP-SV266 (MH), Attumudi, 20 September 2012, K. A. Anilkumar 4489 ( CMPR!), Nelliyampathy, 26August 2014, K. M. Prabhukumar 07800 ( CMPR!), Karasurimala, 19 October 2019, A. M. Maya GVCP-SV232 (MH), Mattumala, 19 October 2019, A. M. Maya GVCP-SV256 (MH). Ernakulam District , Mappilappara, 800 m, 26 September 2015, K. M. Prabhukumar 08548 ( CMPR!). Wayanad District , Chandanamthode, 18 November 1982, N. Sasidharan 2608 ( KFRI!). Thiruvananthapuram District , Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve , Athirumala, 23 October 2003, 800m, P. S. Udayan, Satheesh George, K. V. Thushar, N. K. Janarthanam 2013 ( CMPR!). Kanyakumari District , Muthukayal, 1329 m, 9 November 2019, K. A. Sujana & R. G. Vadhyan 147098 (MH) .

Phenology:— Flowering in September–November; fruiting in November–January.

Etymology:— The species is named in honor of Sri. Madhav Dhananjaya Gadgil, an Indian ecologist and head of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), in recognition of his immense efforts towards conservation of Western Ghats.

Distribution:— Southern Western Ghats, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India, apparently endemic to Southern Western Ghats, India.

Habitat:— Evergreen forests, at 800–1500 m a.s.l.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Elaeocarpus gadgilii sp. nov. A. Habit; B. Flowering twigs; C. Fruiting twig (immature); D. Fruiting twig. (Photos: A.M. Maya & A.J. Robi).

FIGURE 2. Elaeocarpus gadgilii sp. nov. A. Bud; B. Opened flower without petals; C. Bract at the base of pedicel; D. Outer surface of sepal; E. Inner surface of sepal (inset: magnification of the hairs on the abaxial surface of sepal); F. Petal; G. Flower L.S; H & I. Disk lobes, with numerous stamens inserted between disk lobes and ovary; J. Long shining setae on the apex of the outer anther tooth; K. Stamens; L. Gynoecium with the free disk lobes surrounding the base of ovary; M. Ovary (cross section); N. Ovule; O. Fruit without mesocarp and epicarp (Photos:A. M. Maya).