Huchimingia piscidia (Roxb.) Z.Q. Song

Song, Zhu-Qiu, Li, Shi-Jin & Mattapha, Sawai, 2022, Huchimingia, a new genus segregated from Millettia (Leguminosae, Millettieae) based on morphological and molecular evidence, Phytotaxa 532 (1), pp. 37-56 : 48-49

2. Huchimingia piscidia (Roxb.) Z.Q. Song , comb. nov.

≡ Galedupa piscidia Roxb., Fl. Ind. (Roxburgh) 3: 240. 1832 ( Roxburgh 1832). Millettia piscidia (Roxb.) Wight, Icon. Pl. Ind. Orient. [Wight] 1: t. 86. 1838 ( Wight 1838). Pongamia piscidia (Roxb.) Sweet, Hort. Brit. [Sweet], ed. 3. 193. 1839 ( Sweet 1839).

Type: INDIA. Calcutta Botanical Garden, introduced from Silhet , 1813, William Roxburgh s.n. (lectotype, designated by Dunn 1912, pg. 166: BM! [BM012554441]).

Description. Trees; branches grey, with white lenticels. Stipules ovate, reflexed, caducous. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate; leaf rachis 2.4–9.6 cm long; stipels absent; leaflets 3–5 (–7), papery, opposite or rarely subalternate, narrow ovate to lanceolate, 4.3–10.2 × 1.3–4.0 cm, length/width ratio 2–4.7, base cuneate to round, apex acuminate to caudate, glabrous on both surfaces; principal lateral veins inconspicuous, 5‒8 on each side of midvein, curved apically near margins. Pseudoracemes laxly flowered, 4–10 cm long, frequently ramous near the base, forming leafy pseudopanicle; brachyblasts very indistinct, each always with 2 flowers; rachis pubescent; bracts caducous; bracteoles absent; pedicel 0.7–1.0 cm long, slender, pubescent. Flowers 1.4–1.6 cm long; receptacle hollow, with distinct longitudinal ridges outside; calyx campanulate, ca 5 mm high, pubescent outside and slightly hairy inside, 4-toothed; lobes triangular, ca 1.5 × 2 mm; petals white, glabrous; standard petal suborbicular, reflexed, ca 1.2 × 1.0 cm, apex rounded, without basal calluses, with a 3 mm long claw; wing petals oblong, ca 1.1× 0.5 cm, base auriculate, apex obtuse, with a 0.3 mm long claw; keel petals falcate, ca 1.1 × 0.4 cm, base truncate, apex obtuse, pocketed at side, with a 4 mm long claw; stamens 10, diadelphous (maybe pseudo-monadelphous with 2 fenestrae at base); disk absent; ovary linear, 14 mm high, with 3–4 ovules, stipitate; stipe ca 3 mm long; style ca 4 mm long, incurved, glabrous; stigma small, capitate. Pod dehiscent, oblong, base broad cuneate, apex broad cuneate and beaked, slightly contracted between seeds, flat, 4–10 × 2–3.5 cm, leathery, smooth, reticulate with veins, stipitate; stipe 1.0– 2.6 cm long, 1.0– 1.5 mm broad, glabrous; fruiting pedicel 0.8–1.4 cm long, glabrous. Seeds 1–4, ellipsoid, flat.

Distribution and ecology. This species is known from China (Xizang), India (Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram), and Myanmar (Kachin and Shan States) at an altitude of 300–1300 m. It flowers after leaves expand, from July to November, and fruits from December to the next October. It was evaluated as ‘Near Threatened’ (NT) by Rai and Lalramnghinglova (2011).

Notes. It seemed controversial when Galedupa piscidia Roxb. was combined under Millettia . Although M. piscidia (Roxb.) Wight was accepted by most authors ( Walpers 1842, Bentham 1852, Baker 1876, Brandis 1906, Dunn 1912, Kanjila et al. 1938, Haridasan and Rao 1985, Sanjappa 1992, Lock and Heald 1994, Kumar and Sane 2003), the earlier name, M. piscidia (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. , was accepted by some authors (e.g., Lôc 1996a, Kress et al. 2003) and was included in two databases, i.e., International Plant Name Index (www.ipni.org) and Tropicos (www.tropicos.org). When publishing Millettia, Wight and Arnott (1834) pointed out that Galedupa piscidia Roxb. was probably included in the genus, but the epithet was not definitely associated with the generic name Millettia . Thus, the combination M. piscidia should not be attributed to Wight and Arnott according to Article 35.2 of ICN ( Turland et al. 2018). Instead, M. piscidia should be attributed to Wight, who validly published it in 1838 ( Wight 1838).

Lock and Heald (1994) noted that this species was also distributed in Thailand and provided a single collection (R. Geesink et al. 7942). This collection was previously cited as the voucher of this species by Evans et al. (1985) in a chemical study of Millettieae (then Tephrosieae ). However, the examination of the voucher specimens (L3978527 and L3978629) showed that they had pods without distinct stipes, leaves with stipels, and about 17 asymmetric leaflets per leaf—quite different to those of Huchimingia piscidia . The two specimens were identified as “ Millettia spec. ” by Frits Adema in 2018, and probably represent Millettia brandisiana Kurz based on our observations. Thus, the record of this species in Thailand should be excluded. In addition, this species was previously recorded from Sikkim by some authors (e.g., Baker 1876), but Grierson and Long (1987) noted that the record from Sikkim was based on misidentified specimens of Derris microptera Benth. , and we have not found specimens of this species from Sikkim.

Additional specimens examined. CHINA. Xizang: Chayu, 1836, Griffith Kew Distribution 1768 (GH, K [K001415547], L [L.2040776], P [P02754363]); Motuo, Dec 1911, I. H. Burkill 36740 (K [K001415544]). INDIA. Meghalaya: Mont Khasia, 1–4000 ft., 26 Aug 1850, Tecya to Churra, J. D. Hooker & J. J. Thompson s.n. (GH, BM [BM012554433], E, K [K001415545, K001415550, K001415551], L [L.2040779], U [U.1320353], NY, P [P02754362, P03081896, P02754361], US [2498547]), Churra, 1–4000 ft., 7 Oct 1850, J. D. Hooker & J. J. Thompson s. n. (K [K001415549]), Cherrapunjee, 4000 ft., 11 May 1952, W. N. Koelz 29820 (L [L.2040777], MICH [1503915]), 4000ft., 5 Jul 1952, W. N. Koelz 30447 (MICH [1503913]), 4000ft., 25 Jul 1952, T. R. Chand 6276A (MICH [1503914]), Khasia, 1–3000 ft., 16 Jul 1850, J. D. Hooker & J. J. Thompson 1724 (K [K001415552, K001415553], L [L.2040780], GH, BM [BM012554440]), 3000 ft., 2 Nov 1871, C. B. Clarke 16469 (K [K001415543]), 2800–4500 ft., Oct 1855, Gen. No. of Gatalogue 327, Schlagintweit s. n. (E), Gen. No. of Gatalogue 271, Schlagintweit s. n. (L [L.2040778]); Mizoram: Lushai Hills, 3000 ft., 6 Nov 1927, N. E. Parry 390 (K [K001415548]); Upper Assam: Griffith 67 (K [K001415546]). MYANMAR. Kachin State: Hills E. of Fort Hertz, 2000–3000 ft., 8 Jul 1931, F. Kingdon-Ward 10206 (BM [BM012554439]); Shan State: Keng Tung, 1200 ft., 10 Mar 1910, Fl. white, R. W. MacGregor 1306 (E [E00847426]).