Hypoestes lanata Dalzell (1850: 343)

Raskar, Shivaji V., Patale, Madhukar W., Salunkhe, Chandrakant B., Bramhadande, Sneha P. & Nandikar, Mayur D., 2022, Rediscovery of presumed extinct Hypoestes lanata (Acanthaceae), a little known endemic species from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, Phytotaxa 560 (1), pp. 113-118 : 114-117

Hypoestes lanata Dalzell (1850: 343) . ( Figure 1 )

Lectotype (designated here):— INDIA, Bombay (Mumbai), in a patch of old jungle, s.d., N. A. Dalzell s.n. (lectotype K!, barcode K000357980 , Figure 2 ) . Syntypes:— INDIA, Bombay, s.d., N . A . Dalzell s.n. ( K, barcodes K000884436 , K001392444 /5); ibid, ( DD!, acc. no. 172595); Hills in the Konkan, s.d., Law s.n. ( K!, barcode K000884437 ) ; N. Konkan, Rameshwar, s.d., N.A. Dalzell s.n. ( K!, barcode K000884438 ) .

A suffruticose, erect to ascending, annual to perennial herb or undershrub, 100 to 150 cm tall, often rooting from ascending basal nodes; stem terete to faintly ribbed to angular, glabrous to sparsely or dense pubescent; nodes swollen, proximal often geniculate, sparsely pubescent. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, 6–15 × 2–5 cm, base attenuate into 0.5–3 cm long petiole, apex acute to acuminate, margin undulate, sparsely pubescent, surfaces sparsely pubescent; cystoliths numerous cylindrical or linear-ellipsoid; mid-rib canaliculate, sparsely pubescent, lateral veins 7–8 pairs. Inflorescence axillary and terminal spiciform thyrses, densely wooly, tomentose often sprinkled with glandular hairs; axillary fewflowered, 3–5(–7) cm long reduced thyrses, terminal many-flowered, 5–12(–15) cm long elongated thyrses with distally reduced peduncle. Bracts two, opposite, whorled, foliaceous, ovate to lanceolate, 1–15 × 0.5–5 cm, distally reduced; distal bracts, sessile, obtuse, densely wooly tomentose on abaxial, sparsely lanate to tomentose or densely wooly tomentose; proximal bracts similar to the leaves, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, attenuate, distinctly stalked. Bracteoles whorled in pairs of 2, unequal, linear, subulate, ensiform, falcate, 0.5–1(–1.5) × 0.1–0.5 cm, villose to puberulous or sparsely wooly tomentose. Calyx sparsely glandular hairy, tube 2–4 mm, lobes 5, unequal, lanceolate, 3–4 mm, tip hyaline, acuminate. Corolla 20–25 mm, pink to carmine with shades of lilac, throat white, sparsely puberulent to glandular hairy; tube white, often marked with lilac, 5–7 mm long, sparsely glandular hairy to puberulent, characteristically twisted at 180° (lips became resupinate) and widened distally; lip held in lower position ligulate, 10–15 × 3–4 mm, obtuse, characteristically circinnate or recurved distally, white, pale pink; lip held in upper position is showy, oblanceolate, 15–18 × 4–7 mm, pink to carmine, often lined with maroon, base with white with maroon markings or mottling, apex incised for 1–2 mm, three lobed, lobes white to pink, medial lobe is shorter than lateral lobes. Stamens 2, inserted at the mouth of corolla tube, filament 13–17 mm, sparsely puberulent to puberulous, pinkish white to carmine, anthers monothecous, ellipsoid, ca. 2 mm, dorsifixed, ivory; pollens ellipsoid. Ovary 4-celled, ovoid to ellipsoid, ca. 2 × 3 mm, stipitate, sparsely glandular hairy, style filiform, ca. 20 mm, hyaline with carmine apex, stigma inconspicuous. Capsule stipitate, stalk ca. 7–12 mm, prolate, ca. 11–13 × 7 mm, apex acuminate, surface sparsely glandular hairy. Seeds 3–4, globose, fuscous, foveolate.

Phenology:—Flowering starts after the monsoon in October and lasts till January to February, followed by fruiting.

Habitat & Distribution:— Hypoestes lanata grows on the slopes, along the small hillocks and periphery of stunted forest patches. As it produces roots on ascending branches, often forming a bushy appearance. It usually prefers open situations but also occurs in partly shady situations. Considering the previous collection localities, its distribution is restricted to the north Konkan (Raigad and Ratnagiri districts of Maharashtra: Map 1 ).

Additional Specimens Examined:— INDIA. Maharashtra: Bombay, 1851, Law s.n. ( K); Ratnagiri, Chipalun, Kherdi, Dec. 1921, Acland 916 ( BLAT); Raigad, Roha, Nagothane range, Jan. 1936, R. W . Inder s.n. ( K); Bhira catchment, Patnus, Devkund Waterfall, Mangaon taluk, Raigad district , 01 Jan. 2017, S . Raskar 004 ( BSI) .

IUCN Threat Assessment:— Hypoestes lanata is only known from north Konkan of Maharashtra and population is restricted to Raigad and Ratnagiri district. We have used the specimen data from three localities based on the previous collections from Rameshwar (near Roha), Nagothane (Roha), Kherdi (Chiplun) and our present collection from Bhira (Patnus) to calculate the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO). The GeoCAT analysis showed EOO of 3025 km 2 and AOO of 12 km 2. This analysis from four localities of the north Konkan and considering the plausible threats to these locations, viz. degrading habitat quality in north Konkan due to road widening projects, industrialization, urban area expansion (at Kherdi), tourism and clearing of the forest for check dam and power grids expansion (at present location at Bhira catchment area), the species is assessed here as Endangered (EN) [B1ab(i,ii,iii)] following the criterion provided by the IUCN (2019).

Notes on typification:—In search of the original material of Hypoestes lanata and the collection referred by Dalzell we could locate six sheets at K and a single specimen at DD. Out of six specimens at K, four are having J.D. Hooker’s annotations and Herb. Hooker. stamp on them, and the specimen (barcode K001392445) precisely has an annotation as ‘ Hypoestes lanata Dalzell Bombay bis N.A. Dalzell’. Out of four, three possess Dalzell’s labels in his own handwriting.Among these three sheets, one specimen (barcode K000357980) has a small note ‘ Hypoestes lanata (mihi) rare, in a patch of old jungle flowers from Oct. to February’, the second specimen (barcode K001392444) has a label ‘ Hypoestes lanata ’, and the third specimen (barcode K000884437) appears to be received from J.S. Law (Hooker’s annotation) but the label on the sheet belongs to Dalzell and has ‘ Hypoestes lanata (mihi) hills in the Concan’ written on it.

Remaining two specimens (barcode K000884436 and K000884438) belong to Dalzell’s personal collection set, which were donated by his widow after his demise in 1878. Both the specimens have labels in Dalzell’s handwriting, as ‘ Hypoestes ’ and ‘ Hypoestes lanata (mihi) Rameshwur N. Concan’, respectively. DD represents the single specimen (accession no. 172595) which was again part of Dalzell’s personal collection and purchased in 1878, perhaps distributed from K.

In spite of all the specimens agreeing with the protologue and seemingly referring to Dalzell, it is uncertain that all are part of a single gathering. However, the specimen (barcode K000357980 ) has the locality which is in accord with protologue and designated here as lectotype (Art. 9.3 of the ICN, Turland et al. 2018) and all other sheets are kept as syntypes.

Discussion:—The present collection of Hypoestes lanata forms a rediscovery of presumed extinct taxon after a gap of 80 years, and the locality claims an additional distribution than the previously known localities. The species is narrowly endemic and restricted to north Konkan. It differs from all known Indian taxa in having wooly tomentose (from the distance looks like lanate) thyrses, spikes and terminal inflorescence stalks, tomentose bracts and bracteoles, glandular hairy sepals, twisted corolla tube, and showy pink-lilac, maroon corolla lobes.The species needs an immediate ex-situ conservation action through the domestication as it has ornamental potential, and can be easily multiplied through cuttings of the ascending shoots.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Illustration of Hypoestes lanata Dalzell. A. flowering twig, B. flower, C. opened calyx, D. dissected pistil, calyx tube and lobes, bracteoles (corolla removed), E. dehisced capsule with seeds. All drawn from Raskar 004 (BSI).

Map 1. Distribution map of Hypoestes lanata Dalzell.

FIGURE 2. Lectotype of Hypoestes lanata Dalzell (K, barcode K000357980). ©copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.