Syzygium chemunjianum Shareef, E.S. S.Kumar & Roy, 2013

S. M. Shareef & Kumar, E. S. Santhosh, 2013, A new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from Kerala, India, Phytotaxa 129 (1), pp. 34-38 : 34-37

Syzygium chemunjianum Shareef, E.S. S.Kumar & Roy sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 & 2 )

Type:— INDIA. Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram district, Chemunji hills, 1200 m, 25 October 2012 (with flowers), S . M . Shareef 72499 (holotype TBGT! isotypes MH! TBGT!) .

Shrub to small evergreen tree, ca. 7 m high; bark smooth, grayish-white, blaze dark reddish brown; twigs at first quadrangular, later terete, grayish-brown on drying. Leaves opposite, coriaceous, obovate or narrowly obovate, 4–7 × 2–4 cm, apex obtuse or obtusely acuminate, base tapering, margin entire and recurved, gland dotted on both sides, brown beneath on drying; midrib channeled above and raised beneath; lateral nerves ca. 32 pairs on either side, obscure above and prominent below; tertiaries reticulated; intramarginal vein one tiered, ca. 0.5 mm from margins. Petiole 0.7–1 cm long, thick and robust, black on drying. Inflorescence terminal cymes, much branched, ca. 7 cm long; peduncle and inflorescence branches quadrangular and sulcate; branches often leafy; bracts obtuse, ca. 1.2 × 1.75 mm, caducous; bracteoles obtuse, ca. 1.5 × 2 mm, aducous; Flowers creamy-white, ca. 1.8 cm across, sessile or pedicellate, pedicel ca. 1 mm long. Calyx turbinate, ca. 5 × 4.5 mm; lobes 4, broadly ovate, 2–2.5 mm long, apex rounded. Petals orbicular to suborbicular, 3–4 mm across, calyptrate. Stamens numerous, filaments, 4–7.3 mm long, bent inwards in bud. Ovary 2-celled with multiple ovules; style ca. 4.5 mm long, stigma acute. Fruit globose to ellipsoid, 1.5–3.1 × 1. 3–2.8 cm, greenish-yellow to yellowish-white, crowned by calyx lobes or absent, pericarp white, succulent. Seed 1, rarely 2, smooth, globose to subglobose, 1.3–2.8 x 1.0– 2.6 cm.

Phenology, distribution and habitat:— To date Syzygium chemunjianum is known only from the montane evergreen forests of Pongalappara, the Chemunji hills and Pandipath of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala at an elevation between 1100–1430 m. The species also occurs along streams and marshes in lower elevation montane evergreen forests. The present three populations each comprise c. 50 mature individuals and numerous seedlings. The populations are associated with Eugenia discifera Gamble (1918: 239) , E. thwaitesii Duthie (1879: 506) , Cullenia exarillata A. Robynson (1970: 249) , Salacia agasthiamalana Udayan, Regy Yohannan & Pradeep (2012: 255) and Cinnamomum filipedicellatum Kostermans (1983:92) . Flowering and fruiting occurs from October to March. Ripe fruits are sweet and eaten.

Additional specimens examined:— INDIA. Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram district, Pongalappara , 1430 m, 11 January 2011 (with flowers and fruits), S. M . Shareef 70608 ( TBGT); Chemunji hills, 1200 m, 25 October 2012 (with flowers), S. M . Shareef 72500 ( TBGT); ibid, 27 December 2012 (with fruits) S. M . Shareef 76124 ( TBGT); ibid, 10 January 2013 (with fruits) S. M . Shareef 76125 ( TBGT); Way to Chemunji hills, 1100 m, 12 March 2013 (with fruits) S. M . Shareef 76127 ( TBGT); Pandipath , 1200 m, 12 March 2013 (with fruits) S. M . Shareef 76128 ( TBGT) .

Etymology:— Syzygium chemunjianum is named after its type locality Chemunji hills, Kerala.

Interrelationships:— Syzygium chemunjianum is similar to S. tamilnadensis , but is distinguished by the shrubby to small tree habit, smooth and greyish-white bark with dark reddish brown blaze, light orange red young leaves and strictly obovate to narrowly obovate leaves with tapering bases and obtuse apices. The number of intramarginal nerves and lateral nerves in their leaves, position of inflorescence, turbinate calyx, and shape, colour and size of fruits and size of seeds distinguish the new species from the latter. The new species has 1-tiered intra-marginal nerve and ca. 32 pairs of lateral nerves which are very close to each other and are faint on the adaxial side and prominent on the abaxial surfaces. Diagnostic morphological characters of S. chemunjianum and the related species are provided in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Syzygium chemunjianum Shareef, E.S. S. Kumar & Roy, sp.nov. A–D. Habit; Flower bud; Flower; L.S. of flower; E–G. Petals; Stamen; Fruit; Seed (all drawn from *S. M. Shareef **72499 *by M.V. Krishnaraj)).

FIGURE 2. Syzygium chemunjianum Shareef, E.S. S.Kumar & Roy, sp.nov. A. Young foliages; B. Bark showing blaze color; C. Inflorescence; D. Fruiting bunch; F. Seed (inset) (Photos by S.M. Shareef).