Gomphostemma aborense Dunn (1920: 133)

Bongcheewin, Bhanubong, Ingrouille, Martin J. & Paton, Alan J., 2022, A revision of Gomphostemma (Lamiaceae), Kew Bulletin 77 (1), pp. 27-92 : 40

1. Gomphostemma aborense Dunn (1920: 133) ;

Mukercee (1920: 210). Type: India, Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, outer Abor Hills, Janakmukh, at the mouth of the Yamne near Pongging, very common, 19?ec. 1911, 3urkill 35269 (holotype K [K000826332]) .

?ecumbent herb, up to 30 cm tall. Stems slender, ascending, sometimes rooting at nodes obtusely quadrangular with longitudinal grooves, with dense stellate hairs; internodes curving, always twisting. Leaoes petiolate, chartaceous; blades broadly ovate, 3 – 8 × 3 – 3 cm, apex acute, margin serrate, base cuneate, with dense, stellate hairs on both sides, lower side pale green tomentose; petiolate 10 – 23 mm long. Inflorescence axillary with opposite cymes sessile, unbranched, congested with axis not visible between flowers, inserted at the upper nodes at which leaves are usually present; verticils few-flowered; cluster of small leaf-like bracts, subsessile, persistent, broadly ovate or broadly elliptic-ovate, 10 – 20 × 9 – 13 mm, apex acute, margin serrate, base attenuate; bracteoles linear. Flowering calyx campanulate, 3 – 9 mm long, 10- ridged, outside with dense stellate hairs, inside dense simple hairs; tube 3 – 3 mm long; lobes triangular, 2 – 2 mm long. Fruiting calyx infundibular, 5 – 12 mm long; tube 2 – 6 mm long; lobes triangular, 3 – 6 mm long. Corolla yellow, 13 – 23 mm long, throat narrow, not enlarged, sometimes gradually dilated towards the throat, outside tomentose, inside glabrous; tube slender, straight, 13 – 20 mm long; posterior lip ovate-elliptic, 3 – 3 mm long, spreading, apex emarginate; anterior lip 3-lobed, spreading, slightly undulate, longer than posterior lip; lateral lobes bending downward. Staminal filaments glabrous. Style slender, 13 – 23 mm long, glabrous with apex subequally lobed. Nutlets solitary, obovate, 2 – 3 mm long, minutely glandular punctate.

DISTRIBUTION. India (Arunachal Pradesh). Map 1 .

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. ARUNCHAL PRADESH. Nizamghat, 28°N 93°23&E, 29 Nov. 1928, Ward 8532 (K 2 sheets); outer Abor Hills, Janakmukh, 28.0619°, 93.2392°, at the mouth of the Yamne near Pongging, 19?ec. 1911, 3urkill 35269 (holotype K) .

HABITAT. Open places, old, cultivated ground, secondary growth; alt. 300 – 900 m.

CONSERVATION STATUS. Gomphostemma aborense is only known from two localities in India; no new collections have been made since 1928. Although the label of 3urkill 35269 (K) mentioned that this species is very common, no new evidence to evaluate the decline of habitats is needed. The?ata?eficient (??) category is applied.

PHENOLOGY. Flowering and fruiting in November –?ecember.

NOTE. Gomphostemma aborense is easily diagnosed by the curved internodes, stems appearing wavy and cymes subtended by upper leaves and clusters of small leaflike bracts.

Figures

Map 1. Distribution range of Gocphostecca aĸorense, G. crinituc, G. dolichoĸotrys, G. eriocarpon and G. keralense.