Syzygium agastyamalayanum, Viswanathan & Manikandan, 2008

Viswanathan, Madepalli Byrappa Gowdu & Manikandan, Ulaganathan, 2008, A new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Peninsular India, Adansonia (3) 30 (1), pp. 113-118 : 115-117

Syzygium agastyamalayanum

M.B.Viswan. & Manik., sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Syzygium zeylanicum (L.) DC. var. zeylanicum affinis, sed foliis obovatis, obovato-oblanceolatis vel ellipticis, base acutis, apice obtuse acutis vel subacutis, rare retusis; nervis secondariis 14-20 paribus sine nervis intermediis, uniformibus ad distinctum nervum intramarginalem conjunctis; petiolis turgidis, ad 4 mm longis; hypanthium brunneo-punctatis, sepalis semicircularibus, apice rotundatis; petalis reniformiorbiculariis, base cordatis vel rotundatis, margine undulatis, apice obtusis, punctatis; baccis subglobosis vel globosis, 14.5-15 mm in diam., roseus ad atro-nigricus, glabris et seminibus c. 10 × 8 mm, differt.

TYPUS. — India, Tamil Nadu State, Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (8°20’- 8°53’N, 77°10’- 77°35’E), Upper Kodayar , c. 900 m, 23. I.1999, Viswanathan 3204 (holo-, MH; iso-, herbarium of the Department of Plant Science, Bharathidasan University ) .

PARATYPES. — India, Tamil Nadu State, Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (8°20’- 8°53’N, 77°10’- 77°35’E), Agastiyar Peak , c. 1700 m, 14.IV.1999, Viswanathan 3596 (herbarium of the Sri Paramakalyani Centre for Environmental Sciences) .

DESCRIPTION

Trees, up to 15 m high; branchlets many, 4-angled at first, later subterete, lenticellate; internodes 8-32 × 2-7 mm.Leaves opposite, obovate,obovate-oblanceolate or elliptic, 3-6.6 × 1.5-2.9 cm, coriaceous,acute at base, recurved at margin, obtusely acute or subacute, rarely retuse at apex, glabrous; midrib canaliculate above, prominently raised beneath, terete; secondary veins 14-20 pairs, opposite, brochidodromous; intramarginal vein prominent; petiole turgid, 2-4 × 1-1.5 mm, glabrous.Inflorescences both terminal and axillary umbellate panicles, 3-4 × 3-4.5 cm, glabrous; peduncles 4-angled, glabrous; primary axes 5-10 × 1-1.5 mm; secondary axes 5-8 × 0.8-1 mm. Flowers 10-20 in each umbellule; pedicels 2-6 × 1-1.5 mm, slender. Hypanthium funneliform, c. 2.5 × 4.5 mm, brown-punctate.Sepals 4or 5, semi-circular in outline, c. 1 × 2.5 mm, entire at margin, rounded at apex, glabrous. Petals 4 or 5, white, concave, reniform-orbicular, 2-2.8 × 2.4-2.6 mm, membranous, cordate or rounded at base, undulate at margin, obtuse at apex, punctate, glabrous; punctate numerous. Stamens many, of different lengths, 2.7-7.5 × 0.7-1 mm, glabrous; filaments yellow, 1.8-6 × 0.4-1.1 mm, incurved; anthers yellow, reniform, c. 1.1 × 0.9 mm. Ovary obovate, fleshy, c. 3.8 × 2.5 mm; locules 2; ovules many; style yellow, glabrous; stigma minute. Berries pink to dark black, subglobose or globose, 15-17 × 14.5-15 mm, glabrous. Seed pale brown, solitary, subglobose, c. 10 × 8 mm, glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION

A strict endemic of the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the Tamil Nadu State in the Agastyamalai hills of the Southern Western Ghats in Peninsular India .

HABITAT AND ECOLOGY

This species occurs in southern tropical wet evergreen forests in association with several tree species, including Aglaia elaeagnoidea (Juss.) Benth.var. bourdillonii (Gamble) N.C.Nair , Euphorbia vajravelui Binojk. & N.P.Balakr. , Saprosma corymbosum (Bedd.) Bedd. , Vernonia travancorica Hook. f. and Wendlandia bicuspidata Wight & Arn. and with the following shrub, Sarcandra chloranthoides Gardner , herbs of Impatiens hensloviana Arn. , Sonerila sadasivanii M.P.Nayar , S. tinnevelliensis Fischer , and S. travancorica Bedd. as well as the parasite Balanophora indica (Arn.) Griff. var. agastyamalayana M.B.Viswan., Prem Kumar & Ramesh and the epiphyte Dendrobium panduratum Lindl. subsp. villosum Gopalan & Henry.

PHENOLOGY

Flowering in January and February; fruiting in March and April.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Field observations made between 1998 and 2002 indicate that Syzygium agastyamalayanum has an area extent (as defined by IUCN 2001) of less than 100 km 2 (B1); severely fragmented subpopula- tions (a); extreme fluctuation (c); only two locations (iii) and does not exceed 50 mature individuals (iv). Using the IUCN Red List Criteria ( IUCN 2001), we assess the conservation status of the species as critically endangered (CR).

ETYMOLOGY

Syzygium agastyamalayanum is so named because it comes from the Agastyamalai Hills from where type specimen was collected.

REMARKS

Syzygium agastyamalayanum M.B.Viswan.& Manik. , sp. nov. most closely resembles S. zeylanicum (L.) DC. var. zeylanicum . However, distinguishing characters are shown in Table 1.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Syzygium agastyamalayanum M.B.Viswan. & Manik., sp. nov.: A, habit (flowering twig); B, bud; C, flower without petals; D, sepal (dorsal side); E, petal (dorsal side); F, petal (ventral side); G, H, stamens; I, ovary; J, longitudinal section of ovary; K, transverse section of ovary; L, berry; M, seed. A-K, Viswanathan 3204; L, M, Viswanathan 3596. Scale bars: A, L, 10 mm; B, C, I, J, 5 mm; D, 1 mm; E-H, 2 mm; K, 2.5 mm; M, 11 mm.