Hedychium villosum tenuiflorum (Wall. ex Voigt) Wall. ex Baker, Fl. Brit. India [Hooker] 6: 229. 1892 (excl. description).

Sanoj, Edakkandiyil, Sabu, Mamiyil & Pradeep, Ayillath Kuttiyil, 2013, Circumscription and lectotypification of Hedychium villosum and its variety H. villosum var. tenuiflorum (Zingiberaceae), PhytoKeys 25, pp. 75-85 : 79-81

Hedychium villosum tenuiflorum (Wall. ex Voigt) Wall. ex Baker, Fl. Brit. India [Hooker] 6: 229. 1892 (excl. description).

Type.

India. Botanic Garden of Calcutta, originally from Sylhet, N. Wallich 6545C (lectotype, designated here: BM!) Figs 1B , 3 .

Description.

Epiphytic perennial herbs. Leafy shoots 66-70 cm high, slanting or erect. Rhizomes 1.7-3 cm wide, pale green internally, slightly aromatic. Roots 0.6-12 mm wide, velamen type. Leaves 5-10 in number, at a distance of 4-8.5 cm, sessile; sheath 1.9-2 cm wide, green, margins pink, pubescent externally; ligule 2.9-3.4 × 1.3-1.6 cm, single-lobed, oblong, pale pink, densely pubescent externally, tip acute, margins and tip brown, early dried off; lamina 34-40 × 8-9 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, dark green above, pale green below, glabrous; midrib pubescent below, becomes glabrous towards tip; tip long acuminate; base obtuse; margin non-ciliate, translucent, pale pink tinged. Inflorescence 8.4-12.3 cm long, erect, lax, cylindrical. Bract 2.7-2.9 × 1.1-1.2 cm, one on each flower, convolute, lanceolate, boat-shaped, brown, non-tubular, leathery, easily dried before flowering, densely hairy or villose externally, hairs brown; margin ciliate towards tip; cincinnus 3-4 -flowered. Bracteoles 2.1-2.2 × 0.7-0.75 cm, lanceolate, brown, tubular, unilaterally split upto 9-10 mm, somewhat leathery, densely hairy or villose externally, hairs brown; margin ciliate towards time. Flower 11.8-12.2 cm long, white with red stamen, mildly fragrant, three-many opens at a time. Calyx 3.3-3.7 × 0.2-0.3 cm, pale green, pink tinged towards tip, tubular, unilaterally split up to 5-9 mm, lower 2/3 portion closely appressed to corolla tube, membranous, translucent, densely pubescent externally; tip easily dried while flowering, obscurely 2 or 3 -lobed. Corolla tube 5-5.2 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide at mouth, straight, exceeding the calyx and bract, creamy white, translucent towards base, glabrous externally, hairy internally. Corolla lobes oblong, greenish white, glabrous, drooping from flower; tip non-pouched, margins non-ciliate, lobes 3-nerved; dorsal lobe 4.3-4.4 cm long; lateral lobes 4-4.1 cm long. Lateral staminodes 3.3-3.5 × 0.1-0.15 cm, linear, straight, linear, white with a slight yellow tinge at base; tip acute, rarely forked. Labellum 3.1-3.5 × 1.2-1.5 cm, oblanceolate, boat-shaped, white with a yellow tinge at base, sinus 1.9-2.2 cm deep, lobes ensiform, unequal; claw 4-4.5 mm wide at base. Stamen 5.8-6.5 cm long. Filament 5.3-6.3 cm long, straight, c. 1.5 mm wide at base, red, light red towards tip. Anther c. 3.5 × 2.5-3 mm, sagittate, brown, glandular hairy; connective red, glabrous, row of hairy at margin, tip prolonged in to a crest; crest c. 1 mm long, red, truncate or slightly notched at center, glabrous. Ovary 2.5-3 × 2-2.5 mm, barrel-shaped, pale green, densely pubescent externally. Style filiform, white, glabrous, pale pink spotted towards stigma. Stigma cup-shaped, margin ciliate, 2-5 mm exserted from anther. Epigynous glands two, 3.5-5.5 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, yellow, free at base, fused towards tip. Fruits 1-1.1 × 1-1.1 cm, globular, sericeous, slightly angular.

Distribution.

Northeastern India, Bangladesh, northern Myanmar, southern Yunnan and Guangxi provinces of China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia from 600 to 1800 m ( Wu and Larsen 2000).

Indian specimens examined.

INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh: Changlang Dt.: Wakka to Nagminu, 5 Jul 1961, D.B. Deb 26547 (ASSAM, CAL); Chenglang to Khela, 666.6 m, 12 Mar 1958, G.K. Murthy 12939 (ASSAM, CAL); Dibang Valley Dt.: Delei Valley, 28°21'N, 96°37'E, 14 Jul 1928, F.K. Ward 8448 (K); EAST SIANG Dt.: Rengging, Flora of Abor expedition, 24 Feb 1912, J.H. Burkill 36708 (CAL); Lohit Dt.: Dreyi above Denning, 28°10'N, 96°15'E, 2000-4000 ft, 5 Mar 1928, F.K. Ward 7916 (K); Forest around Hayuliang along Dalai River, 13 Jan 1970, J. Joseph 48932 (ASSAM); Assam: Kamrup Dt.: Golaghat Dt.: Jabocka, Naga Hills, 6000 ft, Mar 1899, Prain’s Collector 99 (CAL); Lakhimpur Dt.: Kakopathar, 23 Feb 1947, M.M. Srinivasan 21955 (ASSAM); Manipur: s.loc., 22 Jan 1953, D. Deb 682 (CAL); Koupia N.W. range, 4-6000 ft, 10 Feb 1882, G. Watt 5844 (CAL, E, K); Imphal Dt.: Kauglatonghi, s.coll. 10815 (K), 3000 ft, Feb 1906, A. Meebold 10815 (CAL), 3500 ft, 5 Mar 1946, J. Hake 980 (K); Meghalaya: Khasia, 4000 ft, J.D. Hooker & J. Thomson s.n. (K), s.loc. 1845, Griffith 45 (K), s.loc. 5000 ft, 1878, Geo. Gallatly 108 (CAL), Native collectors of Bot. Garden Calcutta s.n. (E), 5-6000 ft, Feb 1906, A. Meebold 5179 (CAL), 8 Mar 1921, U. Kanjilal 7660 (ASSAM); East Khasi Hills Dt.: Baedon Falls, Shillong, 22 Mar 1892, D. Prain 43 (CAL); Pynursla forest, 18 Oct 1938, R.N. De & D.C. Forests 19615 (ASSAM); Mawrynklang, near Wattle Plantation, 27 Jan 1957, G.K. Deka 5232 (ASSAM, CAL); Mawswai, K&J Hills, 1200 m, 26 Mar 1960, G. Panigrahi 21338 (ASSAM); Woodlands, 11 Mar 1966, D.M. Verma 36862 (ASSAM); Barapani, 5000 ft, Geo Gallatly 108 (K); Jorain, 1580 m, 13 Aug 2004, E. Sanoj 95619 (CALI); Jaintia Hills Dt.: Lumsnong, 4 Jan 1958, A. Sanyal 9 (CAL); West Khasi Hills Dt.: Nongstoin village, 9 Mar 1972, P.C. Pant 51483 (ASSAM); Mizoram: Zopui-Tlang, 1332 m, 22°50'83.2"N, 092°48'80.5"E, 07 Sep 2002, M.G. Prasanth Kumar & Jana Leong-Škorničková 86213 (CALI); Lunglei Dt.: Near Fort Lungleh, 3-4000 ft, Apr 1899, A.T. Gage 120 (CAL); Lushai Hills, Darzo, 5000 ft, Jan 1928, N.E. Parry 581 (K); Nagaland: Naga Hills, Pipluma, 1 Mar 1882, s.coll. 158 (CAL), Naga hills, Jun 1935, N.L. Bor 21217 (ASSAM), Jisi, 5000 ft, 6 Mar 1955, N.L. Bor 2871 (K); Kohima Dt.: Tseminyu forest-Wokha Road, 12 Apr 1975, Chandra Bahadur 61794 (ASSAM); Tuensang Dt.: 5 Km from Noklak, 20 May 2007, V.P. Thomas & V.A. Muhammed Nissar 103700 (CALI); Locality unknown. Mack s.n. (K); C.B. Clarke s.n. (K); Hooker & Thomson 6545 (K); N.E. Parry s.n. (CAL); Griffith s.n. (CAL).

Nomenclatural confusion surrounding these names

In 1890, probably following Roscoe (1827), C.B. Clarke annotated two herbarium sheets at Kew, each of which is a single sheet with two specimens mounted on it. He determined the left hand specimens of both sheets (K000640488! and K000640489!) bearing long cylindrical inflorescences and rather small flowers and anthers as 'var. tenuiflorum Wall.', and the right hand specimens (K000640486! and K000640487!) bearing rather large flowers and anthers as Hedychium villosum . It appears that subsequent authors (Baker 1892; Schumann 1904) treated Hedychium villosum Wall. not as understood by Wallich (in Roxburgh 1820) but in the sense of Roscoe (1827) and Clarke’s annotation of the Kew sheets in 1890. Further propagating this error, Baker (1892) attempted to provide a short description for Wallich’s variety, var. tenuiflorum, for the first time and cited original Wallich material - Wallich 6545C (he incorrectly cited "6546 C", a correctable error). Unfortunately his description ("flowers much smaller than the type, corolla-segments staminodes and lip ½ in") is not applicable to var. tenuiflorum (sensu Wallich 6545C), but to the typical variety. Baker cited Roscoe’s plate (Monandr. Pl. Scitam. t. 54. 1827) and considered the white and large-flowered plant as the typical Hedychium villosum Wall., not the pale yellow and small flowered one as Wallich (in Roxburgh 1820) originally described the species.

Schumann (1904) recognized Hedychium villosum var. tenuiflorum as a distinct species under the name Hedychium tenuiflorum (Baker) K. Schum. He differentiated his distinct species by the nature of inflorescence, less than 1 mm long anthers, narrower leaves and smaller flowers. As with Baker (1892), Schumann’s description of the taxon (except " corolla prob. albae ") -" Folia omnia summa ipsa sessilia stricte lanceolata longissime attenuato-acuminata et rostrata acutissima basi angustata utrinque glabra... .., Spica 25-30 cm longa anguste cylindrical... .., anther vix 1 mm longa " perfectly agrees with what is currently understood as Hedychium villosum Wall. Inspection of specimens cited, such as Hooker & Thomson s.n. (K!), Griffith 5661 (K!) and Prain 43 (CAL!) supports our contention that this is what Schumann did. Schumann (1904) also cited a specimen from Silhet, Wallich 6545A both for his Hedychium tenuiflorum and Hedychium villosum . Although he mentioned Robert Smith’s introduced material in 1815 under Hedychium villosum , his description does not agree perfectly with Wallich’s protologue. There are two sheets in the microfiche of the Wallich Catalogue bearing catalogue number 6545A. Of the two sheets labelled as Wall. Cat. n. 6545A, the first sheet contains two specimens of Hedychium villosum var. tenuiflorum and second one is a composite of two taxa, the top left material corresponding to Hedychium villosum and the other two specimens matching what we currently recognize as Hedychium villosum var. tenuiflorum. Judging from the description and materials cited by Schumann (1904), it appears that he treated Hedychium villosum in the sense of Roscoe (1827), not in the sense of Wallich.

Figures

Figure 1. Type specimens: A Hedychium villosum Wall. - Sylhet, 1815, M. R. Smith s. n. pro parte (middle specimen; BM 000574696) B Hedychium villosum var. tenuiflorum (Wall. ex Voigt) Wall. ex Baker- Botanic Garden Calcutta, originally from Sylhet, N. Wallich 6545 C (BM).

Figure 3. Hedychium villosum var. tenuiflorum (Wall. ex Voigt) Wall. ex Baker. A bract B bracteole C single flower D calyx E corolla tube with calyx and ovary F dorsal and lateral corolla lobes G labellum H lateral staminodes I stamen J anther, back view (left) and lateral view (right) K ovary with epigynous glands and base of style L cross section of ovary M stigma with a part of style. Line drawing by E. Sanoj; voucher E. Sanoj 95619 (CALI).