Tinospora singapura I.M.Turner, 2023

Turner, I. M., 2023, Revision of Tinospora (Menispermaceae - Chasmantheroideae - Burasaieae) in Singapore, European Journal of Taxonomy 900, pp. 180-193 : 188-191

Tinospora singapura I.M.Turner sp. nov.

urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77329783-1

Figs 5–7

Diagnosis

Similar to T. sumatrana Becc. and T. macrocarpa , but differs in having leaves with the base rounded to cuneate, rather than cordate, and 3-nerved, rather than 5-nerved, with no glandular patches in the axils of those main nerves adaxially, and the fruit endocarp being densely verruculose rather than with scattered warts.

Etymology

The specific epithet consists of the Malay name for Singapore, the type locality of the species. The epithet should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Material examined

Type

SINGAPORE • Jalan Kampong Chantek to Bukit Tinggi Road, 15 Sep. 2016, H. K. Lua & R. Lim SING 2016-152 ; holotype SING [ SING0253451 , SING0253452 , one specimen mounted on two sheets] !.

Paratype

SINGAPORE • Jalan Kampong Chantek to Bukit Tinggi Road, 15 Sep. 2016, H. K. Lua & R. Lim SING 2016-154 ; SING [ SING0251968 ] !.

Description

Woody climber with abundant descending aerial roots. Twigs drying red-brown or brown, glabrous, shiny, irregularly longitudinally wrinkled, wrinkles narrow and quite sharp-edged with scattered raised pale lenticels, and leaf scars as raised, slightly concave, discs. Leaves chartaceous, glabrous, drying pale grey­brown, not peltate, 3­nerved at base, domatia absent, main nerves more or less flush above in dry leaves, raised beneath; lamina ovate to narrowly elliptic, 5–13 × 2.5–5.5 cm, base rounded to cuneate, apex acuminate, reticulations visible from both surfaces; petiole 2–4.5 cm, ca 1 mm wide at midlength, drying yellow­brown, finely and uniformly longitudinally striate, not notably swollen at ends when dry. Male inflorescences and flowers unknown. Female inflorescences from axils of fallen leaves, mostly solitary, main axis 10–16 cm long, ca 1 mm wide at base, glabrous, drying brown, finely longitudinally striate, slightly zig-zag, bearing on short lateral protruberences regularly spaced fascicles of 3–4 subsessile flowers or very reduced branches bearing 2–3 flowers. Female flowers sessile to subsessile, sepals 3 + 3, outer sepals ovate, ca 0.5 × 0.5 mm, drying brown, glabrous, minutely verruculose-papillate outside, inner sepals ovate, ca 1.5 × 1 mm, drying dark brown, minutely verruculose-papillate outside, apical margin minutely ciliate, carpels 3, clavate, ca 1 mm long, 0.5 mm wide distally, drying yellow, stigma sessile. Fruits ovoid, 4.5 × 3 cm smooth, ripening orange­yellow, fleshy, drying brown and coarsely wrinkled with surface shiny and minutely rugulose, pericarp ca 4 mm thick, yellow in vivo, mesocarp thin and translucent; endocarp white, 3–3.5 × 1.5 cm, prominent narrow basal keel, very slight ventral groove, dorsal and lateral surfaces with a dense and more or less uniform covering of small, short conical warts, endocarp wall thin but quite stiff, splitting longitudinally from ventral groove and along middle of basal keel.

Distribution

The species is only known from Singapore.

Notes

The leaves and endocarps of the Singapore specimens are very distinctive and not readily confusable with any other known species of Tinospora . The stems and female flowers are typical for the genus, so there is no doubt about its placement.

Why a species in a much-collected locality as Singapore should escape detection until now is a matter for speculation. A possibility is that the plant or population at the Kampong Chantek site represents a relict of cultivation of a species brought from some distant place, perhaps Sumatra or Borneo.

Figures

Fig. 5. Tinospora singapura I.M.Turner sp. nov. A. Habit of female plant. B. Detail of stem and petiole surface at * in A. C. Leaf base abaxial view, note absence of domatia. D. Abaxial leaf surface centrally. E. Detail of fascicle of flowers on female inflorescence. F. Open flower, side view, with developing flower bud to left. G. Flower in F after removal of two inner sepals to reveal petals and the three carpels. H, I. Inner sepals, abaxial view. J. Petal, abaxial view. K. Flower in G after removal of petal to reveal staminode. L. Drupe in dry state. M. Endocarp. N. Endocarp after splitting with seed removed. Drawn by Andrew Brown. Graduated single bar = 2 mm and 5 mm; double bar = 1 cm; graduated double bar = 2 cm and 5 cm. Material used: Lua et al. SING 2016-152 (SING) (A–E); Lua et al. SING 2016-154 (SING) (F–N).

Fig. 6. Plant of Tinospora singapura I.M.Turner sp. nov. in Singapore showing stems and abundant aerial roots. Photo: Reuben Lim.

Fig. 7. Fallen fruits and endocarps of Tinospora singapura I.M.Turner sp. nov., with the seed germinating in one case. Photo: Reuben Lim.