Schizotechium monospermum

Pusalkar, Prashant K. & Srivastava, S. K., 2016, The genus Schizotechium (Caryophyllaceae) resurrected, Phytotaxa 252 (1), pp. 81-84 : 83

Schizotechium monospermum (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Pusalkar & S.K. Srivast., comb. nov.

Bas.: Stellaria monosperma Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don (1825: 215) .

= Stellaria crispata Wallich ex D. Don (1825: 215) .

Type (lectotype designated here):— NEPAL: 1829, Wallich catl. no. 633 (K- K 001111448). Image of the lectotype available at http://apps. kew.org/herbcat/getImage.do?imageBarcode= K 001111448

Description:—Perennial, sub-scandent, 0.5–0.8(–1.2) m high; roots thick, fleshy, fusiform; stem dichotomously branched, rarely simple, 4-angled, glossy, glabrous or pubescent, often with pubescent lines of jointed cilia and/or jointed glandular cilia, glandular-ciliate on inflorescence. Basal and lower leaves usually withered by anthesis; cauline opposite, sessile, sub-coriaceous, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, uppermost leaves sometimes ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–22 × 0.6–4 cm, base sub-cordate, amplexicaul, auriculate, margins entire, often crisped-wavy, glabrous, ciliate in basal part or minutely rugulosepapillate, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous to sparsely pubescent with jointed cilia, dark green above, pale beneath. Flowers white, 3–5(–7) mm, as across, all bisexual or bisexual and unisexual (functional pistillate, Shillong & Rabeler, 2001:27), in few- to many-flowered, terminal and sub-terminal, 2–3-chotomously branched panicle of cymes or panicle of 2–4-chasial cymes; branches divaricate, glandular-pubescent; bracts/bracteoles lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, glandular-ciliate, prominently on margins and midvein on abaxial surface; peduncle slender, to 10 cm, glandular-pubescent; pedicels slender, spreading, to 2 cm, glandular-pubescent. Sepals 5, spreading, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 3–5(–6) × 0.7–1.6 mm, margins narrowly membranous, apex acuminate, sometimes outwardly curved, outer surface glandular-ciliate, throughout or densely so in basal half; fruiting sepals slightly elongated, to 7 mm long. Petals 5, obovate-cuneate, 2/3 rd to nearly as long as sepals, base narrowed; lamina 2-lobed for 1/2–1/3 with triangular-ovate to oblong-ovate lobes, lamina sometimes broadly sickle-shaped. Stamens 10, all of equal length or 5+5 (alternately long and short); filament 1–3 mm, slightly fused at base. Disc not lobed. Styles 3, linear, 1–3 mm. Capsule globose, + as long as calyx, 6-toothed; seeds 1–2, brown, reddish-brown to blackish, sub-orbicular to sub-reniform, compressed, 2.2–3.2 mm, rugose, often wrinkled, pappilate or not.

Distribution:— Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan.