Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26
November 2019 | 11(14): 14921–14922
Linostoma decandrum (Roxb. ) Wall. ex Endl. (Thymelaeaceae): an addition to the flora of Andaman
Islands, India
L. Rasingam
1 & K. Karthigeyan 2
1Botanical
Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre, Plot no. 366/1, Attapur,
Hyderguda (P.O), Hyderabad, Telangana 500048, India.
2Botanical
Survey of India, Central National Herbarium, P.O. Botanic Garden, Howrah, West
Bengal 711103, India.
1 rasingam@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 karthigeyan.murthy@gmail.com
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5106.11.14.14921-14922
Editor: B. Ravi Prasad Rao, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapuramu,
India. Date of publication: 26
November 2019 (online & print)
Manuscript details: #5106 | Received 21 May 2019 |
Final received 22 October 2019 | Finally accepted 01 November 2019
Citation: Rasingam. L. & K. Karthigeyan (2019). Linostoma decandrum (Roxb. ) Wall. ex Endl. (Thymelaeaceae): an
addition to the flora of Andaman Islands, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(14): 14921–14922. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5106.11.14.14921-14922
Copyright: © Rasingam & Karthigeyan
2019. Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction,
and distribution of this article in any medium by adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Botanical Survey of India.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing
interests.
Acknowledgements: We are
grateful to the Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata for facilities and
Dr. P.V. Prasanna, Scientist ‘G’ & HoO, Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre,
Hyderabad, and Dr. V.P. Prasad, Scientist ‘E’ & HoO, Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India,
Howrah for encouragement.
Linostoma Wall. ex Endl. is a small
genus in the family Thymelaeaceae distributed in
Bangladesh, Myanmar, northeastern India to
Indo-China, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo (Nevling
1961). Nevling
(1961) has recognized three species of Linostoma,
of which Linostoma decandrum
(Roxb.) Wall. ex Endl.
is reported from the Assam and Manipur states of northeastern
India.
While working on unidentified specimens collected from
the Andaman & Nicobar Islands deposited at PBL and CAL, the authors came
across a few specimens of Linostoma. After critical study with relevant
literature, all the specimens were found belonging to Linostoma
decandrum.
Since the species had not been reported so far from the Andaman &
Nicobar Islands (Rao 1986; Lakshminarasimhan &
Rao 1996; Mathew 1998; Pandey & Diwakar 2008), it forms a new distribution
record to the islands’ biogeographic zone.
A detailed description for the species along with a herbarium image is
provided for easy identification.
Taxonomic treatment
Linostoma decandrum (Roxb.) Wall. ex Endl., Gen. 331. 1837; Kurz,
Forest Fl. Burma 2: 334. 1877; Hook.f., Fl. Brit.
India 5: 198. 1886; Brandis, Indian Trees 545. 1906; Nevling
in J. Arnold Arbor. 42: 307. 1961. Nectandra decandra Roxb., [Hort. Beng. 90. 1814 nom.
nud.] & Fl. Ind. 2: 425. 1832. (Image 1).
Specimens examined: s.n. (CAL!),
19.iii.1892, Anikhet Hill jungle, Andaman Islands,
coll. Dr. King’s collector; 47 (CAL!), 23.i.1901,
Andamans, Coll. Dr. Prain’s
Collector; 12355 (PBL!), 23.xii.1986, Kalpong No. 10,
North Andamans, Coll. G. Chakraborty & G.S. Kindo.
Climbing shrubs, up to 15m; branchlets terete, glabrous. Leaves simple, opposite, elliptic to
oblong-elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 3–9.5 × 1–4.5 cm, obtuse to acute or
shortly acuminate at apex, entire along margin, cuneate to rounded at base,
coriaceous, glabrous on both surfaces, lateral veins
many, parallel. Petiole canaliculate,
2–9 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence terminal, umbelliform, 2–3
flowered; peduncles 3–5 cm long, glabrous. Bracts foliar, opposite, oblong, 3–5.5 ×
1–1.8 cm, obtuse at apex, entire along margin, rounded at base, chartaceous,
white, glabrous.
Flowers small, light greenish-pink.
Calyx tube fusiform, 5–7 × 2–2.5 mm, reddish without, lobes 5, linear,
6–8 × c. 2 mm, greenish within, reflexed. Petals 10, white, clavate, 3–6 mm long. Stamens exserted,
15–16; filaments slender, white; anthers yellow. Ovary stipitate, ellipsoid, c. 3mm
long, densely hairy; style filiform, 8–10 mm long; stigma capitate. Fruits ovoid-ellipsoid, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 cm,
appressed hairy; fruiting pedicels 5–6 mm long, swollen. Seeds ovate- triangular, c. 9 × 4 mm.
Habitat: The plants grow in moist localities in
evergreen forests.
Flowering & Fruiting: December–March.
Distribution: India: Assam, Manipur, the Andaman
Islands; Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indo-China, Malay Peninsula and Borneo.
References
Lakshminarasimhan, P. & P.S.N. Rao (1996). Supplementary
list of angiosperms recorded (1983–1993) from Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Journal
of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 20: 175–185.
Mathew, S.P. (1998). A supplementary report on the flora and vegetation of
Bay Islands, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 22:
249–272.
Nevling Jr., L.I. (1961). A revision of the Asiatic genus Linostoma
(Thymelaeaceae). Journal of Arnold Arboretum
42: 295–320.
Pandey, R.P. & P.G. Diwakar
(2008). An integrated checklist of plants
in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic
Botany 32: 403–500.
Rao, M.K.V. (1986). A preliminary report on the angiosperms of Andaman
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