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.

 

For image - - click here

 

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 & Nicobar Islands. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 8: 107–184.