February 2015 The Journal of Japanese Botany Vol. 90 No. 1 61

J. Jpn. Bot. 90: 61–65 (2015)

b a a, Anupam Das Talukdar , Durgesh Verma , Dilip Kumar Roy *, Manabendra Dutta b c Choudhury and Bipin Kumar Sinha : A New Variety of prainiana () from Northeast India aBotanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, Meghalaya, 793 003 INDIA; bDepartment of Life Science & Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar, 788 011, Assam, INDIA; cIndustrial Section, Indian Museum, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 700016 INDIA *Corresponding author: [email protected]

Summary: A new variety of Molineria prainiana by Biswas (1940) in Indian Forest Records as Deb from Northeast India, Molineria prainiana var. grandis Baker, here the authorship of josephii D. K. Roy, D. Verma & A. D. Talukdar, is described and illustrated. The characteristics of Baker is a printing mistake for Burkill as thus fruits are described for the first time for Molineria the name is invalid (Deb 1964). Mitra (1958) prainiana Deb. made a new combination Molineria grandis (Prain) J. N. Mitra that stands illegitimate being Hypoxidaceae, a family of herbaceous based on an invalid name. Later on, Mitra (1965) perennial with approximately again published the same taxon as a new 200 species under nine genera that are mainly based on the collection of J. L. Lister made in found in the Southern Hemisphere of the Old 1875 from Duphla hills, Arunachal Pradesh World and in North America (Sánchez-Ken where also the herbarium sheet was marked 2010). The genus Molineria Colla comprises as Curculigo grandis Prain. So, based on the seven species and one variety (World Checklist priority of publication, Molineria prainiana Deb of Selected Families 2014). In India the is now an accepted name and Molineria grandis genus is represented by all the seven species J. N. Mitra stands a heterotypic synonym for it. namely (Lour.) Herb., M. While working on genus Molineria of crassifolia Baker, M. gracilis Kurz, M. latifolia Northeast India, the authors (DKR and DV) (Dryand. ex W. T. Aiton) Herb. ex Kurz, M. came across some interesting collections of oligantha C. E. C. Fisch., M. prainiana Deb and J. Joseph made in 1964 from Namdapha, M. trichocarpa (Wight) N. P. Balakr. of which Arunachal Pradesh, housed in ASSAM. These M. oligantha is endemic (Hooker 1894, Fischer were marked as M. crassifolia Baker. After 1932, Deb 1964). critical observations on the specimens and Molineria prainiana was described by D. literature survey, authors are convinced that B. Deb (1964) based on a collection made by the taxon is closely related to M. prainiana but I. H. Burkill in 1912 from Janakmukh during differs in having larger lamina, much elongated the Abor Expedition. The species epithet was raceme, long pedicelled sparsely arranged named after D. Prain, who first named this taxon flowers and bigger berries (Figs. 1, 2). Therefore, as Curculigo grandis Prain MSS. Burkill (1925) the taxon is described here as a new variety of it. published the taxon in Records of the Botanical Survey of India without any description, so the Molineria prainiana Deb in Bull. Bot. Suv. name was invalid. Later N. L. Bor collected a India 51: 77 (1965). specimen of the same taxon from Aka Hills, var. josephii D. K. Roy, D. Verma & A. D. Arunachal Pradesh in 1934, which was published Talukdar, var. nov. [Figs. 1, 2D] 62 植物研究雑誌 第 90 巻 第 1 号 2015 年 2 月

Fig. 1. Molineria prainiana var. josephii. A. Leaf. B. Inflorescence. C. Flower (front view). D. Flower (lateral view). E, F. Bract. G. Perianth. H. Anthers. I. Stigma and style. J. Pedicellate ovary with style. K. Fruit (dried). L. Fruit (soaked in liquid Ammonia and hot water). M. Seed.

Similar to Molineria prainiana Deb, to 150 cm long, elliptic-lanceolate, plicate, distinguished from it by larger leaf lamina, more membranous; lamina glabrous, up to 115 cm than 60-flowered, much elongated raceme, long- long and 15.5 cm broad, chartaceous, entire, pedicelled sparsely arranged flowers and bigger acuminate. Scape flattened, pubescent. Raceme berries (Table 1). elongated, more than 60-flowered, up to 30 cm Type: INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh: long. Flowers bracteate, bisexual, trimerous, Namdapha, alt. 475 m, 17 October 1983, J. 1.5 cm across. Bracts lanceolate, glabrous, Joseph 83196 (ASSAM 57076–holotype, Fig. ciliate at margin, 1.3–3.5 × 0.4–0.8 cm, veined. 2D; ASSAM 57073, 57074, 57075–isotypes). Pedicel stellate hairy, 1.3–2.7 cm long. Perianth Rhizomatous herbs. Leaves large, up segments six, in two alternative whorls (three February 2015 The Journal of Japanese Botany Vol. 90 No. 1 63

Fig. 2. A. Molineria grandis J. N. Mitra (adopted from Mitra 1965). B. Molineria prainiana Deb (adopted from Deb 1964). C. Paratype of Molineria prainiana Deb. D. Molineria prainiana var. josephii (Inflorescence). 64 植物研究雑誌 第 90 巻 第 1 号 2015 年 2 月

Table 1. Differences between Molineria prainiana var. prainiana and var. josephii var. prainiana var. josephii Leaf lamina up to 70 cm long up to 115 cm long Inflorescence up to 15 cm long, up to 30 cm long, up to 40-flowered more than 60-flowered Pedicel densely tomentose, 0.5–1.5 cm long sparsely pubescent, 1.3–2.7 cm long Berry 0.8–0.9 × 0.4–0.5 cm, densely tomentose 1.4–1.8 × 0.7–0.9 cm, villous in each), elliptic-lanceolate, free, imbricate, tomentose or woolly; raceme up to 15 cm long; ventrally glabrous, 5-veined, midvein prominent pedicel densely tomentose, 0.5–1.5 cm long; and clothed with hairs dorsally, 0.8–0.9 × 0.3– berries 4–5 mm in diam., densely tomentose ...... 0.35 cm, persistent. Stamens 6; filament very ...... M. prainiana var. prainiana short, ca. 2 mm long; anther erect, dorsifixed, 3b. Lamina up to 115 cm long; scape pubescent; lanceolate, dithecous, sagittate at base, 5–6 mm. raceme up to 30 cm long; pedicel sparsely Ovary inferior, 3-carpelled, villous with stellate pubescent, 1.3–2.7 cm long; berries 7–9 mm in hairs, 4–5 × 1.8–2.2 mm; style subulate, 7–9 diam., sparsely pubescent ...... mm; stigma capitate, 0.8–1.0 mm across. Berry ...... M. prainiana var. josephii pyriform, villous, 1.4–1.8 × 0.7–0.9 cm. Seeds oblong, black, testa grooved deeply, ca. 1.5 × 1.2 Authors are grateful to P. Singh, Director, mm. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata and to A. A. Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh). Mao, Scientist-E and HOO, Eastern Regional Endemic to India. Centre, Botanical Survey of India, Shillong, for Habitat: In damp places of Tropical evergreen facilities and encouragement. forest at ca. 475 m. Etymology: The varietal epithet is named References after J. Joseph, collector of the specimens. Biswas K. 1941. The flora of the Aka hills. Indian Forest Notes: In the original publication of Rec. 3(1): 53–54. Burkill I. H. 1925. The Botany of the Abor Expedition. Molineria prainiana Deb characters of fruit were Rec. Bot. Surv. India. 10: 386–387. not described. So, here the characters of fruits of Deb D. B. 1964. An undescribed species of Hypoxidaceae. this species are also provided. Berry pyriform, Bull. Bot. Surv. India. 6(1): 77–79. densely tomentose, 0.8–0.9 cm × 0.4–0.5 cm. Fischer C. E. C. 1932. new to Assam: V. Bull. Misc. Inform., Royal Bot. Gard. 1932(7): 348–349. Seeds oblong, blackish brown; testa grooved ca. Hooker J. D. 1894. Amaryllideae. In: Hooker J. D. (ed.), 1.3 × 1.1 mm. The Flora of British India. 6: 277–286. L. Reeve & Co., London. Key to Molineria prainiana and Mitra J. N. 1958. Flowering Plants of Eastern India: its closely related taxa Monocotyledons. 1: 50. The World Press, Calcutta. Mitra J. N. 1965. A new species of Molineria from Assam. 1a. Inflorescence dense capitate raceme...... 2 J. Indian Bot. Soc. 43(3): 487–489. 1b. Inflorescence lax elongated raceme...... 3 Sánchez-Ken J. G. 2010. colliculata 2a. Lamina hirsute on nerves beneath; ovary (Hypoxidaceae), a new species from Mexico and a key turbinate, villous; berry globose .... M. capitulata to the American species with black seeds. Acta Bot. Mex. 92: 1–9. 2b. Lamina white- dense tomentose beneath; World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. 2014. Royal ovary oblong, top silky; berry oblong ...... botanic Gardens, Kew [online]. Available from http:// ...... M. crassifolia apps.kew.org/wcsp [accessed 18 August 2014]. 3a. Lamina up to 70 cm long; scape densely February 2015 The Journal of Japanese Botany Vol. 90 No. 1 65

A. D. Talukdarb，D. Vermaa，D. K. Roya，M. D. b c Choudhury ， B. K. Sinha : Molineria prainiana（キン バイザサ科）のインド北東産 1 新変種 インド北東部から， Molineria prainiana Deb（キン prainiana の 漿 果 は 柔 毛 が 密 生 し， 長 さ 0.8–0.9 cm， バ イ ザ サ 科 ） の 1 新 変 種，Molineria prainiana var. 幅 0.4–0.5 cm であるのに対して，新変種である var. josephii D. K. Roy, D. Verma & A. D. Talukdar を記載 josephii は 長 毛 が 生 え， 長 さ 1.4–1.8 cm， 幅 0.7–0.9 した．この新変種は基本変種から，葉身が大型である cm とより大きい．本文では，Molineria prainiana と こと，よく伸長した総状花序に花が 60 個以上つくこ その近縁種の検索表を示した． と，花は花柄が長く，花序に疎らにつくこと，漿果が （a インド・植物調査所 Eastern Regional Centre， より大型であることで区別される (Table 1)．Molineria b インド・Assam University, prainiana の漿果についてはこれまで知られていなか Department of Life Science & Bioinformatics， ったが，ここで初めて記載を行った．すなわち，var. c インド・植物調査所インド博物館 Industrial Section）