Int. J. Curr. Res. Biosci. Plant Biol. (2019) 6(10), 33-46 International Journal of Current Research in Biosciences and Plant Biology Volume 6 ● Number 10 (October-2019) ● ISSN: 2349-8080 (Online) Journal homepage: www.ijcrbp.com Original Research Article doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcrbp.2019.610.004 Some new combinations and new names for Flora of India R. Kottaimuthu1*, M. Jothi Basu2 and N. Karmegam3 1Department of Botany, Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630 003, Tamil Nadu, India 2Department of Botany (DDE), Alagappa University, Karaikudi-630 003, Tamil Nadu, India 3Department of Botany, Government Arts College (Autonomous), Salem-636 007, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author; e-mail: [email protected] Article Info ABSTRACT Date of Acceptance: During the verification of nomenclature in connection with the preparation of 17 August 2019 ‗Supplement to Florae Indicae Enumeratio‘ and ‗Flora of Tamil Nadu‘, the authors came across a number of names that need to be updated in accordance with the Date of Publication: changing generic concepts. Accordingly the required new names and new combinations 06 October 2019 are proposed here for the 50 taxa belonging to 17 families. Keywords Combination novum Indian flora Nomen novum Tamil Nadu Introduction Taxonomic treatment India is the seventh largest country in the world, ACANTHACEAE and is home to 18,948 species of flowering plants (Karthikeyan, 2018), of which 4,303 taxa are Andrographis longipedunculata (Sreem.) endemic (Singh et al., 2015). During the L.H.Cramer ex Gnanasek. & Kottaim., comb. nov. preparation of ‗Supplement to Florae Indicae Enumeratio‘ and ‗Flora of Tamil Nadu‘, we came Basionym: Neesiella longipedunculata Sreem. in to know that several angiosperms described from Phytologia 15: 271. 1967. various parts of India need new combinations and new names that are dealt hereunder in their Distribution: INDIA (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, respective families. Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, West Bengal & Tamil Nadu) and MYANMAR. R. Kottaimuthu et al. (2019) / Some new combinations and new names for Flora of India 33 Int. J. Curr. Res. Biosci. Plant Biol. (2019) 6(10), 33-46 Note: Cramer (1996) transferred Indoneesiella Distribution: INDIA (Kerala & Tamil Nadu), longipedunculata to Andrographis and proposed Endemic. new combination A. longipedunculata (Sreem.) L.H.Cramer. However his new combination is Ceropegia adscendens (Roxb.) Bruyns var. invalid due to indirect basionym ref. contrary to carinata (Gravely & Mayur.) Kottaim., comb. Art. 41.5 ICN (Turland et al., 2018) and thus the nov. combination need to be validated. Here correct reference for the basionym is given to validate the Basionym: Caralluma adscendens (Roxb.) Haw. combination. var. carinata Gravely & Mayur. in Bull. Madras Gov. Mus. n.s., 4(1): 16. 1931. Justicia gracilis (Wight) T.Anderson var. saldanhae (Mascar. & Janarth.) Kottaim., comb. Distribution: INDIA (Tamil Nadu). nov. Note: Gravely and Mayurnathan (1931) while Basionym: Rungia linifolia Nees revising the genus Caralluma for India; they var. saldanhae Mascar. & Janarth. in Novon 20(2): recognized 6 varieties under Caralluma 182. 2010. adscendens. Bruyns et al. (2018) have merged all the varieties of Carallum adscendens under Distribution: INDIA (Karnataka & Tamil Nadu). Ceropegia adscendens without providing any reasons. However, most of them show consistent Note: Following Vollesen (2010), Wood (2014) morphological and floral variations and deserve transferred the Indian species of Rungia under distinct rank. Interestingly many of the workers Justicia. While doing so, he proposed Justicia accepted the varieties proposed by Gravely & heyneana as a replacement name for Rungia Mayurnathan (1931) and recognized in several linifolia Nees. However, he overlooked the fact that works (Albers and Meve, 2002; Gilbert, 1990; the next available name Justicia gracilis (Wight) Jagtap and Singh, 1999; Karuppusamy et al., 2013; T.Anderson is not a later homonym of Justicia Meve and Liede, 2002; Plowes, 1995; POWO, gracilis Lyall ex Nees (1847) because the latter 2019; Gandhi, 1999; Singh et al., 2015). C. name is an invalid name when published (pro adscendens var. carinata is one of the most synonymo). beautiful and distinct variant. It can be easily distinguished from its allies by its pendulous APOCYNACEAE flower and unbranched stem. Note: As a result of recent molecular phylogenetic Ceropegia muruganii Kottaim., nom. nov. studies (Bruyns et al., 2014 2015), generic circumscription of Ceropegia has undergone Replaced synonym: Caralluma adscendens tremendous changes (Bruyns et al., 2017, 2018a, var. geniculata Gravely & Mayur. in Bull. Madras b). The suggestion by Bruyns et al. (2017) to Gov. Mus. n.s., 4(1): 16. 1931., non Ceropegia include all species of Brachystelma in Ceropegia is geniculata R.A.Dyer in Bothalia 12: 631. 1979. accepted by Endress et al. (2018) and POWO (2019). Hence, the following 21 new combinations Etymology: The specific epithet is named to honor and two new names are needed to reflect the Dr. C. Murugan, Botanical Survey of India, Southern current inclusion of Caralluma R. Br. and Regional Centre, Coimbatore, for his remarkable Brachystelma R.Br. in Ceropegia L. contributions to the Flora of Tamil Nadu. Ceropegia adscendens (Roxb.) Bruyns var. Distribution: INDIA (Tamil Nadu). bicolor (V.S. Ramac., S. Joseph, H. A. John & Sofiya) Kottaim., comb. et stat nov. Basionym: Note: According to the latest taxonomical Caralluma bicolor V.S. Ramac., S. Joseph, H. A. approach, Caralluma adscendens var. geniculata John & Sofiya in Nordic J. Bot. 29(4): 447. Gravely & Mayur. is considered to be a distinct 2011. species, namely Caralluma geniculata, which differs from its allied species by its pedicel bent at R. Kottaimuthu et al. (2019) / Some new combinations and new names for Flora of India 34 Int. J. Curr. Res. Biosci. Plant Biol. (2019) 6(10), 33-46 an angle just below the flower (Karuppusamy et al., Replaced synonym: Brachystelma maculatum 2013; Meve and Liede, 2002; POWO, 2019). When Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4(10): 65. 1883., non Caralluma geniculata (Gravely & Mayur.) Meve & Ceropegia maculata Bedd. in Madras J. Lit. Sci., Liede is transferred to Ceropegia, the epithet is ser. 3, 1: 52. 1864. occupied by Dyer‘s 1979 name. Thus a new name is required, and is proposed here. Etymology: The specific epithet is named to honour Dr. Kanchi N. Gandhi (Senior Ceropegia adscendens (Roxb.) Bruyns var. Nomenclatural Registrar, Harvard University gracilis (Gravely & Mayur.) Kottaim., comb. Herbaria, USA) for his valuable contribution in nov. plant taxonomy and nomenclature. Basionym: Caralluma adscendens (Roxb.) Haw. Distribution: INDIA (Karnataka & Tamil Nadu), var. gracilis Gravely & Mayur. in Bull. Madras Gov. Endemic. Mus. n.s., 4(1): 14. 1931. Note: Bruyns et al. (2017) did not accept the Distribution: INDIA (Tamil Nadu). specific status of Brachystelma maculata, B. rangacharii, B. penchalakonense and B. Note: This endemic variety can be easily nallamalayanum hence they synonymized under recognized in the field by its much branched acute Ceropegia bourneae (Gamble) Bruyns without stem, smaller flowers, erect slender pedicels and ample reasons. All four species share similar habit rotate corolla with pale expanded portion of the with slender, sturdy and erect stems and long petals larger in proportion to the dark folded drooping leaves. However, they differ from each portion. other by their floral characters viz., corolla colour, ornamentation, indumentum and corona structure Ceropegia ananthapuramense (K.Prasad, A. and thus hold their specific identities (Prasad and Naray. & Meve) Kottaim., comb. nov. Rao, 2013; Prasad and Venu, 2018; Pullaiah et al., 2019; Rasingam et al., 2013; Sadasivaiah et al., Basionym: Brachystelma ananthapuramense 2016). K.Prasad, A.Naray. & Meve, Kew Bull. 73(1)-16: 1. 2018. The specific epithet ―maculata‖ cannot be used in combination with Ceropegia, as it would be a later Distribution: INDIA (Andhra Pradesh). homonym of Ceropegia maculata Bedd. (1864). since it has no taxonomic synonyms, a new Ceropegia annamacharyae (K. Prasad, replacement name is proposed above in Prasanna, Meve, Sankara Rao & T. Thulasaiah) accordance with the Shenzhen code (Turland et al., Kottaim., comb. nov. 2018). Basionym: Brachystelma annamacharyae K. Ceropegia mahendragiriense (K.Prasad, Prasad, Prasanna, Meve, Sankara Rao & T. Chorghe & Venu) Kottaim., comb. nov. Thulasaiah in Nord. J. Bot. 34(3): 360. 2016. Basionym: Brachystelma mahendragiriense Distribution: INDIA (Andhra Pradesh). K.Prasad, Chorghe & Venu in Rheedea 27(2): 135. 2017. Ceropegia gondwanense (Govekar, Kahalkar & Sardesai) Kottaim., comb. nov. Distribution: INDIA (Andhra Pradesh). Basionym: Brachystelma gondwanense Govekar, Ceropegia megamalayana (Karupp.) Kottaim., Kahalkar & Sardesai in Rheedea 26(2): 145. 2016. comb. nov. Distribution: INDIA (Maharashtra). Basionym: Brachystelma megamalayana Karupp. in Pull. et al., Monogr. Brachystema & Ceropegia in Ceropegia gandhiana Kottaim., nom. nov. India: 40. 2019. R. Kottaimuthu et al. (2019) / Some new combinations and new names for Flora of India 35 Int. J. Curr. Res. Biosci. Plant Biol. (2019) 6(10), 33-46 Distribution: INDIA (Tamil Nadu). Ceropegia nigidianum (Raja Kullayisw., Sandhyar. & Pull.) Kottaim., comb. nov. Ceropegia moorei (Aditya) Kottaim., comb. nov. Basionym: Brachystelma nigidianum Raja Kullayisw., Sandhyar. & Pull. in Kew Bull. 71(4)- Basionym: Caralluma moorei Aditya in Asklepios 50: 5.