Taiwania 60(2): 81‒85, 2015 DOI: 10.6165/tai.2015.60.81 Gentiana kurumbae, a New Species of Gentianaceae from the Western Ghats of Kerala, India K. A. Anilkumar (1*), K. M. Prabhu Kumar (1) and P. S. Udayan(2) 1. Plant Systematics and Genetic Resources Division, Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR), Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal P.O., Malappuram district, Kerala – 676 503 2. P.G. Department and Research Centre of Botany, Sree Krishna College Guruvayur, Ariyannur P.O., Thrissur district Kerala - 680 102. * Corresponding author: [email protected] (Manuscript received 10 April 2014; accepted 24 May 2015) ABSTRACT: A new species of Gentianaceae, Gentiana kurumbae is described from the Attappady hills of Palakkad district, Kerala State, India. A detailed description, information on habitat, distribution, phenology, relevant taxonomic and ecological notes are provided along with photographs and illustration. This species resembles Gentiana pedicellata var. wightii, but by having an erect and unbranched habit, ca. 15 mm long, broadly ovate-elliptic and chartaceous leaves with apiculate apex and serrulate margin. Gentiana kurumbae is characterized by bright blue flowers with very short pedicels up to 3 mm long, scabrous and linear-oblong to oblanceolate bracts with apiculate apex, acute calyx and corolla lobes with apiculate apex and stamens with filiform or minutely thickened filaments towards base. KEY WORDS: Gentiana, Gentianaceae, India, Kerala State, Western Ghats. INTRODUCTION biogeographic zone in Peninsular India by Ramesh and Pascal (1991), based upon its diverse topography and Gentiana L. (Gentianaceae), is a rather large genus climate as well as its proportion of endemics: today, consisting of 350 to 400 species. It occurs in temperate there are about 1500 species of endemics in the regions of Europe, Asia and America, as well as in Western Ghats (Gopalan and Henry, 2000). most tropical mountain systems of the world, with the Taking the scope of an ecological study on the exception of Africa (Chen and Wang, 1999; Ho and Liu, ecology fragmented evergreen forests in Attappady 2001; Mabberley, 2005). According to major hills, Palakkad district, Kerala from 2008 to 2014, a taxonomic work by Struwe et al. (2002), Gentianaceae Gentiana specimen with a unique combination of contains 1600 species distributed in 87 genera. Recent morphological traits was collected. After consulting taxonomic work and molecular phylogenetic studies on relevant literature (Hooker, 1883; Gamble and Fischer, Gentiana revealed that the genus is monophyletic (Ho 1923; Matthew, 1983; Manilal, 1988; Vajravelu, 1990; and Liu, 1996; Favre et al., 2014). In India, the genus Webb, 1990; Ho et al., 1996; Pradeep, 2000; Chen and Gentiana is represented by 62 species and 13 varieties, Wang, 2000; Mohanan and Sivadasan, 2002; most of which are distributed in the montane to alpine Sasidharan, 2004, 2013; Nair et al., 2006; Hul, 2007; life zones of the Himalayas, either only in Eastern Gupta et al., 2012; Karthikeyan et al., 2009; Wu et al., Himalaya (19 species and 2 varieties) or Northwest 2012; Favre et al., 2013; Favre et al., 2014) and Himalaya (24 species and 7 varieties) or in both regions herbarium specimens, we established that this specimen (17 species and 2 varieties) (Gupta et al., 2012). Only did not correspond to any species known to science two species occur in the Western Ghats: G. pedicellata from India. In this study, we describe this specimen as a Wall. ex Griseb. var. wightii Kusn. and G. quadrifaria new species: Gentiana kurumbae sp. nov. Blume. var. zeylanica (Griseb.) Kusn. Both these species have been recorded in Kerala State (Sasidharan, TAXONOMIC TREATMENT 2013). Myers (1988) first identified 10 regions, the Key to the species of Gentiana in South India so-called hotspots of biodiversity, characterized by both 1a. Plants < 2cm, flowers closing rapidly when touched........................ a high proportion of endemics and major ecological ..........................................................................................G. kurumbae threads to their persistence. In subsequent work, Myers 1b. Plants > 4cm, flowers not closing when touched ………....………2 (1990, 2000) identified further hotspots of biodiversity 2a. Radical leaves much larger than cauline leaves, capsule stalk (in total 18), including two in India, the Eastern shorter than calyx lobes……………… G. pedicellata var. wightii 2b. Radical leaves smaller than cauline leaves, capsule stalk longer Himalayas and the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats than calyx lobes ………....……….. G. quadrifaria var. zeylanica were also considered as the most important 81 Taiwania Vol. 60, No. 2 Gentiana kurumbae Anilkumar & Udayan, sp. nov. it reproductive organs by weather conditions or Fig. 1, 2 herbivores. Type: INDIA, Kerala, Palakkad District, Attappady Phenology: Flowering and fruiting occur between hills, Cherukolmala, 1750-1850 m, 18 September 2012, August and October. K.A. Anilkumar and P.S. Udayan 4185 (holotype Distribution, Habitat and Ecology: G. kurumbae is MH1, isotypes SKC2, CMPR3, CALI4). known only from type locality of Cherukolmala in the Annual unbranched erect herbs up to 7–15 mm tall; Attappady region of the Western Ghats of Kerala, stem short, base quadrangular. Leaves 3–6 pairs, where it occurs in grasslands at an elevation between glabrous, opposite decussate, lower leaves broadly 1750-1850 m. Its distribution appears to be very sparse ovate and upper leaves ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 5–7 within these grasslands. This species grows along × 3–4.5 mm long, lamina thick fleshy, 3.5–5 × 3.5–4.5 typical species of moist mountain grasslands along with mm long, 3-nerved from the base, abaxially the mid others as Drosera peltata Smith (Droseraceae); vein thickened and slightly depressed, margins Alysicarpus racemosus Benth. (Fabaceae); Indigofera minutely serrulate; petioles serrulate on margins, 2–3 × pedicellata Wight & Arn. (Fabaceae); Biophytum 2–2.5 mm long, apex acute with a apiculate apex. sensitivum (L.) DC. var. candolleanum (Wight) Edgew. Flowers bright blue, terminal or axillary; pedicel 1–2 & Hook.f. (Oxalidaceae); Valeriana hardwickii Wall. mm long. Bracts opposite decussate, linear-oblong to var. arnottiana (Wight) Clarke (Valerianaceae) and oblanceolate with apiculate apex, ca. 6 × 2 mm long, Senecio lessingianus (Wight & Arn.) Clarke margins serrulate. Calyx 5-lobed, obconic, ca. 7 mm (Asteraceae). long, with 10 ribs; ribs cartilaginous, lobes linear, ca. 2 Etymology: The specific epithet of the new taxon is mm long, fleshy with apiculate apex; calyx tube ca. 5 in honor of the Kurumba tribal community, living in the mm long. Corolla bright blue with light green base and interior forests of Attappady. The Kurumba tribal dark blue strips in each folds, 10 mm long; lobes 5 with community kindly provided valuable help during field plicae in between, lobes lanceolate shorter than tube, ca. collections for the first author’s Ph.D. programme 2 mm long, acute to apiculate at apex, plicae obtuse or (2008-2015) in Kannur University, Kerala. emarginated, less than ca. 0.5 mm long; opened corolla Conservation status: The only population of G. ca. 7 mm across. Stamens 5, included, inserted at kurumbae known to date is the type locality in the middle of corolla tube; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm long; Attappady Reserve Forest in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. filaments filiform or minutely flattened towards the A few degraded areas surrounding the type locality base, glabrous, ca. 2 mm long. Carpel ca. 7 mm long; were identified, mostly due to the illegal cultivation of ovary ca. 4 mm long, glabrous with many ovules; style Cannabis sativa L., a practice otherwise almost entirely ca. 3 mm; stigma 2-lobed and coiled. Fruit and seed not eradicated in the region by the forest department. The seen. control of such habitat degradation in the Attappady Additional specimens examined: INDIA, Kerala, Reserve Forest is however very difficult to achieve Palakkad District, Attappady hills, Cherukolmala, 1750-1850 m, 15 because of the remoteness of the area, therefore threads October 2012, Anilkumar 4877 (CMPR). to the population of G. kurumbae still exist. Diagnosis: This species resembles G. pedicellata The area of occupancy of Gentiana kurumbae is var. wightii but differs from this species by having an confined to less than 1 km2 in mountain grasslands of erect and unbranched habit, ca. 15 mm long, broadly Cherukolmala in the Attappady region and the total ovate-elliptic and chartaceous leaves, with apiculate number of population observed is about 200 individuals. apex and serrulate margin. Gentiana kurumbae is The small size of the population, G. kurumbae is characterized by having bright blue flowers with very susceptible to go extinct by only random and local short pedicel up to 3 mm long, scabrous and modification of its habitat. Based upon the strategies linear-oblong to oblanceolate bracts with apiculate apex, and criteria of the IUCN guidelines (IUCN, 2012) this acute calyx and corolla lobes with apiculate apex and species can be provisionally considered as ‘Critically stamens with filiform or minutely thickened filaments Endangered’ (CR B1ab (i,ii,iv); 2ab (i,ii,iv); D; E) towards base. based on the extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, Note: The plants are easily identifiable by their blue absence of sub-populations, and number of mature flowers but the flowers are suddenly closing on touch individuals. However, further studies and explorations or shake. The plant without flower is very difficult to are required to ascertain its status. find in the grasslands because of its small size. This Morphologically resembling species: The authors may be a strategy to prevent damage to the flower and also collected the Gentiana pedicellata var. wightii and G. quadrifaria var. zeylanica from Meenvani, a similar 1 Madras Herbarium (MH), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India habitat about 15 km away from the population of the G. 2 Sree Krishna College (SKC), Guruvayur, Kerala, India kurumbae and confirmed that the morphological 3 Centre for Medicinal Plant Research (CMPR), Kerala, India differences observed are not due to phenotypic 4 Calicut University (CALI), Kerala, India 82 June 2015 Anilkumar et. al: Gentiana kurumbae, a New Species of Gentianaceae from Western Ghats Fig. 1. Gentiana kurumbae Anilkumar & Udayan sp. nov. A & B: Habit. C: Close up of flower. D & E: Leaves. F: Bract. G: Calyx. H: Opened corolla showing stamens. I: Carpels. (Drawn from Anilkumar 4185, by Ms. Nijila Raj). 83 Taiwania Vol. 60, No. 2 Table 1. Diagnostic morphological characters of Gentiana kurumbae sp. nov. in comparison with two other allied taxa from south India, G. pedicellata var. wightii and G. quadrifaria var. zeylanica Trait G. pedicellata var. wightii G. quadrifaria var. zeylanica G. kurumbae Habit Branched, procumbent sub-erect Branched, procumbent herbs Un-branched erect herb herb Plant height 10-15 cm tall 5-40 cm tall 0.7–1.5 cm tall Stem Green, sometimes purple Green-white or purple Always green Radical and cauline leaves Radical leaves larger than cauline Radical leaves smaller than Not differentiated as radical or leaves cauline leaves cauline leaves Leaf Shape Elliptic-linear-lanceolate Ovate-cordate Broadly ovate-elliptic-lanceolate Leaf size 5–20 × 3–7 mm long 4–16 × 3–4.5 mm long 4–7 × 3–4.5 mm long Leaf apex Acute Conspicuously acuminate Acute with apiculate tip Leaf base Attenuate Round-cordate Round-attenuate Lamina Sub-coriaceous Coriaceous Fleshy, chartaceous Leaf Margin Entire Entire Serrulate Petiole 3–12 mm long 1–2 mm long 2–3 mm long Flowers Blue Blue Bright blue Pedicels 2–15 mm long 2–15 mm long 1–3 mm long Bracts colour White-pale green, sometimes White-pale green, sometimes Green, scabrous purplish, smooth purplish, scabrous Bract shape linear-lanceolate ovate-lanceolate linear-oblong to oblanceolate Bract size 5–10 mm long 2.5–3.5 mm long 5–6 mm long Corolla lobes Acute-apiculate apex, plicae round Acute at apex, plicae Acute with apiculate apex, plicae or crenulate emarginated obtuse or emarginated Filaments Bottle shaped, more thickened Bottle shaped, more thickened Filiform or minutely thickened towards the base towards the base towards base University, Vellanikara and Ms. Shahina, Calicut University for various helps; Ms. Nijila Raj, Thrissur for illustrations and the authorities of Kerala State Forest Department for giving permission to the field visits. 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