Friesodielsia sahyadrica N.V.Page & S.Surveswaran, 2014

Friesodielsia sahyadrica N.V.Page & S.Surveswaran , sp.nov. ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 )

Friesodielsia sahyadrica differs from the rest of the Asian Friesodielsia due to its five-seeded monocarps and subequal petal length ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ).

Type:— INDIA. Karnataka: Uttar Kannada district, Kathlekan Reserve Forest , 110 m, 13 November 2012, Page 110949 (holotype CAL! ; isotypes BSI! , FRLH! , JCB! )

Scandent shrubs, often erect and spreading in absence of the host tree. Branches slender, terete, occasionally twining around the host plant, young parts brown-strigose, older glabrous and lenticellate. Leaves simple, alternate, distichous, oblong-lanceolate, (abruptly) acuminate, broadest above the middle, base narrowed, slightly rounded, 12–20 × 3–6 cm; midrib impressed above; petiole 0.8 cm, channeled; secondary nerves 10–13 pairs, looping; tertiary nerves loosely percurrent; margin entire; upper surface glabrous, shining, lower glaucous white. Flowers axillary or extra-axillary, solitary; pedicel stout, 0.4–0.5 cm long, rufous-puberulous, with a minute ovate bract near the middle, bract ca. 0.2 × 0.1 cm; sepals three, green, valvate, 0.4–0.5 × 0.3–0.4 cm, puberulous outside, broadly ovate, lanceolate, connate at the base; petals six, in two whorls, yellow, valvate; outer whorl 0.8–1.0 × 0.5– 0.7 cm, ovate-lanceolate, spreading, concave in the lower half, glabrous within, sparsely hairy on the outside; inner similar in shape, 0.6–0.8 × 0.4–0.5 cm, connivent along margins and vaulted over stamens and ovaries, opening only basally by narrow slits. Stamens numerous (ca. 35), 0.10–0.15 × 0.07–0.09 cm; connectives apically dilated, truncate. Ovaries oblong, densely strigose 0.10–0.11 × 0.08–0.09 cm; stigma glabrous, clavate. Monocarps oblong, cylindric, sessile, up to five seeded, tapering at both ends, slightly constricted between seeds, glabrous, 2.0–3.0 × 0.4–0.5 cm, scarlet when mature; seeds cylindrical, 0.6–0.7 × 0.4–0.5 cm. Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 .

Distribution and Habitat: ⎯The species is so far known only from the type locality. It seems to be restricted to evergreen forest between 80– 125 m. It occurs in the understory, often climbing up along trunks of trees. It is sympatric with Desmos lawii , a closely related genus from the desmoid clade that exhibits similar habit and ecology but shows a much wider distribution.

Etymology: ⎯The specific epithet refers to ‘Sahyadri’, the vernacular name for the Western Ghats, where this species is distributed.

Conservation Status: ⎯Number of individuals observed in the locality was less than 150, occupying an area less than 10 km 2. We, therefore, categorize the species as Endangered (EN) (D; B1+2a; IUCN 2010). The type locality falls within the boundaries of the Kathlekan Reserve Forest. Apart from a minor degree of logging, there are no apparent threats to this species. However, proximity to the Gairsoppa Reservoir could pose a potential threat to the species in the future as increasing the water-holding capacity of the dam may lead to submergence of its habitat.

Notes: ⎯Based on the molecular results, it is clear that Friesodielsia sahyadrica belongs to the Asian desmoid clade, which consists of Dasymaschalon , Asian Friesodielsia and Desmos . The Asian and the African Friesodielsia group are distinguished primarily based on three morphological characters: echinate pollen exine ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ), relative length of outer to inner petals and number of seeds per monocarp ( Verdcourt 1971, Walker 1971). Features such as differences in petal lengths and number of seeds per monocarp ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ) are contrary to what has been documented so far in the Asian species, but instead are characteristic of the African group that is related to Monanthotaxis . In Asian Friesodielsia , however, the outer petals are much longer than the inner petals ( Verdcourt 1971), which are not observed in F. sahyadrica . Wang et al. (2012) inferred multiple transitions from multi-seeded monocarps to maximally one to two-seeded monocarps within the desmoid clade. All species of Asian Friesodielsia known previously exhibit one or maximally two-seeded monocarps ( Verdcourt 1971, Wang et al. 2012). Friesodielsia sahyadrica is unique among Asian species of Friesodielsia in having five-seeded monocarps. African Friesodielsia , however, often have monocarps with up to five seeds. Another peculiar feature of F. sahyadrica is its cylindrical sausage-shaped monocarps with no distinct constrictions between seeds ( Fig.3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 ). All species belonging to the Asian desmoid clade as well as African Friesodielsia exhibit distinctly moniliform monocarps when the number of seeds per monocarp is equal to or greater than two. Further and broader studies are required to determine the phylogenetic relationships of these and other taxa endemic to India.