Lindernia tamilnadensis M.G. Prasad & Sunojk., 2014

Lindernia tamilnadensis M.G. Prasad & Sunojk. View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )

Diagnosis:— Lindernia tamilnadensis is related to L. rotundifolia , but differs mainly in comparatively smaller floral parts, in the absence of trichomes at the base of the anterior corolla lobes, the presence of staminodal appendages, undeflexed fruiting pedicels and globose capsules.

Type: — INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Tirunelveli district, Vijayanarayanam , 40 m, 18 March 2012, M.G. Prasad & P. Sunojkumar CU117880 (Holotype: CALI ; Isotypes: CALI , MH ).

Erect or procumbent tufted herb, up to 15 cm high, rooting from the basal nodes. Stem slender, weak, 4-angled, glabrous, highly branched from the base; internodes about 2.5 cm long. Leaves sessile, 0.5–1.5 × 0.4–1.2 cm, ovate, base subcordate, apex acute or sometimes rounded, margins entire towards the older parts, 2–4 dentate towards the apex, glabrous, basally 3–5 nerved, veins distinct, lamina glandular punctate. Flowers pedicellate, axillary, solitary, alternately on leaf axils, one per node; pedicel slender, ca. 4–8 mm long, 4-angled, glandular hairy; fruiting pedicel glabrous, erect. Calyx 2–2.5 mm long, deeply 5-lobed, glandular hairy outside, glabrous within; lobes lanceolate, 1.5–2 × 0.3–0.5 mm, apex acute. Corolla 4–5 mm long, 2-lipped, white with pale blue blotches on lower lip; corolla tube cylindrical, 3–4 mm long, glabrous; upper lip 1 × 1 mm, slightly emarginated at apex, glabrous; lower lip distinctly 3-lobed, lobes 1 × 1 mm, rounded, glabrous. Perfect stamens 2, coherent below the upper lip, filaments ca. 1 mm long, glabrous, anthers 2-lobed, lobes ovate, acute. Staminodes 2, linear, ca. 1 mm long, glandular hairy throughout, dense yellow glandular hairs at the base of filaments and corolla tube below, bluish towards apex, hairs 2–3-celled, a distinct spur present just below the staminodal apex. Gynoecium 3–3.2 mm long; ovary 1.0 × 0.5 mm, ovate–acute, subglobose, glabrous; style 2 mm long, glabrous; stigma simple, bilobed. Capsule globose, 2.5 × 2 mm, glabrous, shiny, slightly exceeding the length of persistent calyx. Seeds numerous, minute, 0.3 × 0.15 mm, bended, golden yellowish, distinctly 5-ridged.

Flowering and fruiting: — October–March.

Distribution and ecology: — Semi-aquatic herb found up to now only in the dry scrub forest areas of Vijayanarayanam in Tamil Nadu, growing on wet soils around the occasional pools soon after the rainy season. It is often found intermingled with several other herbs such as Striga angustifolia (Don, David) Saldanha (1963:70) , Basilicum polystachyon (Linnaeus) Moench (1802:143) , Limnophila indica (Linnaeus) Druce (1914:420) and Stemodia viscosa Roxburgh (1802:33) .

Etymology: — The species is named after the South Indian state Tamil Nadu from where the specimens were originally collected.

Additional Specimens Examined: — INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Tirunelveli district, Vijayanarayanam, 40 m, 2 April 2012, M.G. Prasad & P. Sunojkumar CU117880 ( CALI) ; Tirunelveli district, South Vijayanarayanam , 40 m, 9 March 2011, M.G. Prasad & P. Sunojkumar CU88160 ( CALI) .