Arisaema subulatum Manudev & Nampy, 2019

Arisaema subulatum Manudev & Nampy View in CoL , sp. nov.

Closely similar to A. leschenaultii Blume , from which it is distinguished by petiolulate leaflets and sessile, cylindric spadix appendix, rugulose at apex, with subulate, upcurved neuters, scattered along the base.

Type: INDIA , Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram District, Athirumala, on slopes, Agasthyamala , 06.06.2014, Manudev & Arunkumar 138939 (holo CALI!; iso MH). Fig. 26 View Figure 26

Deciduous, dioecious, perennial, succulent herbs, c. 1.3 m tall. Subterranean stem a tuberous corm, globose-depressed globose, 4.5–8 cm diam., 3–5.5 cm tall, greenish inside. Cataphylls 3, rarely 4, pale or purplish to flesh coloured or rose, greenish towards apex, rose-pinkish mottled, obtuse at apex, mucronulate; outer 3–8 cm long, flesh coloured or rose; middle 6–16 cm long, pale coloured with rose mottling, slightly greenish towards distal end; inner 20–46 cm long, green in colour with rose or pinkish mottling, wrapping the pseudostem; sometimes an outer fourth cataphyll 2–2.5 cm present. Leaf single, radiatisect, unfolding with the inflorescence; petiole c. 130 cm long, 1.3–3.5 cm thick, green with purplish or rose coloured spots; leaflets 6–10, petiolulate, obovate-spathulate; 26– 40 cm long, 7–11 cm wide, cuneate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, margins slightly undulate, dark green above, pale beneath. Pseudostem c. 75 cm long, 2–3.5 cm thick, mottled as in petiole. Inflorescence emerges with and held below the leaf; peduncle c. 90 cm long, 1.5–2 cm thick, green, faintly mottled with purple, exserted by c. 14 cm long from the sheathing pseudostem. Spathe 16–30 cm long; tube of spathe cylindric, slightly funnel-shaped towards the mouth, 6–11 cm long, 2–2.5 cm wide, purple-greenish outside, dark purple inside, white striped along the veins; mouth margins auriculate, recurved; spathe limb ovate-lanceolate, 9–11 cm long, 5–6 cm wide, gradually tapering in to tail 3–9 cm long at the apex, margins slightly revolute, yellowish-green, hyaline to white striped, erect and arching forward to a horizontal position, drooping downwards after anthesis. Female spadix 10–13 cm long, cylindric, sessile; female floriferous region conical 3–4 cm long; pistils compactly arranged, globose, green; style absent; stigma papilose, white; ovules 5; neuters subulate, 0.6– 1.2 cm long, upcurved, scattered, 2–5 cm along the base of appendix, pale to green or purplish; appendix sessile, cylindric or terete, c. 9 cm long, 0.6–0.7 cm thick, green, purplish towards base, yellow-green at apex, slightly curved, rugulose and blunt at apex, exserted c. 1.5 cm from the tube. Male spadix similar to female, slender, 5.5–6 cm long; floriferous region cylindric, 2–2.5 cm long, c. 0.5 cm wide; male flowers sessile, densely arranged below and scattered above, 4–7-androus; anthers reniform, purple, sessile, dehisce through an apical oblong pore; neuters usually absent, rarely very few, subulate. Fruiting spike not seen.

Flowering & fruiting: May–October.

Habitat: In evergreen forests and shola margins, in humus rich soil and rock crevices.

Etymology: This taxon is named after the subulate neuters scattered along c. 5 cm at the base of spadix appendix.

Distribution: India (southern Western Ghats), endemic.

Specimen examined: INDIA , Kerala, Thrissur Dist., Sholayar to Malakkapara road, 09.07.2012, Manudev 5085 ( CALI!) .

Notes: This species is very close to A. leschenaultii Blume , and is likely to get confused as a variant of the latter. However, it can be distinguished by its sessile spadix appendix which is rugulose at apex (vs. stipitate spadix appendix with smooth apex) with subulate upcurved neuters, scattered along the base (vs. neuters restricted below the stipe). It is also close to A. peerumedense from which it can be distinguished by the presence of petiolulate leaflets (vs. sessile leaflets), yellowish greenish spathe limb (vs. pale to dark purple limb) and a cylindric or terete spadix appendix with rugulose apex (vs. cylindric-fusiform appendix with smooth apex).