Arisaema barnesii C.E.C.Fisch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1933: 342

Arisaema barnesii C.E.C.Fisch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1933: 342 View in CoL . 1933; Gamble, Fl. Madras

3(11): 1891. 1936; Manilal, Fl. Silent Valley 331. 1988; Sivad. in Manoharan et al., Silent Valley-Whispers of Reason. 233. 1999; N. Mohanan & Sivad., Fl. Agasthyamala 756. 2002. Type: INDIA , Tamil Nadu, Nilgiris district , Kotagiri , Longwood Shola , 20.05.1932, E.Barnes A. R.3b & c ( K, digital images!) Fig. 4 View Figure 4

Deciduous, dioecious, succulent, perennial herbs, about 40–65 cm tall. Subterranean stem a tuberous corm, subglobose, 3–7 cm diam., 2–5 cm tall, cream to greenish white inside, tuberlets often present, surrounding the pseudostem. Roots arising from the upper side of the tuber. Cataphylls 3 or 4, acute-obtuse at apex: outer 2–3 cm long, slightly keeled towards the tip, decidedly mucronate, pale coloured; middle c. 9 cm long, light green with brownish-purplish and flesh coloured patches; inner c. 21 cm long similar to middle-one, dark coloured; often a degenerated outer cataphyll also present. Leaf solitary, radiatisect, emerging after the inflorescence; petiole slender, up to 65 cm long, light green mottled with brownish-purple patches; leaflets 7–9, shortly petiolulate, oblong-lanceolate, sometimes oblanceolate, 15–21 cm long, 3.5–4.2 cm wide, narrowly acute to tapering, margins minutely praemorse, with a purplish dorsal border, dark green ventrally, pale dorsally, midvein often mottled with purplish spots. Pseudostem 25–30 cm long, mottled as in petiole. Inflorescence dioecious, held below the level of leaf; peduncle slender, 30–35 cm long, exserted by about 4–5 cm from the sheathing pseudostem, dark purplish or green-greenish white. Spathe 6.5–12 cm long; tube of spathe cylindric, slightly funnel-shaped towards the mouth region, 6.5–7 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, purplish brown basally and greenish towards the distal end with white or greenish white stripes along the length of the tube, dark purplish inside; margins of the mouth slightly revolute; limb ovate, 3.5–6 cm long, 2.5–3.5 wide, horizontal, or sometimes erect, tapering in to a filiform tail, sometimes terminated by a minute knob, green outside with white stripes, dark carmine, dark purple or green inside with 5 white stripes at the base. Female spadix sessile, c. 7 cm long, 0.2–0.3 cm thick; female floriferous region 2.5–3 cm long; pistils crowded, sub-globose, green; style short; stigma papillose; appendix narrowly fusiform, widest at the middle, tapering to a short tail with a small minutely warted apical knob, darkpurple or pale below and the apex dark purple, the basal portion with a few narrow ridges; neuters subulate, on the lower third of the appendix, a few laminate ridges above these up to halfway. Male spadix similar to female, slender, 5–6 cm long, male floriferous region 2–3 cm long; male flowers scattered over or crowded at the base and distant above, 2–7-androus; anthers sessile, purple, dehisce by an apical pore. Fruiting spike not seen.

Flowering & fruiting: March–September.

Habitat: In shola forests and in evergreen forests at an elevation above 1000 m, associated with A. leschenaultii , A. tortuosum , A. tylophorum , etc.

Distribution: India (southern Western Ghats), endemic.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Kerala, Kannur district, Aralam wild life sanctuary, 03.03.2014, flowered in garden, Alfred & Manudev 4388 (CALI!). Palakkad district, Dhoni hills, 07.07.2012, Prabhu kumar & Alfred 5078 (CALI!). Thrissur district, Sholayar, 01.05.2011, Manudev & Alfred 4404, 4412 (CALI!). Wayanad district, Chandanathode, on the way, near Seminary villa, 625 m, 03.05.1979, V.S. Ramachandran 62222 (CAL!); Mandanmala, Vythiri, 29.04.2011, Manudev & Nikhil Krishna 5254 (CALI!); Vellarimala, 05.04.2013, Robi Jose & Manudev 135201 (CALI!). Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore district, c. 1005 m (3300 ft), 30.05.1910, C.E.C. Fischer 1957 (DD!). Nilgiris District, s.loc., s.d., Perottett 1813 (P017050542, digital image!). Longwood shola, Kotagiri, 21.06.2011, Manudev, Prabhu kumar & Sreeraj 4483 (CALI!). Tirunelveli district, Naterikad, c. 1220 m (4000 ft), 13.02.1913, D. Hooper & M.S. Ramaswami 38527 (CALI!).

Notes: This species is closely related to A. peltatum and A. leschenaultii , from them it can be distinguished by its petiolulate leaflets and narrowly fusiform appendix widest at the middle, tapering to a short tail with a small minutely warted apical knob and a ridged basal portion.

Conservation status: This species is known to occur in Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and adjacent regions. However, not more than 10 mature individuals are observed in each population. Due to the large-scale conversion of forests in to tea and cardamom plantations, gradual decline of the quality of habitat has led to a faster decline of this species. Based on Extent of Occurrence (Criterion B1: EOO> 5000 km 2), continued decline in area of occupancy, quality of habitat (sub-criterion b(ii) & b(iii), ‘Reduction in population size’ (Criterion A1: suspected population size reduction of ≥70), decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and/or quality of habitat (sub-criterion ‘1b’), the effects of introduced taxa and pollutants (sub-criterion ‘e’), A. barnesii is assessed here as ENDANGERED [EN: A1, 1b & e; B1, B2b(ii, iii), B2c(ii, iii, iv) & D] according to IUCN’s guidelines (IUCN SPS, 2017).

Arisaema caudatum Engl. View in CoL in A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 2: 559. 1879; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 507. 1893; Woodrow, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13(3): 428. 1901; T.Cooke, Fl. Bombay 1: 821. 1903; Engl., Pflanzenr. IV. 23F(73): 183. 1920; Blatt., J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 26: 364. 1931; J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 19. 1931; Chatterjee, Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 8: 129. 1955; R.S.Rao & K.K. Ahuja, Bull. Bot. Surv. India View in CoL 11(3–4): 450. 1969; Sandhya Deshpande et al., Fl. Mahabhaleshwar 2: 615. 1995; S.R.Yadav & Sardesai, Fl. Kolhapur Dist. 517. 2002. Type: INDIA, Concan View in CoL , s.d., Stocks s.n. (P01750624 digital image!).

A. longecaudatum Blatt., J. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 26: 362. 1931; J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 35: 20. 1931 ; Chatterjee, Bull. Bot. Soc. Bengal 8: 128. 1955. Type: INDIA View in CoL , Maharashtra, Mahabhaleshwar, 07.1925, Blatter P10 (BLAT).

A. leschenaultii auct . Gusman & L.Gusman, Gen. Arisaema View in CoL ed. 2. 392. 2006, pro parte, non Blume, 1836. Figs. 5 View Figure 5 & 6 View Figure 6

Deciduous, dioecious, succulent, perennial herbs, c. 70 cm tall. Subterranean stem a tuberous corm, subglobose, 2–2.5 × 3–3.5 cm, wrinkled, cream-white, few tuberlets often surrounding the pseudostem. Roots many, from the upper side of the corm. Cataphylls 3 or 4, obtuse-orbicular at apex, slightly keeled and mucronate; outer 3.5–6 cm long, pale-brown to purple-brown with faint brown-reddish mottling; middle 7.3–12 cm long, completely enclosing the pseudostem, green, sometimes cylindric below up to 3 cm long; inner 15.2–29 cm long, dark brown mottled, cylindric below, up to 12 cm long; sometimes a pale coloured outer cataphyll c. 2.5–3 cm long may be present together with another degenerated cataphyll. Leaf solitary, rarely 2, radiatisect, opens usually before inflorescence or emerges together; petiole up to 68 cm long, green, pale-brown mottled; leaflets 5–8, sub-sessile or petiolulate, elliptic, ovate-obovate, 15–18 cm long, 6.2–9.5 cm wide, base cuneate, long caudate, 3–9 cm long, margins entire, dark green ventrally, pale dorsally. Pseudostem 21–43 cm long, 1–3 cm thick, mottled as in petiole. Inflorescence matures after the emergence of leaf, held below or at the level of leaf; peduncle 36.5–64 cm long, pale to dark brown mottled, greenish distally, sometimes green all over without any mottling, exserted by 11–21 cm long from the pseudostem. Spathe 20–29 cm long; tube of spathe cylindric, slightly funnel-shaped towards the mouth, 6–8 cm long, 1.2–2 cm wide, slightly constricted at the distal end before the mouth, green with whitefaint lines along the veins, whitish towards the mouth; margins of the mouth dilated, revolute; limb, ovate-lanceolate, 13.5–21cm long, 3.5–4.5 cm wide, narrowly acuminate to caudate, tapering in to a slender tail up to 11–15 cm long, green-dull green all over with white to pale stripes along the veins, arched over and drooping. Female spadix sessile, 7–8 cm long, 0.4–0.8 cm thick; fertile region narrow of 2–2.5 cm long, followed by very few neuters; appendix decidedly stipitate with a slight constriction at the base after neuters, reaching the mouth of the tube or just exceeding, blunt at apex, slightly swollen and rugose, green to light green; neuters subulate, sometimes forked, very few, 2–3 mm long, scattered, upcurved, green; pistils many, compactly arranged, globose or urn-shaped with rhomboid margins, green; ovules 6–14, white; stigma papillate, stellate, sessile; often a few sterile male flowers also seen. Male spadix sessile, similar to female, slender, c. 7 cm long, 0.3–0.5 cm thick; fertile region narrow, 2–2.5 cm long; male flowers scattered over or crowded at the base and distant above, sessile or decidedly stipitate, consisting of 2–5-androus; anthers sessile, cream-white or pale purple with a terminal mucro, dehisce by an apical pore; neuters very few, subulate-echinate, 2–3 cm long, often forked, pale green. Fruiting spike cylindrical, c. 6 cm long, c. 3 cm wide; borne on an upright peduncle; receptacle cream; berries globose, compactly arranged, green, turns yellow to red at maturity, 5–8-seeded.

Flowering & fruiting: June–October. Habitat: In semi-evergreen forests, near grasslands at an elevation above 300 m, along with A. murrayi , A. ghaticum , A. sahyadricum , A. sivadasanii and A. tortuosum .

Distribution: India (northern Western Ghats), endemic.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Maharashtra, Satara district , Kas, 08.1992, M . P . Bachulkar & Cholekar 3215 ( SUK!). Sindhudurgh district, Amboli- Chaukul road (cultivated in St. Joseph’s College Botanical Garden ), 07.07.2012, Manudev & Santhosh Nampy 5010 A ( CALI!) ; ibid., 07.07.2012, Manudev & Santhosh Nampy 5008 A ( CALI!) ; ibid., 27.06.2012, Manudev & Santhosh Nampy 5031 A, B ( CALI!) .

Notes: This species was described from a badly dried specimen, as said by Engler (1879) himself in his Monographiae Phanerogamarum. Hooker (1893) gave a description based on an illustration of Stocks who had seen this plant from Concan regions. Though incomplete, the descriptions of Hooker and Engler were adopted by the subsequent workers. Subsequently, Blatter (1931) described another species, A. longecaudatum , from Mahabhaleshwar in Maharashtra. Rao and Ahuja (1969), proposed a neotype for A. caudatum , and merged A. longecaudatum as a synonym. However, the original sheet used by Engler to describe this taxon was relocated during the present study from Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, hence supersedes this neotype. Arisaema caudatum is closely related to A. leschenaultii , but can easily be identified by its caudate leaves and long tailed spathe limb.