Arisaema fischeri Manudev & Nampy, 2019

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

Closely allied to Arisaema barnesi C.E.C.Fisch. , from which it can be distinguished by cylindrical and smooth spadix appendix with a curved apex as opposed to a narrowly fusiform appendix, widest in the middle, tapering to a short tail with a small minutely warted apical knob and a ridged basal portion in the latter.

constricted near the mouth; margins recurved; spathe limb lanceolate-ovate, 3–7 cm long, 3–5 cm wide, bright green outside, carmine inside, margins carmine, acuminate at apex, prolonged in to a long tail, tail 5–15 cm long, green or carmine. Female spadix 4–5 cm long, 0.4–0.6 cm thick, cylindrical, slightly exserted from the tube; fertile region 1–2 cm long; pistils compactly arranged, ovoid, angular, green; style short; stigma cream; neuters absent; appendix cylindrical, 3–4 cm long, 0.4–0.6 cm thick, stipitate, stipe c. 0.7 cm long, white with purple dotted, longitudinal lines, rugose and pale green or purple distally, apex orbicular, covered with thin, white and short prickly hairs; Male spadix slender, similar to female; male flowers scattered, stipitate, 3–4-androus; anthers purple, dehisce by a rounded or oblong pore, pollens white. Fruiting spike cylindrical, 5–5.5 cm long, 2.5–3 cm wide, borne on an upright peduncle; berries vermilion red, flat and lobulate at apex, 3-seeded.

Flowering & fruiting: May–October.

Habitat: In forests, among Rhododendrons, above 2400 m.

Type: INDIA , Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Agasthyamala Biosphere reserve, Athirumala to Pongalappara , in flowering, 05.06.2014, Manudev & Arunkumar 138933 (holo CALI!, iso MH!) Fig.14 View Figure 14

Deciduous, dioecious, perennial herbs, c. 1 m tall. Subterranean stem a tuberous corm, globose to depressed globose, 2.5–6.5 cm diam., 1.5–4.5 cm tall, greenish-yellowish inside, producing elongate cormlets upon maturity. Roots many, arising from the upper side of corm. Cataphylls 3, rarely 4, purplish to brownish green or pale white,sometimes purple mottled, acute to obtuse at apex, wrapping the pseudostem; outer 2–4 cm long, usually pale white, or brownish green towards apex; middle 4.5–14 cm long; innermost dark coloured, 16–37 cm long, sometimes an outer fourth cataphyll c. 1–2 cm present. Leaf single, rarely 2, radiatisect, unfolding with the inflorescence; petioles 43–101 cm long, 0.5–1.6 cm thick, purplish to brownish green or pale green to whitish green, often mottled with purple or brown, sometimes glaucous; leaflets 7–9, petiolulate, elliptic to oblong-obovate, 15– 31 cm long, 3.5–8.5 cm wide, cuneate at base, gradually tapering or narrowly acuminate at apex, margins slightly undulate, dark green above, pale beneath, sometimes glaucous. Pseudostem 21–62 cm long, 1–3.5 cm thick, coloured as in petiole. Inflorescence held below the leaf; peduncle 37– 88.5 cm long, 0.4–1.4 thick, pale-brownish green, faintly mottled, exserted by 12–40 cm long from the sheathing pseudostem. Spathe 13–17 cm long; tube of spathe cylindric, funnel-shaped towards the mouth, 6–9.5 cm long, 1.2–2.2 cm wide, purple-greenish outside, dark purple inside, white striped along the veins; mouth margins straight or slighty recurved; spathe limb ovate, 4–9.5 cm long, 3–3.5 cm wide, usually shorter than the tube, gradually tapering in to a tail c. 3–5 cm long at the apex, green or yellowish-green, white striped at the base, turns yellow after anthesis, erect or horizontal, sometimes arching forward. Female spadix 9–13 cm long, cylindric, sessile; female floriferous region conical, 2–3.5 cm long, 0.7–1.3 cm wide; pistils compactly arranged, green; style absent; stigma papilose, white; ovules 2–5; neuters subulate, 0.5–0.8 cm long, upcurved, scattered along 3–4.5 cm along the base of appendix, purplish to green; appendix sessile, cylindric or terete, gradually tapering to a blunt, curved apex, purplish basally, green distally, exserted from the tube. Male spadix similar to female, slender, 7–7.5 cm long; floriferous region conical below, cylindric above; male flowers sessile, densely arranged below and scattered above, 2–6-androus; anthers reniform, purple, sessile, dehisce through an apical oblong pore; neuters usually absent, rarely very few, subulate. Fruiting spike cylindrical, c. 6 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, borne on an erect peduncle; receptacle cream; berries obovoid, 2–5-seeded.

Flowering & fruiting: May–October.

Habitat: In evergreen forests, shola margins and under bamboo reeds, in humus rich soil and rock crevices. A total of 65 plants in flowering were observed in 2014, along the trek path from Athirumala to Pongalappara at an elevation above 1200 m, in association with A. tortuosum and A. leschenaultii .

Distribution: India (southern Western Ghats), endemic.

Etymology: This taxon is named after Cecil Ernest Claude Fischer (1874–1950), British Botanist who described several species of Arisaema from southern India and completed Flora of Presidency of Madras after the demise of J.S. Gamble.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Kerala,

Thiruvananthapuram district , Agasthyamala Biosphere reserve , Athirumala to Pongalappara, in flowering, 11.06.2011, Manudev & Santhosh Nampy 4448 ( CALI!) .

Notes: This species is also close to A. attenuatum in having a sessile and cylindric spadix appendix. However, the latter can be distinguished by a short triangular spathe limb with large roundish white patch at the base with radiating stellate arms.