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| Sonerila sreenarayaniana C.N. Sunil, Naveen Kumar & Rajeev |
Abstract
Sonerila sreenarayaniana C.N. Sunil, Naveen Kumar and Rajeev, a new species from Melastomataceae collected from the evergreen forest of Pooyamkutty area of Ernakulam District, Kerala, India is described. The species is allied to S. devicolamensis Nayar but differs from it in having 4-angled stem with densely clothed brown peltate scales, penninerved, glandular bristly, larger leaf lamina and longer petiole, smaller calyx lobes, petals, filaments, anthers and style.
Key words: Melastomataceae, Sonerila sreenarayaniana, Ernakulam District
Notes: The new species is locally endemic with very limited distribution. This species can easily be recognised from the field by its brown coloured stem due to the peltate scales
Flowering & Fruiting: September – December
Etymology: The species is named in honour of the great saint and social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru, in whose name a number of educational institutions have been established all over Kerala.
Habitat and Ecology: Sonerila sreenarayaniana grows in permanently wet shady areas on moist rock and epiphytic on tree trunks at altitude ranging from 300 to 700 m in evergreen forests. Argostemma courtallense Arn., Argostemma rostratum Wall., Utricularia striatula Smith, Rhynchoglossum notonianum (Wall.) Burtt, Murdannia fadeniana Nampy & Joby, Remusatia vivipara (Roxb.) Schott, Elatostema lineolatum Wight, Dorstenia indica Wall. ex Wight are the associated species.
C.N. Sunil, V.V. Naveen Kumar and T.S Rajeev. 2014. Sonerila sreenarayaniana (Melastomataceae), A New Species from Kerala, India. International Journal of Advanced Research. 2(3); 701-704.