Friday, February 7, 2020

[Botany • 2020] Ariopsis macrosperma (Araceae) • A New Species from the northern Western Ghats, India


Ariopsis macrosperma N.V. Page, Ingalh. & Sardesai

in Page, Ingalhallikar & Sardesai, 2020.

Abstract
Ariopsis macrosperma sp. nov. from Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, is described and illustrated. It differs from the other two species in the genus, A. peltata and A. protanthera, in having a typical terrestrial habit, growing on the soil as undergrowth below the forest canopy, thick, leathery leaves and lower number of larger, ovoid and ribbed seeds.

Keywords: Araceae, Colocasieae, Konkan, Western Ghats


Ariopsis macrosperma N.V. Page, Ingalh. & Sardesai, sp. nov.  

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘macrosperma’ refers to the larger seeds as compared to other species of the genus.

Distribution and associated species: Ariopsis macrosperma has been recorded at four isolated sites, within a distance of 80 km from each other, occurring on hill slopes under the thickets of Getonia floribunda Roxb. Some of the species associated with the habitat of A. macrosperma were Dioscorea bulbifera L., Theriophonum dalzellii Schott, Euphorbia fusiformis Buch. Ham. ex D. Don. and Adiantum sp.


Navendu V. Page, Shrikant Ingalhallikar and Milind M. Sardesai. 2020. Ariopsis macrosperma sp. nov. (Araceae) from the northern Western Ghats, India. Nordic Journal of Botany.  DOI: 10.1111/njb.02460