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| Litsea anamalayana Robi & Udayan, in Robi & Udayan, 2021. |
ABSTRACT
The new species Litsea anamalayana Robi & Udayan, from Kerala, India, is described and illustrated. A detailed description is given, together with information on its distribution and ecology. Photographs of the new species are provided, as well as a comparison with the morphologically similar L. glabrata (Wall. ex Nees) Hook.f.
Keywords: Kerala, Lauraceae, Litsea, Palakkad, southern Western Ghats
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| Litsea anamalayana Robi & Udayan, sp. nov. A, Flowering twig; B, twig with unopened umbels; C, brachyblast with opened umbels; D, female flowers (close-up); E, tepals; F, outer eglandular staminodes and inner glandular staminodes; G, gynoecium; H, early stage of fruit setting; I, mature fruits. Photographs: A. J. Robi. |
Litsea anamalayana Robi & Udayan, sp. nov.
The new species is similar to Litsea glabrata (Wall. ex Nees) Hook.f., from which it is differs by its pubescent branchlets and petioles (versus glabrous); linear-oblong leaves (versus elliptic-oblong); narrowly attenuate base (versus acute to cuneate); acuminate apex (versus acute to attenuate); revolute margin (versus flat); 11–14 pairs of lateral veins (versus 9–12 pairs); 3–7 cm long, pubescent brachyblasts (reduced branchlets) (versus 5–12 cm long, glabrescent); 7 flowers in an umbel (versus 6); peduncle of umbels 8 mm long (versus 5 mm long); involucral bracts 6 (versus 4); c.1.5 mm long, ellipsoid ovary (versus c.1 mm long, subglobose); c.3.5 mm long style (versus c.2 mm long); lobed stigma (versus discoid); ellipsoid fruits (versus ovoid); puberulous perianth (versus glabrous); and 7 mm long, pubescent, angular fruiting pedicels (versus 10 mm long, terete, glabrous).
Etymology. The specific epithet of the new taxon is after the type locality that includes the Anamalai hills phytogeographical zone.
Robi A. J. and P.S. Udayan. 2021. Litsea anamalayana (Lauraceae) A New Species from Nelliyampathy Hills, India. Edinburgh Journal of Botany. 78: 373. DOI: 10.24823/EJB.2021.373
