Thursday, August 18, 2022

[Botany • 2022] Sonerila lobbii (Melastomataceae: Sonerileae) • A New Species segregated from S. picta and S. parishii, and Lectotypification of Two Names in the Genus Sonerila


Sonerila lobbii (C.B.Clarke) J.Wai & J.-M.Hu,  

in Sae Wai & Hu, 2022.
  สาวสนมศรีประจิม ||  taiwania.NTU.edu.tw
 
Abstract
Sonerila picta Korth. is a widespread and morphologically diverse species in the family Melastomataceae. Sonerila picta Korth. var. lobbii C.B.Clarke was first described from Myanmar. Later, it was lumped into the synonymy of S. parishii Stapf. Comprehensive observations of morphology as well as phenology have revealed that the herbarium specimens identified as S. picta var. lobbii are also clearly different from the typical S. picta. The syntypes of S. parishii including C.S.P.Parish 429 (K) and two sheets of T.Lobb s.n. (K) are found to belong to two distinct species. Based on this study, we elevate the variety to the status of species, as Sonerila lobbii (C.B.Clarke) J.Wai & J.-M.Hu. The description and illustration are provided. We here also select C.S.P.Parish 429 (K) as the lectotype of S. parishii and select one of the sheets of T.Lobb s.n. (K) as the lectotype of S. picta var. lobbii, basionym of S. lobbii (C.B.Clarke) J.Wai & J.-M.Hu.

Keyword: lectotypification, new combination, Sonerila parishii, Sonerila picta var. lobbii, taxonomy

Type specimen and additional specimen of Sonerila lobbii (C.B.Clarke) J.Wai & J.-M.Hu: Lectotype T.Lobb s.n. (K) 
(A), J.Wai 2604 (PSU) from Thailand (B-G). A, B: Habit, flowering shoots with leaves. C: Bracts, larger bract with hairs (left), smaller bract without hairs (right). D: Flower. E: Petal showing adaxial (left) and abaxial (right) sides. F: Stamen. G: Longitudinal section of a flower showing hypanthium, stigma, style and ovary.
All drawn by P.Tippayasri

Sonerila lobbii (C.B.Clarke) J.Wai & J.-M.Hu: 
A: Natural habitat. B: Habit. C: Flowering shoot. D: Stem indumentum showing long golden-brown or ferruginous hairs. E: Inflorescence and flowers.
All taken by J.Sae Wai.

Sonerila lobbii (C.B.Clarke) J.Wai & J.-M.Hu, comb. et stat. nov.

Diagnosis: Sonerila lobbii is similar to S. parishii in having slender and terete stems, but differs in having long golden-brown or ferruginous hairs covering all of the surface (versus minute reddish brown glandular hairs sometimes mixed with scattered long glandular hairs, the indumentum covering 50–60% of the surface) and in bearing relatively smaller leaves (1.2–4(–7) by 1–3.2 cm versus larger leaves of 2.5–8 by 1.5–7 cm in S. parishii). Sonerila lobbii can be distinguished from the typical S. picta by its slender, terete or subterete stems (versus stout, quadrangular stems); only terminal inflorescences (versus terminal or axillary); relatively larger flowers: longer petals (8–11.5 mm long versus shorter petals 6–7.5 mm long in S. picta); longer anthers (8–9 mm vs shorter anthers 3–6.5 mm in S. picta); longer styles (13–16.5 mm versus shorter styles 7–13 mm in S. picta). A detailed comparison of S. lobbii, S. parishii, and S. picta is presented in Table 1. Therefore, there is sufficient evidence to elevate S. picta var. lobbii to the status of a species.
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Vernacular name: Sao Sanom Si Prachim (สาวสนมศรีประจิม) (Suggested here).


Jarearnsak Sae Wai and Jer-Ming Hu. 2022. Sonerila lobbii comb. & stat. nov., A New Species segregated from S. picta Korth. and S. parishii Stapf., and Lectotypification of Two Names in the Genus Sonerila (Melastomataceae). Taiwania. 67(3); 435 - 440. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2022.67.435