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| Strobilanthes glandulata Nilanthi, in Nilanthi, Samarakoon, Jayawardana, ... & Bandaranayake, 2022. |
Abstract
Strobilanthes glandulata, a new species of Acanthaceae is described from Sri Lanka. It has been previously misidentified as Strobilanthes lupulina. It is similar to S. lupulina having an inflorescence of heads, funnel-shaped gradually widened corolla, hispids on the stem, and both surfaces of leaves and petioles, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by having different pollens, bracts arranged in well-spaced, margin crenate, and densely covered with glandular-hairy. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is a member of the native species of the genus Strobilanthes in Sri Lanka. A full description, detailed illustrations, pollen morphology, and complete chloroplast genome are provided.
Keywords: phylogeny, Rambukoluwa, Strobilanthes lupulina, taxonomy
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| Strobilanthes glandulata Nilanthi, A. Corolla split open showing the stamens; B. Inflorescence; C. Leaf; D. Flowering branch; E. Close up of the leaf surfaces. |
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| Strobilanthes glandulata Nilanthi, A. Habit; B. Flowering branch; C. Inflorescence; D & F. Leaves adaxial and abaxial view; E. front view of corolla; G. Internode; H. Bracts. |
Strobilanthes glandulata Nilanthi, sp. nov.
Diagnosis:—Strobilanthes glandulata is closely related to S. lupulina (Figure 6 & 8).but differs by having slender rounded (not stout quadrangular) stem, ovate (not broadly elliptic) leaves, leaf margin dentate (not serrate), flowers in oval-elongated heads (not in short heads), bracts well-spaced (not compact), margin crenate (not entire), and 3-4 ribs which are completely encircle the poles of pollen (all ribs joined at poles)
Etymology:—The epithet “glandulata” refers to the glandular-hairs on the bracts.
Distribution:—It is rather restricted in undisturbed habitat in Rambukoluwa, at an elevation of 282 m towards the eastern slope of the Knuckles Mountain and Madugoda in Sri Lanka. Whereas S. lupulina shows quite widespread distributions at low and high altitudes of the wet zone at an elevation of 100–1800m.
Rajapakse Mudiyanselage Renuka Nilanthi, Hiruna Samarakoon, Nuwan Jayawardana, Bhagya Hathurusinghe, Siril Wijesundara and Pradeepa Chandani Gunathilake Bandaranayake. 2022. Strobilanthes glandulata (Acanthaceae), A New Species from Sri Lanka based on the Morphological and Molecular Evidences. Phytotaxa. 573(1); 1-14. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.573.1.1
