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| Sonerila roxburghii Resmi, Nampy & Karthig., in Resmi, Nampy, Francis, Mohan et Karthigeyan, 2026. |
Abstract
Sonerila roxburghii Resmi, Nampy & Karthig. (Melastomataceae) is described as a new species from the Mankulam Reserve forest in the southern Western Ghats, India. It is morphologically similar to S. grandiflora and S. sadasivanii but differs from them by having terete stems, lanceolate to elliptic leaves with a cuneate and attenuate base, 3–10-flowered cymes, obscurely 6-ribbed hypanthia, acuminate to rostrate anthers, and 6-ribbed capsules.
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| Sonerila roxburghii. — A–E: Plants in natural habitats (A–C from Nallathanni, near Kurumalai bridge on 9 December 2025; D and E from Mankulam Reserve forest, near Lakshmi Tea estate on 20 December 2019). |
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| Sonerila roxburghii (holotype material). — A and B: Habit. — C and D: Flowering shoots. — E: Leaves, adaxial view. — F: Leaves, abaxial view. — G: Stem. — H: Leaf base. |
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| Sonerila roxburghii (holotype material). — A: Flowering shoot with inflorescences. — B: Base of stem. — C and D: Inflorescence. — E: Flower. — F: Hypanthium. — G: Petals, adaxial view. — H: Petals, abaxial view. — I: Hypanthium with stamens and pistil. — J: Hypanthium with pistil. — K: Style and stigma. — L: Stamens. — M: Immature capsule. |
Sonerila roxburghii Resmi, Nampy & Karthig., sp. nova
Etymology. The specific epithet roxburghii honours William Roxburgh (1751–1815) for his valuable contributions to the taxonomy of the genus Sonerila.
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| Comparison of morphological characters among Sonerila roxburghii (A1, B1 and C1; holotype material), S. grandiflora (A2, B2 and C2; Resmi S., Krishnapriya M.P. & Santhosh Nampy 164464, CALI) and S. sadasivanii (A3, B3 and C3; from Resmi S. & Santhosh Nampy 168287, CALI). A1–A3: Habit. — B1–B3: Inflorescence. — C1–C3: Leaves, adaxial view. |
Resmi S., Nampy S., Francis D., Mohan V. & Karthigeyan K. 2026. Sonerila roxburghii (Melastomataceae), A New Species from the southern Western Ghats, India. Annales Botanici Fennici. 62(1); 125–134, DOI: doi.org/10.5735/085.063.0119 (7 May 2026)
