Research Paper

Pothos boyceanus (Araceae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India

Gopalaprabhu Rajkumar, Thankappan Shaju, Ahammed Nazarudeen, Raveendranpillai Prakashkumar

Published on: 17 February 2020

Page: 114 - 118

DOI: 10.6165/tai.2020.65.114

  • BibTeX
    •
  • EndNote
    •
  • RIS
    •

    Abstract

    Pothos boyceanus sp. nov. (Araceae) of the subgenus Allopothos (sensu Schott, 1855) has been discovered from the evergreen forests of Valara in Idukki district of Kerala, India. The species has a close affinity with Pothos crassipedunculatus Sivadasan, Mohanan & Sathishkumar, but differs in a set of characters including the presence of a ligule, long winged petiole, asymmetric lamina, long single cataphyll, slender peduncle, presence of a stipe, long cylindric spadix with a lorate spathe equal to the length of spadix and 1˗3 seeded ovate berry ripening milky white at base and light violet towards tip.

    Keyword: Allopothos, Araceae, India, Kerala, new species, Pothos, Pothos boyceanus, Western Ghats

    Literature Cited

    Boyce, P.C. 2009. The genus Pothos (Araceae: Pothoideae: Potheae) of Thailand and Indochina. Blumea 45:147?204.

    Boyce, P.C. and A. Hay. 2001. A taxonomic revision of Araceae tribe Potheae (Pothos, Pothoidium and Pedicellarum) for Malesia, Australia and the tropical Western Pacific. Telopea 9(3): 449?571.
    DOI: 10.7751/telopea20024002View Article Google Scholar

    Engler, A. 1905. Araceae-Pothoideae. Das Pflanzenreich 21 (IV.23B). Engelmann, Leipzig.

    Hay, A. 1995. The genus Pothos L. (Araceaea ? Pothoeae) in New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Australia. Blumea 40: 397?419.

    Heng Li and P.C. Boyce. 2010. Pothos In: Wu Z, Raven PH, editors. 2010. Flora of China. 23: 6?8. Missouri Botanical garden Press. St. Louis.

    Hooker, J.D. 1894. The Flora of British India. VI: Orchidaceae to Cyperaceae. L. Reeve & Co. Ltd. The Oast House, Brook, Ashford, Kent. IUCN. 2014. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, Version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission, Switzerland.

    Karthikeyan, S., S.K. Jain, M.P. Nayar and M. Sanjappa. 1989. Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae. Calcutta.

    Mayo, S.J., Bogner, J. and P.C. Boyce. 1997. The Genera of Araceae. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

    Nayar, T.S., A. Rasiyabeegam, N. Mohanan and G. Rajkumar. 2006. Flowering Plants of Kerala ? A handbook. Topical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

    Nayar, T.S., A. Rasiyabeegam and M. Sibi. 2014. Flowering Plants of the Western Ghats, India. Vol. 1. Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

    Pandurangan, A.G. and V.J. Nair. 1994. Pothos keralensis ? A new species of Araceae from Kerala, India. Indian J. For. 17(1): 64?65.

    Robi, A.J., G. Magesh and A.R.R. Menon. 2008. Pothos thomsonianus Schott (Araceae): An addition to the Angiosperm flora of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, India. J. Econ.Tax. Bot. 32(3): 628?631.

    Sasikala, K. and M. Reemakumari. 2013. Pothos tirunelveliensis (Araceae): A new species from the Southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Science Research Reporter 3(2):152?154.

    Schott, H.W. 1832. Aroidearum synopsis. In: H. W. Schott & S. L. Endlicher, Meletemata Botanica: 15?22. Gerold, Vienna.

    Schott, H.W. 1853. Aroideae. Vol.1. Gerold, Vienna.

    Schott, H.W. 1855. Pflanzenskizzen. Oesterreichisches Botanisches Wochenblatt 5(3):17?20.
    DOI: 10.1007/BF02056083View Article Google Scholar

    Schott, H.W. 1860. Prodromus Systematics Aroidearum. Mechitarist’s Press, Vienna.

    Sivadasan, M., N. Mohanan and C. Sathishkumar. 1989. Pothos crassipedunculatus, a new species of Pothos sect. Allopothos (Araceae) from India. Plant Syst. Evol. 168(3-4): 221?225.
    DOI: 10.1007/BF00936100View Article Google Scholar