A New Species of Murdannia Royle (Commelinaceae) from Northern Western Ghats of India

Abstract

A new species of Murdannia Royle (Commelinaceae), Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav, is described and illustrated from northern Western Ghats of India. It differs from allied M. versicolor (Dalzell) Bruckn. in having obovate, rose-red to flesh coloured petals, elliptic capsule and falsifoveate-glebulate seed surface.

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Taiwania, 56(3): 227-230, 2011
227
A New Species of Murdannia Royle (Commelinaceae) from Northern
Western Ghats of India
Mayur Nandikar(1*) and R. V. Gurav(1)
1. Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, 416 004, (MS), India.
* Corresponding author. Email: mnandikar@gmail.com
(Manuscript received 18 October 2010; accepted 11 April 2011)
ABSTRACT: A new species of Murdannia Royle (Commelinaceae), Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav, is described and
illustrated from northern Western Ghats of India. It differs from allied M. versicolor (Dalzell) Bruckn. in having obovate, rose-red to
flesh coloured petals, elliptic capsule and falsifoveate-glebulate seed surface.
KEY WORDS: Commelinaceae, Murdannia brownii, new species, northern Western Ghats, India.
INTRODUCTION
The genus Murdannia Royle (nom. cons.), with ca 50
species is pantropical, warm temperate and exhibits
greatest diversity in tropical Asia (Faden, 2000). In India
the genus is represented by twenty five species
(Karthikeyan et al., 1989). Few species of Murdannia,
shows great similarity in their vegetative structures, that
make intricate to determine the species from one another,
especially group with axillary thyrses, includes M.
lanuginosa (Wall. ex C.B.Clarke) G. Bruckn., M.
versicolor (Dalzell) G. Bruckn. and M. crocea (Griff.)
Faden. However, they are easily predictable through
seed characters and its arrangement in the locules.
During our frequent visits to northern Western Ghats
for the survey of Commelinaceae, an interesting
Murdannia specimen was collected from the high
altitude lateritic Morjai Plateau, Kolhapur district in
Maharashtra state. On critical examination of floral as
well as seed characters using SEM revealed that it is an
undescribed species which is described and illustrated
here as Murdannia brownii.
TAXONOMIC TREATMENTS
Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav, sp. nov. Fig. 1
A Murdannia versicolore (Dalzell) G. Bruckn.
petalis obovatis roseorubris ad carnosis, ovario c. 1 mm
longo, stylo 1-1.2 mm longo, capsula 4- vel 5-seminali,
seminibus 1-1.2 mm longis 1 mm latis falsifoveolatis ad
glebulosis differt.
Type: India, Maharashtra, Kolhapur District,
Gaganbawda Tahsil, Borbet, Morjai plateau, 16º30’53”N,
73º53’34”E; 970 m, alt., 21 Sept. 2009, Nandikar M. D.
62 (holotype: BSI; isotype: SUK)
Unbranched or sparsely branched annuals, with thin,
fibrous roots. Shoots erect to ascending, ca. 25 cm. long,
often rooting at lower nodes; nodes puberulous;
internodes green to purple puberulous. Leaves cauline,
basal distichous; sheath green, 0.4-0.5 cm long, with a
line of cilia along the fused edges, mouth ciliate; lamina
ovate, 1-5 × 0.5-1.5 cm, pubescent base cordate, margin
undulate, apex acute. Flowers in axillary thyrses,
bisexual; pedicel 1-1.5 cm long (when capsule mature it
becomes 1.5-1.8 cm long and jointed), ciliate; sepals 3,
pale green with purple tinge, elliptic, 5 × 1.2 mm, entire;
petals 3, rosy red – flesh-coloured, obovate, 6 × 4 mm,
margin undulate. Fertile stamens 3, antesepalous;
filaments free, 3 mm long, purple, bearded; anthers
whitish yellow, dorsifixed, connective deep to faint blue;
pollens monosulcate, elliptic to bean shaped. Staminodes
3, antepetalous; filaments 2 mm long, purple, sparcely
bearded; antherode light yellow, basifixed, trilobed.
Ovary, elliptic, 1 mm long, glabrous, pale green; style 2
mm long, orange – yellow; stigma simple. Capsule
trilocular, trivalved, elliptic, apiculate, 3.5-4 mm long,
ca. 2 mm thick, shiny brown. Seeds uniseriate, 4-5 per
locules, 1.2 × 1 mm, various in shape trapezoidal-
triangular in outline; testa yellowish-
b
rown to grey,
falsifoveate-glebulate; hilum elliptic; embryotega
lateral.
Phenology: Flowering and fruiting September –
November and flowers open between 10 am – 12 noon.
Distribution and habitat:
N
orthern Western Ghats of
India, annual herb, adapted to high altitude lateritic
plateaus.
Specimens examined: Paratypes: INDIA, Karnataka,
Belgaum district, Kankumbi, 27.9.2009, M.D. Nandikar 117, (SUK);
Jambhoti, on the way of Kankumbi lateritic slope 27.9.2009, M. D.
Nandikar 118, (SUK).

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Fig. 1. Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav. A: Habit. B: Flower. C: Stamen. D: Staminode. E: Pistil. F: Capsule. G, H: Seed,
dorsal view (from the holotype).
Etymology: The species is named after eminent
Scottish botanist Robert Brown in appreciation of his
great contribution to Commelinaceae.
Note: Murdannia brownii is closely allied to M.
versicolor and, in view of the great variability in that
species; authors were not tempted to treat it as a new
species. However, in the field M. brownii plants were
quite distinct and being recognizable by their
reproductive characters like rosy-red to flesh coloured,
obovate petals (Fig. 2A). Fruiting specimens had
generally less seeds per locules as compare to M.
versicolor and distinctive seed surface (Figs. 2 C, E). In
addition, M. brownii is strictly restricted to high altitude
lateritic plateaus whereas M. versicolor is widespread
from low to high altitude plateaus. The differences
between the two species are given in Table 1.
Authors observed wide populations of
M
. brownii
from few localities, which were first, appeared as
M
.
versicolor, but after critical examination we are able
conclude its identity. Similarity in the vegetative
emergence with M. versicolor might be the reason
b
ehind the negligence of this species by earlier workers
and possible emergence of M. versicolor as a common
species in northern Western Ghats.

September, 2011 Nandikar & Gurav: Murdannia brownii from India
229
Fig. 2. A, C, E: Murdannia brownii. A: Flower. C, E: Seed (C: dorsal view with lateral embryotega; E: SEM dorsal view). B, D, F:
Murdannia versicolor. B: Flower. D, F: Seed (D: lateral view showing embryotega; F: SEM dorsal view).
Table 1. Comparison of selected morphological characters of Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav and Murdannia versicolor
(Dalzell) G. Bruckn.
Characters Murdannia brownii M. versicolor
Petals
shape obovate semi-orbicular
colour rosy red to flesh-coloured yellowish orange
Ovary 1 mm long 1.5 mm long
style 1 - 1.2 mm long 1.2 - 1.5 mm long
Capsule
length 3.5 - 4 mm long 5-6 mm long
Seeds
per locule 4 - 5 seeded 7 - 9 seeded
length 1-1.2 × 1mm 0.7 - 1 × 0.6 mm
surface falsifoveate – glebulate rugose to scrobiculate

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are thankful to Dr. S. R. Yadav for constant
encouragement; Dr. Robert B. Faden, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington D. C., USA for useful suggestions; Dr. J. F.
Veldkamp, National Herbarium, Leiden University, Nederland
for latin diagnosis and to Head, Department of Botany, Shivaji
University, Kolhapur for providing lab facilities.
LITERATURE CITED
Dalzell, N. A. 1851. Commelinaceae. Hooker’s Journal
Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany 4: 136.
Faden, R. B. 2000. Commelinaceae. In: Dassanayke, M. D.
and W. D. Clayton (eds.), A Revised Handbook to the Flora
of Ceylon. XIV: 116-196. Oxford & IBH Publishing, New
Delhi, India.
Karthikeyan, S., S. K. Jain, M. P. Nayar and M. Sanjappa.
1989. Florae Indicae Enumeratio Monocotyledonae. Flora
of India Series 4. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta. pp.
27-30.
印度西高止山脈北部水竹葉屬（Murdannia Royle, 鴨跖草科, Commelinaceae）
的新種
Mayur Nandikar(1*) and R. V. Gurav(1)
1. Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, 416 004, (MS), India.
* 通信作者。TEL: mnandikar@gmail.com
(收稿日期：2010年10月18日；接受日期：2011年4月11日)
摘要：本文描述並說明分布於印度西高止山脈北部一水竹葉屬（Murdannia Royle, 鴨跖草
科, Commelinaceae）之新種 – Murdannia brownii Nandikar & Gurav。它與變色水竹葉（M.
versicolor (Dalzell) Bruckn）的不同在於具有倒卵形、玫瑰紅色至肉色的花瓣，橢圓蒴果和
假蜂巢狀 – 圓隆起狀（falsifoveate-glebulate）的種子表面。
關鍵詞：鴨跖草科、Murdannia brownii、新種、西高止山脈北部、印度。