Microsoft Word - 10. BJPT 16-132_Capsicum sonitpurensis_26.11.17 _1_ CHECKED.doc Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 24(2): 215-218, 2017 (December) © 2017 Bangladesh Association of Plant Taxonomists CAPSICUM SONITPURENSIS (SOLANACEAE) - A NEW SPECIES FROM ASSAM, INDIA JINTU SARMA1, GITAMANI DUTTA2 AND ASHALATA DEVI Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Napaam, Sonitpur, Assam-784028, India Keywords: Capsicum sonitpurensis; Assam; New species; Solanaceae. Abstract A new species Capsicum sonitpurensis (Solanaceae) is proposed from Sonitpur district of Assam. It resembles Capsicum chinense and C. annum but has many contrasting characters from each other. The description, photographs and IUCN conservation status of the species are provided. Introduction The family Solanaceae comprises of about 100 genera and 2,716 species (Hunziker, 2001; Olmstead and Bohs, 2007; Olmstead et al., 1999) and is distributed worldwide except Antarctica. South America has the highest diversity in species (Yadav et al., 2016). The genus Capsicum L. is an economically important genus comprising of about 37 species worldwide (Pozzobon et al. ,2006). It is also reported that the genus has numerous wild species (Hunziker, 2001). Hooker (1883) described three species from India, viz., C. frutescense L., C. minimum Roxb. and C. grossum Willd. Kanjilal and Bor (1939) reported two species from Assam, viz. C. minimum Roxb. and C. annum L.While carrying out an inventory of the floristic diversity of the Sonitpur district of Assam, the authors came across this species of Capsicum. Critical comparative study of above three species of Capsicum has revealed that the species differs in many diagnostic taxonomic characters. Capsicum sonitpurensis J. Sarma & G. Dutta, sp. nov. (Fig. 1). Diagnosis: Capsicum sonitpurensis is closely related to C. chinense and C. annun, but can be distinguished from them by fruit shape and surface, androecium colour, petal colour, pungency, seeds per fruit. Types: India, Sonitpur, Assam, 49 m alt., 21.11. 2015, J. Sarma & G. Dutta 394 A, B, C, D (Holotype: ASSAM; Isotype: TUH). Perennial shrubs, up to 120 cm tall. Roots terete, c. 5 – 13 mm diam. Stems up to 15 cm long, branched, glabrate, slightly woody with age. Leaves opposite, ovate to lanceolate, apex acute- acuminate, base attenuate, margins entire, undulate; leaf lamina c. 6-12 × 3-6 cm. Venation reticulate, unicostate, surface glabrescent, base narrowed, margin entire. Petiole c. 2.0-4.5 cm. Flowers complete, white or off-white, c. 2.0-3.2 cm long, bracteate, pedicellate. Floral bracts small c. 0.2-0.4 cm, persistent; pedicels c. 2-3 cm long, greenish, jointed at the middle, nodding in flower, cylindric. Sepals 5, cup-shaped, undulate, c. 2-3 × 3 mm. Petals rotate, campanulate, salver or trumpet-shaped; lobes 5, usually equal; plicate or valvate in bud. Stamens 5, c. 3-4 mm long, epipetalous, alternating with the corolla lobes, sometimes didynamous and unequal, attached to the                                                              1Corresponding author. Email: jsarma88@gmail.com 2Eastern Himalayan Botanic Ark, Balipara Foundation, Sonitpur, Assam-784102, India 216 SARMA et al. Fig. 1 A-K. Capsicum sonitpurensis J. Sarma & G. Dutta, sp. nov. A. Habit; B. Solitary flower; C. Flower showing Androecium and Gynoecium; D. Fruit; E. TS of fruit; F. LS of fruit; G. Corolla; H. Corolla with Androecium; I. Gynoecium with Calyx and stalk; J. Gynoecium; K. Androecium; CAPSICUM SONITPURENSIS (SOLANACEAE) - A NEW SPECIES 217 base of the corolla tube or higher up. Carpels white, c. 3.0-3.5 mm long.Ovary superior, oblique, c. 2-4 locular; placentation axile. Fruit a many-seeded berry, c. 6-9 cm long, surface uneven, smooth, light green, reddish black at maturity. Seeds white, compressed, reniform to discoid,c. 220-240 per fruit. Phenology: Flowering: May-August; Fruiting: July- November. Distribution: Recorded only from Sonitpur district of Assam, India. The author has not recorded the same species in any other places of Assam as on date. Habitat: Terrestrial, forests, (from forests now it is cultivated in different places of Sonitpur) 48-60 m alt. Status: Only known from the type locality therefore, considered to be Data Deficient (DD), further survey will be conducted. At present, authors have not found no similar specimens from other parts of Assam. From type locality about 47 individuals were traced. Etymology: The specific epithet sonitpurensis refers to Sonitpur District of State Assam from where the species was first collected. The new species has been critically compared with the C. chinense and C. annum and the distinguishing characters are given in Table 1. Table 1. Comparison of distinguishing taxonomic characters of Capsicum sonitpurensis with Capsicum chinense and Capsicum annum. Characters Capsicum chinense Capsicum sonitpurensis sp. nov. Capsicum annum Pedicel 3.0- 4.5 cm 2-3 cm 4-6 cm Fruit colour at maturity Orange/Reddish Greenish black Red Fruit shape Oblong Lanceolate Conical Fruit length 3.0- 4.6 cm 6- 9 cm 1-3 cm Fruit surface Curly /rough Wavy /smooth Uneven Androecium colour Whitish Violet-White White Petal colour Greenish yellow Violet-white Creamy white Petal size Length: 0.5-1.0 cm Length: 1-2cm Length: 0.5 – 1.0 cm Seeds/fruit 30 - 48 100- 230 50-90 Acknowledgement The authors are thankful to Nandita Sarma of BSI, ERC, Shillong for her help in the consultation of herbaria at ASSAM. References Hooker, J.D. 1883. Flora of British India, Vol. 4. L. Revee & Co., London. p. 232 Hunziker, A.T. 2001. Genera Solanacearum: The genera of Solanaceae Illustrated, Arranged According to a New System. Gantner, Ruggell (Liechtenstein). Kanjilal, U.N. and Bor, N.L.1939. Flora of Assam, Vol.3. Omsons Publications, New Delhi, p. 365. Olmstead, R.G. and Bohs, L. 2007. A summary of molecular systematic research in Solanaceae: 1982–2006. In: Spooner, D.M., Bohs, L., Giovannoni, J., Olmstead, R.G. and Shibata, D. (Eds), Solanaceae VI: Genomics Meets Biodiversity. Proceedings of the Sixth International Solanaceae Conference. Acta Horticulturae 745. International Society for Horticultural Science, Leuven, pp. 255–268. 218 SARMA et al. Olmstead, R.G., Sweere, J.A., Spangler, R.E., Bohs, L. and Palmer, J.D. 1999. Phylogeny and provisional classification of the Solanaceae based on chloroplast DNA. In: Nee, M., Symon, D., Lester, R.N. and Jessop, J. (Eds), Solanaceae 4: Advances in Biology and Utilization. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, pp. 111–137. Pozzobon, M.T., Wittmann, M. T. S. and Bianchetti1, L.D.B. 2006. Chromosome numbers in wild and semi- domesticated Brazilian Capsicum L. (Solanaceae) species: do x = 12 and x = 13 represent two evolutionary lines? Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 151: 259–269. Yadav, R.M., Rathi, Pednekar, A. and Rewachandani, Y. 2016.A detailed review on Solanaceae family. European J. Pharm. & Med. Res. 3(1): 369-378. (Manuscript received on 7 December 2016; revised on 4 September 2017)