A JOURNAL ON TAXONOMIC BOTANY PLANT SOCIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY REINWARDTIA Editors SOEDARSONO RISWAN MIEN A RIFAI ELIZABETH A. WIDJAJA Published by HERBARIUM BOGORIENSE BALAI PENELITIAN DAN PENGEMBANGAN BOTANI PUSAT PENELITIAN DAN PENGEMBANGAN BIOLOGI — LIPI BOGOR, INDONESIA Reinwardtia Vol. 11, Part 1, 1 - 55 5 February 1992 IO ISSN 0034 - 365 X REINWARDTIA Vol. 11, Part 1, pp. 29 - 32 (1992) A NEW SPECIES OF CASSINE (CELASTRACEAE) FROM INDIA N. SASIDHARAN & K. SWARUPANANDAN Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi 680 653, Kerala, India. A B S T R A C T The new species Cassine kedarnathii Sasi. & Swarup. is described from the Silent Valley National Park (India) and illustrated. I N T R O D U C T I O N Two species of Cassine L. (Celastraceae) were recorded from Peninsular India, viz. C. glauca (Rottb.) O. Ktze. and C. paniculata (Wt. & Arn.) Lo- breau-Call. (Gamble 1915: under Elaeodendron; Ramamoorthy 1976). Kostermans (1987) in his taxonomic treatment of the genus in Asia, restric- ted the name C. glauca (Rottb.) O. Ktze. to Sri Lankan materials and as- signed the name C. albens (Retz.) Kosterm. to Indian materials known as C. glauca (Rottb.) O. Ktze. A giant hollow tree in the Silent Valley National Park attracted the' attention of visitors because of its large size (height ca, 30 m and dbh 13 m) and the hollow bole, from base to top, through which sky is visible. The tree had been identified C. glauca (Rottb.) O. Ktze. presumably in the ab- sence of flowers and fruits (Subrarnanian & Singh 1987). On a recent visit to Silent Valley, we were able to collect flowering and fruiting specimens of the tree. This material did not agree with any of the species treated in Kostermans' Revision (1987). Subsequently, the material was reffered to Kostermans and he confirmed the novelty of the species. This species is differentiated and described as new below. 29 30 REINWARDTIA [VOL. 11 Cassine kedarnathii Sasidharan & Swarupanandan, sp. nov., Figs. 1—10. Affinis C. congylos Kosterm. in magnus fructus sed vergens in fructus • ellipsoidus cum crassus mesocarpus et folia elUptico-oblongus acuminatus. Differt e C. paniculata (Wt. & Am.) Lobreau-Call. in petala oblongo, ovaria 2-loculosus et breviore cymeae. Differt e C. albens (Retz.) Kosterm. et C. glauca (Rottb.) O. Ktze. in magnus florae et fructus. HOLOTYPUS : Sasidha- ran 3689 (MH). Differs from C. paniculata (Wt. & Arn.) Lobreau-Call. in the oblong petals, two celled ovary and smaller cymes. Differs from C. albens (Retz.) Kosterm. and C. glauca (Rottb.) O. Ktze. in the larger size of the flowers and fruits. Allied to C. congylos Kosterm. in the larger sized fruits, but differs in the ellipsoid fruit with thick mesocarp and elliptic-oblong acuminate leaves. Large trees, up to 30 m tall. Bark greyish brown, inner bark reddish. Leaves opposite, lamina 5—8 x 2—3.5 cm, elliptic-oblong, obtusely caudate acuminate, base acute, margin crenate, slightly thickened, coriaceaous, glabrous, lateral nerves 5—9 pairs, secondary laterals present, intercostae reticulate, prominulous above, prominent below, petiole 2—2.5 cm long. Cymes dichasial, terminal and axillary, glabrous. Flowers greenish-yellow, ca. 12 mm across. Pedicels 4—5 mm long. Sepals 5, 1.5 x 3 mm, imbricate, broadly ovate, obtuse, glabrous. Petals 5, 5 x 2—2.5 mm, imbricate, oblong, obtuse, margin slightly revolute Stamens 5, inserted along the margins of the Wavy annular disc, filaments 2 mm long. Ovary immersed in the disc, 2-celled, cells 2-ovuled, ovules basal. Styles short, stigma entire. Drupe 25— 30 x 18—22 mm, ellipsoid, apiculate, green; epicarp thin, putamen slightly compressed, vertically grooved on both sides, one side 3—4 mm thick, the other 5—7 mm, shining brown within. Seed 1. ca. 20 x 17 mm. elliptic, planoconvex, shallowly grooved above, brown. Flowering March to June and fruiting October to November. DISTRIBUTION: Evergreen forests along the Western Ghats. ETYMOLOGY: The species is named in honour of Dr. S. Kedarnath. distinguished forest geneticist. NOTES: In the larger size of the fruits the species is allied to the Sri Lankan species C. congylos Kosterm. but differs from it in the ellipsoid fruit with thick putamen and the elliptic oblong acuminate leaves. The large size of the fruit easily distinguishes the species from the other South Indian species C. albens (Retz.) Kosterm. and C. paniculata (Wt. & Arn.) Lobreau- Call. SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Kerala State: Palghat distr. Silent valley, ± 800 m, 11—5— 1989, fl. & fr. Sasidharan 3689 (MH); Locality not known 28—4—1905, young fr. Barber 7064(MH). 1992] N. SASIDHARAN & K. SWASUPANANDAN : A species of Cassine 31 Figures 1—10. Cassine kedarnathii Sasi. & Swarup. 1. Flowering twig. 2. Flower. 8. Sepal. 4. Petal. 5. Stamen. 6. Anther. 7. Pistil and disc. 8. Transection of ovary. 9. Fruit. 10. Transection of fruit. 32 REINWARDTIA [VOL. 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are thankful to Prof. A. J. G. H. Kostermans, Herbarium Bogoriense for critical comments on the material and Latin, to the Joint Director, Madras Herbarium, for permitting to examine the relevant speci- mens, to Dr. K. S. S. Nair, Director, Kerala Forest Research Institute, for facilities and encouragements to our colleagues Mr. M. Balagopalan, Scientist, for collecting mature fruits at our request and Mr. Subash Kuriakose, Artist- photographer for the illustrations. REFERENCES G A M B L E , J.S. 1 9 1 5 . Flora of the Presidency of Madras (rep. ed. 1957) vol. 1 : 145—152. (Celastraceae). Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta. KOSTERMANS, A. J. G. H. 1987. Notes on Asiatic Cassine L. (Celatsraceae). Gard. Bull, Singapore 3 9 : 177—191. RAMAMOORTHY, T. P. 1976. Celastraceae. Pages 316--322. In S A L D A N H A & D H. N I - COLSON (eds.). Flora of Hassan District, Karnataka, India. Amerind Publ. Co., New Delhi. .SUBRAMANIAN, K.N. & B.G. SlNGH. 1987. Identity of a controversial tree in the Silent valley National Park (Letters to the editor). Indian For. 1 1 3 : 78. CONTENTS Page ROCHADI ABDULHADI Seed banks in a sub-tropical rain forest 1 ROCHADI ABDULHADI Floristic changes in a sub-tropical rain forest succession 13 A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS Two remarkable Lindera species (Lauraceae) probably representing an undescribed genus 23 A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS A new species of Diplodiscus Turcz. (Tiliaceae) related to Brownlowia Roxb 27 N. SASIDHARAN & K. SWARUPANANDAN A new species of Cassine (Celastraceae) from India , 29 A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS Reinstatement of Pterocarpus echinata Pers. (Leguminosae — Papilionaceae) ., 33 JUMAAT H ADAM & GC. WlLCOCK. A new natural hybrid of Nepenthes from Mt. Kinabalu (Sabah) 35 A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS Durio macrantha Kosterm. species nova (Bom- bacaceae) from North Sumatra 41 A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS Salacia acuminatissima Kosterm., spec. nov. (Celastraceae) from Sri Lanka 53 A.J.G.H. KOSTERMANS Identity of Dracontomelum petelotii Tardleu -Blot (Anacard.) 55 Printed by c v. Bina Karya Cover Rein.Vol 11,Part 1, 1-55 Rein. Vol.11, Part 1, 1-55_Page_15b Rein. Vol.11, Part 1, 1-55_Page_29