A Reinvestigation on the Taxonomic Identity and Nomenclature of Cinnamomum heyneanum and C. riparium (Lauraceae) in the Western Ghats, India

2017·6.6 MB·English

by  Robi, A J

Nelumbo Vol 59(1), (44-50) 2017 ISSN (Print) : 0976-5069
DOI : 10.20324/nelumbo/v59/2017/117149 ISSN (Online) : 2455-376X
A reinvestigation on the taxonomic identity and
nomenclature of Cinnamomum heyneanum and C.
riparium (Lauraceae) in the Western Ghats, India
A. J. Robi1 and P. S. Udayan2
1 Department of Botany, Bishop Abraham Memorial College, Thuruthicad, Pathanamthitta– 689597, Kerala, India.
2 P.G, Department of Botany & Research Centre, Sree Krishna College, Ariyannur P.O., Guruvayur, Thrissur – 680102,
Kerala, India.
Corresponding author: [email protected]
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ABSTRACT
Cinnamomum heyneanum C. riparium

The taxonomic identity and nomenclature of the two species namely, Nees and
KGeaymwbolerd(Lsa:u Criancneaame)o hmauvem b heeeynn ereasnoulmve, dC wriitpha rciruitmical notes on the distribution of the two species in the Western Ghats.
. , Lauraceae, Southern Western Ghats.
INTRODUCTION species and thereby included as a doubtful species in his
Flora of British India. He also pointed out that, “It is not
Nees (1831) described Cinnamomum heyneanum Nees
very like any species described above; it is a very slender
based on the fruiting specimen collected by Benjamin
plant, the subopposite leaves are very long and narrow,
Heyne from Coorg (now Kodagu) in the state of Kar-
5-7 by ½-1 in., with nerves obscure above; the fruiting
nataka, India. It was Meissner (1864), who treated C.
peduncles are very long and slender; the pedicels ¼ in.,
heyneanum as a synonym of Cinnamomum iners (Reinw.
ex Nees) Blume var. subvenosum Meissn. Later, Hooker suddenly dilating into the almost rotate fruitiug-perianth
(1886) commented that, it was not similar to any of the ⅓ in. diam. with rounded spreading lobes, and the fruit
Received: 22.02.2017 Accepted: 18.06.2017 Date of Publication: 31.07.2017
A.J. Robi and P.S. Udayan
(apparently dry) is oblong ½ in. long.—It is from Heyne’s axillary and pseudo-terminal simple panicle with slender,
Herbarium without habitat.” sparsely, minutely, tomentellous, 4–8 cm long; peduncle
After Hooker (1886), various authors (Allen 1936 & unbranched or with 2 apical, 1 cm long branchlets, nodes
1939; Li 1978) treated C. heyneanum in different names tomentellous. Flowers pale yellowish-green, born on simple
as, C. burmanni (Nees & T.Nees) Blume var. angusti- cymes, 3–6 per peduncle; tepals 6 (–8), 3–4×1–2 mm, ellip-
folium (Hemsl.) C.K.Allen, C. pedunculatum Nees var. tic-oblong or ovate, densely and coarsely appressed pilose
angustifolium Hemsl., C. burmanni f. heyneanum (Nees) inside, greenish-yellow, margins silky white, obtuse at apex,
H.W. Li. However, Allen was not confident in reducing ovate at base; stamens 9 in 3 whorls of 3 each, 2–3 mm long;
C. heyneanum under C. burmanni var. angustifolium. those of outer whorl introrse; anthers oblong, apiculate at
Later, Kostermans (1983) reinstated C. heyneanum to the apex, 4-locular, introrse, longer than broad; filaments 1
rank of a species. But, Kumar & al. (2003) misidentified mm long, linear, pilose, eglandular; middle whorl almost
C. riparium as C. heyneanum and reported its distribu- same as the outer; those of inner whorl extrorse; filaments
tion from Idukki and Thrissur districts. Furthermore, the with 2-glands attached 1/3 from the base, small, ovate or
studies by Allen (1936, 1939), and Kumar & al. (2003) do chordate; staminodes 1.5 mm long, sagittate, apiculate at
not clearly resolve the nomenclatural problems. So the apex, dialated basally, stipe pilose; ovary 2 × 2 mm, ovate
correct citation is provided here along with a descrip- or triangular; style 1 mm long, thin, glabrous, stigma large,
tion, flowering and fruiting, distribution and notes on the peltate. Fruits berry, 10 × 7 mm long, ellipsoid, smooth,
lectotypificaiton. white dotted; cupule slightly shallow, 3 mm deep, indu-
rate; persistent tepals densely and coarsely appressed pilose
TAXONOMY inside; fruiting pedicels 7 mm long, obconical, sparsely
tomentellous.
1. Cinnamomum heyneanum Nees in Wall., Pl. Asiat.
Vernacular Names: Malayalam: Attuvayana.
Rar. 2: 76. 1831, p.p. et Syst. Laur. 77. 1836; Meissn. in
DC., Prodr. 15(1): 20. 1864, p.p.; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India Flowering and Fruiting: December–March.
5: 136. 1886, p.p.; Allen, J. Arnold Arbor. 17: 325. 1936; Distribution: South India (Karnataka – Coorg district;
Allen, J. Arnold Arbor. 20: 51. 1939; Kosterm., Bibl. Laur. Kerala –Kannur district). It is very rare and endemic to
300. 1964, p.p. southern Western Ghats.
Lectotype designated here: Coorg (S. India), Herb.
Ecology: It grows in thickets of mountain slopes along the
Heyne (GZU000253942 image!).
banks of river as small trees and in wet evergreen forests
Laurus heyneana Wall., Numer. List no. 2576. 1830,
of foot hills at elevations ranging from 70–300 m. Area of
nom. nud.
occupancy is very small and 70 individuals was observed
Small trees, 2–10 m tall; branchlets slender, terete,
during the study period.
minutely grey tomentellous, brown; hairs very thin and
Etymology: The specific epithet “heyneanum” honours
wavy; inner bark pale yellow; terminal bud ovate lanceo-
“Dr. Benjamin Heyne” (1770–1819) who was a Scottish,
late with the same indumentum. Leaves opposite and sub-
surgeon, naturalist and botanist.
opposite, trinerved; petioles very slender, sparsely, minutely
tomentellous, 6–10 mm long, slightly concave above; lam- Notes: Kostermans (1983) was of the view that C. ripar-
ina 5–13 × 1.3–2.5 cm, linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, ium might be a synonym of C. heyneanum. Extensive
narrowly acute at apex, attenuate-acuminate, attenuate field studies revealed that, many of the collections of C.
or narrowly cuneate at base, glossy, glabrous and smooth riparium from southern Kerala have been incorrectly
above, chartaceous; midrib prominulous, prominent abax- identified as C. heyneanum Nees; but the two species are
ially, minutely tomentellous; lateral veins 2, paired, oppo- distinct, especially in the tomentellous branchlets, attenu-
site, slender, arising 2–8 mm away from the base, faint, ate or narrowly cuneate base of the leaves, indumentum
initially sparsely minutely tomentellous below, obscurely, and latrorse inner anthers. According to Kumar & al.,
minutely, smoothly reticulate, reaching near the top of the inflorescence of C. riparium is much branched than
the lamina, and continuing in large marginal loops to the the inflorescence of C. heyneanum, though this charac-
apex; major intercostal veins scalariform, sub-horizontal, ter is not a strong differentiator. From the field observa-
adaxially faint, slightly prominent abaxially. Inflorescences tion and study on live specimens from the Western Ghats
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www.nelumbo-bsi.org Nelumbo
A reinvestigation on the taxonomic identity and nomenclature of Cinnamomum heyneanum and C. riparium (Lauraceae) in the
Western Ghats, India
Fig. 1: Lectotype of Cinnamomum heyneanum Nees (Wallich cat. No. 2576), [GZU000253942 digital
image!] ©the Karl-Franzens-University Graz
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A.J. Robi and P.S. Udayan
Fig. 2: Cinnamomum heyneanum Nees: a. Habit; b. Bark and inner bark; c. Terminal bud and
petiole; d. Leaves-adaxial view; e. Leaves-abaxial view; f. Flowers; g. Infructescence; h. Perianth
cup; i. Fruit
47
www.nelumbo-bsi.org Nelumbo
A reinvestigation on the taxonomic identity and nomenclature of Cinnamomum heyneanum and C. riparium (Lauraceae) in the
Western Ghats, India
revealed that inflorescence structure of C. heyneanum Ramach. & al. in J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 1: 94. 1980; Sasidh.,
and C.riparium is panicle, sometimes it may reduced to Biodiv. Doc. Kerala-Fl. Pl. 396. 2004.
a cyme except one or two specimens which show a good Type: INDIA, Kerala, Ernakulam dist.: Malayattur, riv-
range of variation in inflorescence length. Cinnamomum erbanks, 5 December 1904, Bourdillon 1573 {lectotype
heyneanum Nees is distributed in Karnataka and Kerala K000778615 image!; designated by Kostermans (1983}.
(Kannur) and has not been collected beyond Palghat gap Small trees, 3–6 m tall; bark brown; inner bark creamy-
to southern Kerala. The species usually found along the white; branchlets slender, smooth, slightly angular when
river banks in wet evergreen forests of Coorg and Aralam, young, terete on maturity, glabrous or the uppermost tip
is microscopically appressed hairy; terminal buds not
between elevations ranging from 70–300 m.
perulate, small, minutely silvery-pubescent. Leaves sim-
Cinnamomum heyneanum was described by Nees (1831)
ple, oopposite and sub-opposite, estipulate, tri-nerved;
in Walllich’s Plantae Asiaticae Rariores based on the col-
petioles 5–10 mm long, thick, shallowly grooved above,
lection of Henyne which are from Coorg district of Kar-
sparsely adpressed hairy when young and glabrous on
nataka. Kostermans (1983) during the revision of the
maturity, brown to dark brown when young, greenish yel-
genus in South India cited the type of C. heyneanum as
low on maturity; lamina 4.5–14 × 1–2.5 cm, lanceolate
“Typus: Heyne in Herb. Rottler (Wallich 2576) (GZU, K,
to linear-lanceolate, acute-rounded or attenuate at base,
& L)”. We found that there a re three relevant sheets in
attenuately acuminate at apex, thinly coriaceous, sparsely
the aforementioned herbaria. Of the three, the one at K
appressed pilose abaxially when young, glabrous on both
(K000228462) bears twigs with fruiting cupules without
sides on maturity, smooth, glossy adaxially, sometimes
fruits; that of GZU (GZU000253942) bears a fruiting twig
glaucous abaxially; midrib flat adaxially, raised, promi-
with fruits with a field label having the annotation ‘Cin-
nent and thick abaxially; lateral veins 2, paired, opposite,
namomum heyneanum’ and the third at L (L0035808) has
slender, arise from the base and terminate 2 cm apart
only a small twig with fruiting cupule and a leaf mounted
from the tip of lamina, prominent and glabrous on both
separately. We designate here (GZU000253942) as the
sides; major intercostal veins scalariform, prominent
lectotype of Cinnamomum heyneanum Nees following
abaxially; minor intercostal veins finely reticulate, promi-
Art. 9.2 of ICN (McNeill et al., 2012).
nent abaxially and faint adaxially. Inflorescences axillary
IUCN status: The area of occupancy of the species is esti- and pseudo-terminal simple panicle, 3.5–6(–8) cm long;
mated to be less than 2,000 km2, and the extent of occurrence slender, lax, few-flowered, unbranched or branched;
estimated to be less than 20,000 km2. After many attempts branchlets 3 cm long, glabrous (except at nodes); pedun-
we could only locate very few (two) populations in Western cles, slender, glabrous or sparsely, minutely appressed
Ghats. Therefore, the status of the species provisionally may pilose. Flowers c. 1.4 cm long, greenish-yellow, minutely
be classified as Endangered [EN B1ab(ii, iii)+ 2ab(i,ii)]. sparsely sericeous to glabrous; pedicels c. 9 mm long,
Specimens examined: INDIA, Karnataka, Heyne in herb. slender, greenish-yellow, sparsely adpressed sericeous;
Rottler (GZU000253942 image!); Coorg, March 1817, tepals 6(–8) in 2 whorls of 3 each, subequal, oblong, c. 4 ×
2 mm, acute at apex, thick, sparsely hairy, caduceus; cili-
Heyne s.n. (K000228462 image!); Heyne in herb. Rottler,
ate at margins; stamens 9 in 3 whorls of 3 each, c. 1.5 mm
Wallich 2576 (L0035808 image!); S. Canara dist., Coorg,
long; those of outer whorl introrse; anthers ovate, obtuse
1875, R.H. Beddome s.n. (MH). Kerala, Kannur dist.,
at apex, 4-locular, fleshy, introrse, longer than filaments;
Aralam, ±250 m, 26 February 1973, V.S. Ramachandran
filaments, thin, narrow, pilose, eglandular; middle whorl
61925 (MH); 2 August 2009, P.S. Udayan & A.J. Robi
almost same as the outer; those of inner whorl extrorse;
6322 (CMPR); Alakkode river, 1 March 2012, A.J. Robi &
anthers c. 1.5 mm long, ovate-oblong, 4-locular, truncate
P. Sujanapal 23351 (KFRI); 1 March 2014, A.J. Robi & K.J.
tip; filaments with 2-glands attached near the basal por-
Dantas 28028 (KFRI).
tion; stipitate, ovate, apiculate at apex, pilose; staminodes
2. Cinnamomum riparium Gamble in Kew Bull.1925: 3, c. 2.5 mm long, sagittate, stipitate, sparsely pilose; ovary
128. 1925 & Fl. Madras 2: 1224. 1925; Bor, Man. Ind. c. 1.5 mm long, ellipsoid, glabrous; style 1.5 mm long,
For. Bot. 52. 1953; Kosterm., Bibl. Laur. 345. 1964; V. slightly curved, glabrous; stigma irregularly lobed, pel-
Chandras. in A.N. Henry & al., Fl. Tamil Nadu 2: 208. tate. Fruits berry, 10–13 × 5 mm long, ellipsoid, smooth;
1987; Sivar. & P. Mathew, Fl. Nilambur 584. 1997; V.S. cupule cup-shaped, 4 mm long, thick, shallow; obtuse,
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A.J. Robi and P.S. Udayan
Fig. 3: Cinnamomum riparium Gamble: a. Habit; b. Bark and inner bark; c. Branchlet and terminal
bud; d. Leaves-abaxial view; e. Leaves-adaxial view; f. Inflorescence; g. Flowers enlarged; h. & i. Fruits
49
www.nelumbo-bsi.org Nelumbo
A reinvestigation on the taxonomic identity and nomenclature of Cinnamomum heyneanum and C. riparium (Lauraceae) in the
Western Ghats, India
sericeous or glabrous tepals at rim; fruiting pedicels 6–8 New Delhi for the financial support and Dr. Indira
mm long, slender; seed 1, ellipsoid. Balachandran, Project Director, Centre for Medici-
Flowering and Fruiting: December–May. nal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal for
the facilities and support. The facilities provided by
Distribution: South India (Kerala & Tamil Nadu) rare in
the Kerala Forest Department during field works are
the banks of river and endemic to Western Ghats.
thankfully acknowledged. Sincere thanks to Mr. M.M.
Ecology: It grows in riparian forests at elevations ranging
Roy for preparing the manuscript.
from 300–1000 m.
Etymology: The specific epithet “riparium” is named after
REFERENCES
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