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Blumea 59, 2014: 42–48www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/blumea http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651914X683593RESEARCH ARTICLE

INTRODUCTION

The family Myrtaceae is an important component of the flora ofthesouthernhemispherewith132to150generaandsome-wherebetween3675and3900species(Parnell1999,2003).Syzygium Gaertn.,oneofthelargestgeneraoftheMyrtaceae, occurs from Africa eastwards to the Hawaiian Islands and from India and southern China southwards to south-eastern Australia andNewZealand.Intermsofspeciesrichness,thegenusiscentred in Malesia but in terms of its basic evolutionary diversity it appears to be centred in the Melanesian-Australian region (Craven&Biffin2010).Theyexhibitdiversehabitswithhighecosystemsignificanceastheir(oftenmassed)nectariferousflowersand(usually)fleshyfruitareafoodsourceforawiderangeofanimals(Cravenetal.2006).ThetaxonomyofSyzyg-ium and its generic allies in the Old World were confusing and complex.Theclassificationproblemswereextensivelyreviewedand discussed by many authors based on morphological and molecular evidence (Schmid1972,Craven2001,Craven&Biffin2005,Parnelletal.2007,Soh&Parnell2011).Syzygium s.l.(Acmena DC., Acmenosperma Kausel, Cleistocalyx Blume, Piliocalyx Brongn.&Gris,WaterhouseaB.Hylandandothersat-ellitegenera)probablycomprisessomewherebetween1200and1500species(Biffinetal.2005,Cravenetal.2006,Craven&Biffin2010).AninfragenericclassificationforSyzygiums.l.,based upon analyses of nuclear and plastid DNA sequence data and morphological evidence, recognized six subgenera andsevensections(Craven&Biffin2010).Thiswasfurthersupportedbyleafanatomicalstudies(Soh&Parnell2011).In India the genus Syzygiums.str.comprises54species(Go-vaertsetal.2008,Shareefetal.2012).ThebaselistpreparedforAndaman andNicobar Islands comprises 17 species,prepared byPandey&Diwakar (2008) requires correctioninthelightofanewconceptproposedbyBiffinetal.(2005)andCravenetal.(2006).Syzygium cymosum (Lam.)DC. and S. occlusumMiq. are to be included as they are hitherto ignored species and S. ruscifolium (Willd.)Santapau&Wagh (nowshifted to EugeniaL.)andS. leptaleum(Craib)V.S.Kumar (fornotbeingavalidpublication)aretobedeleted.Furthermore,

the genera Acmena, Acmenosperma and Cleistocalyx treated separately in the list, now got merged with Syzygiums.l.TheSaddlePeakNationalPark,c.84km2 in area, is consid-ered secluded in the remote Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.Theparkexhibitsstuntedevergreenvegetationonthepeaksandispoorlyexplored.ItdidnotattracttheattentionofBritish explorers, possibly for harbouring the aggressive tribes whoweredrivenawayfromthesouthtothenorth(theRus-siangeologistandbotanistDr.HelferwaskilledontheNorthAndaman!)andalsoforapparentlypossessinguninterestingstunted vegetation rather than economically important timber trees.Theareawasfurtherneglected in thepost independ-ence period for lack of proper access to reach various peaks ofthepark.AspartoftheDBT(DepartmentofBiotechnology,NewDelhi)sponsoredproject ‘QuantitativeAssessmentandMappingofPlantResourcesofAndamanandNicobarIslands’,the senior author, who was assigned the North Andamans for exploration, has collected two different materials of Syzygium, one is with pink, non-calyptrate flowers and the other is off whitewithcalyptrateflowers.Thefirstoneisashrubbyspeciesgrowing in rocky bed slopes while the second one is a small tree growingnearshoresoftheKalpong.Inbothspeciesthepetalscohering into a pseudocalyptra and deciduous, anther sacs parallel, placentation axile-median or axile-basal and ovules 6–12,arrangedirregularlyorin2longitudinalrows,spreadingtoascending.ThesecharacterstakethemtosubgenusSyzygium (Craven&Biffin2010).ThemountainSyzygiums are usually stuntedwithsmallandcoriaceousleaves.Afteracriticalstudy,both of fresh and preserved material, the authors found them as novelties.ThetypeimagesfromKandEcoupledwithliterature(Kurz1877,Hooker1879, Ridley1922,Parkinson1923,Das-sanayake&Fosberg1981,Sinha1999)furtherstrengthenedourconvictionabouttheidentityofthematerialcollected. Much oftheterminologyfollowedbyCraven(2003)isappliedwhiledescribingthenewspeciesproposed.

TAXONOMIC TREATMENT

1. Syzygium hookeri M.V.Ramana, Chorghe&Venu,sp. nov. —Fig.1,2

Type.M.V. Ramana 686 (holoCAL; isoBSID,PBL), India,AndamanIslands,SaddlePeakNationalPark,Kalipur,N13°9'14.5"E93°00'54.8",alt.586m,12Feb.2012.

Two new species of Syzygium (Myrtaceae) from Saddle Peak National Park, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, IndiaM.VenkatRamana1,A.Chorghe2,P.Venu2

1 Department of Botany, Nizam College, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500001,India;correspondingauthore-mail:venkat.botany@gmail.com.

2 BotanicalSurveyofIndia,DeccanRegionalCenter,500048Hyderabad,India.

Key words

new speciesNorth Andaman IslandsSyzygiumtaxonomy

Abstract Two new species of Syzygium, S. hookeri and S. sanjappaianafromtheSaddlePeakNationalParkofNorth Andaman Islands, aredescribedandillustrated.Thenoveltiesaredeliberatedinthelightofreviewedconcepton the genus SyzygiumanddiscussedwithrelatedspeciesofMyanmarandSriLanka.

Published on31July2014

43M.VenkatRamanaetal.:TwonewspeciesofSyzygium

Fig. 1 Syzygium hookeriM.V.Ramana,Chorghe,Venu.a.Habitat;b.twig;c.lowersideofleaf;d–f.inflorescenceonleafless/leafylateraltwigs.—PhotosbyM.V.Ramana.

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Fig. 2 Syzygium hookeri M.V.Ramana,Chorghe,Venu.a,b.Flowerbudswithfreesepalsandcoheringpetals(pseudocalyptra);c.openflower;d.flowerlongitudinalsection;e,f.sepalsventralanddorsalsides;g,h.pseudocalyptradorsalandventral;i–k.petals(hooded);l.petals(hemispherical);m.hypanthiumwithstyle;n.anthers;o.anthersacs;p.style;q.ovarylongitudinalsection.—Scalebars:a,e–g,i–k=2mm;b–d,h,l,m,p=5mm;n,q=1mm,o=0.1mm. —PhotosbyAlokChorghe.

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Etymology. ThisnewspeciesisnamedinhonourofSirJ.D.HookerforhisgreatcontributiontotheFloraofBritishIndia.

Shrub, 2–3mhigh, 15–20 cmdbh.Branches subcylindri-cal, greyish when young, turning blackish when old, often ladenwithcrustose lichens.Leaves simple, coriaceous, op-posite subdecussate, elliptic-lanceolate, 3.5–5.5 by 1.5–3cm, acutely-narrowed at base, entire to slightly revolute at margins, acute to acuminate at apex, lamina dark green above, pale beneath, blackish above, brownish beneath when dried, midrib impressed, sulcate above, raised beneath, secondary nerves 15–20 pairs, sunken, faintly visible beneath, ascending, joiningclosetomarginformingaloop.Petioles5–10mmlong.Reproductive seasonal growth unit usually completely leafless orwithapairofleavesatthebase.Inflorescences on leafless twigs or terminal on short leafy lateral twigs, few-flowered and then simple or compound cymes,main axis 3–6 cm long;bractsandbracteolesminute,triangular,deciduous.Flowers notcalyptrate,1.5by2cmlong,showy,brightpinkish.Hyp-anthiumcup-shaped,5.6by6mm,pinkishtopaleyellow,notglanddotted,stipitate,thestipe3.2mmlong.Sepals 4, nearly equal, very distant, semi circular, lacerate to entire, auriculate at base,2.9by4.2mmlong,deciduousduringanthesis.Petals 4, coheringintoapseudocalyptra,4.4by3.5mm,deciduous,inner3hooded,upperonehemispherical.Staminal discunmodified.Stamens all fertile, numerous, bright pinkish, spreading, arising inthreewhorls,in5–6looselyaggregatedbundles;filaments broad at base, narrowed towards tip, thick,10–16mmlong,un-equal,glabrous;anther sacs parallel;anthers oblongdorsifixed,0.8by0.7mm,dehiscingbylongitudinalslits,connectivenotglandular. Style 20mm longat anthesis, persistent;stigma subulate. Placentation axile-median, the placenta uneven, one sidepeglikeprotrudingintolocule,theothersideprotruding.Ovules 6perlocule,spreadingtoascending.Fruits notseen. Distribution—India(AndamanandNicobarIslands,NorthAndaman Islands, SaddlePeakNationalPark). Habitat&Ecology—Rockybedslopesofmountainpeaks. Phenology—Flowering:February–March.

Additional specimen examined. IndIa,NorthAndamanIslands,SaddlePeakNational Park, Kalipur,M.V. Ramana 1289 (CAL), N13°09'21.6" E93°00'24.4",698malt.,8Apr.2013.

Conservation status — The present novelty is reported only fromone localitywithasmallpopulationof5–6 individuals.There are no perceived threats, since it is reported from a protectedarea,eithertothepopulationoritshabitat.ThismayberegardedunderDataDeficientcategoryasnoinformationisavailableonitsrarityorabundance(IUCN2013).

Notes — The shrubby habit, subcylindrical branches, smaller leaves, bright pinkish flowers in simple or compound cymes from leafless twigs or terminal on short leafy lateral twigs, cup-shaped hypanthium, hooded or hemispherical petals and looselyaggregated5–6stamenbundlesinthreerowsonhy-panthium make it very distinctive from all the known species describedinIndianfloras(Hooker1879,Parkinson1923).The authors also examined mountain shrubby species from BritishBurma(Kurz1877)andMalayaPeninsula(Ridley1922)forcomparison.ItresemblesS. contractumWall.fromMyanmar(erstwhileBurma)inpossessingpinkishnon-calyptrateflow-ers, deciduous sepals, petals cohering into a pseudocalyptra, butdiffersfromitinhavingsuboppositedecussateleaves(vsoppositedecussate),laminaelliptic,ovate(vslinear-oblong),inflorescences simple or compound cymes on lateral leafy or leafless branchlets (vs terminal corymbs), hypanthium cup-shaped(vsfunnel-shaped)andhoodedorhemisphericalpetals(vsorbicular).

2. Syzygium sanjappaiana M.V.Ramana,sp. nov. —Fig.3,4

Type. M.V. Ramana 779(holoCAL;isoBSID,PBL),India,NorthAnda-man Islands,SaddlePeakNationalPark, KalpongRiver,N13°09'37.1"E92°58'05.8",228malt.,20Feb.2012.

Etymology. Thisnewspecies isnamedafterDr.M.Sanjappa, forhiscontributionstotheLegumesofIndia.

Smalltree,3–5mtall,25–30cmdbh.Bark smooth, greyish with pinktinge.Branchlets previous year cylindrical, greyish white, youngones flattened;nodes thickened.Leaves simple, op-posite, crowded near the apices of the branchlets, coriaceous, broadlyelliptictoorbicular,obovate,3.5–5by3–4cm,acuteat base, entire, slightly revolute at margins, acute, rounded, rarely obtuse at apex, turning black above, coppery below when dried, midrib sulcate above, raised beneath, secondary nerves 10–12 pairs, sunken on both the surfaces, looping near themargins, pellucid punctuate beneath.Petioles 3–6mmlong.Reproductive seasonal growth unit with vegetative and reproductivezones. Inflorescence usually in leaf axils, rarely terminal, 6–10-flowered,main axis 3–5 cm long, angular;bracteate, bracts minute,oblong,caducous;bracteolesabsent.Flowerswhite,calyptrate(thecalyptraformedfromfusedsepalsonly,thepetalscoheretothecalyptraandfallwithit) sessile or stalked;thecalyptra4.6by4.6mm.Hypanthium visibly pellucid punctuate,stipitate,obconic,5.7by7.2mm,thestipe4.4mmlong.Petals 4, cohering into a pseudocalyptra, orbicular with a shortclaw,4.9by4.1mm,visiblypellucidpunctuate,fallingwithcalyptra.Staminal discunmodified.Stamens all fertile, white, aggregatedinbundles;filaments slender,6–10mmlong;anther sacs parallel,oblong;anthers dorsifixed,0.7by0.6mmlong,dehiscingbylongitudinalslits,connectivenotglandular. Style 12.5mmlongatanthesis;stigma slightlybent.Placentation axile-basal, theplacentaprotruding into locule.Ovules 3–6per locule, arranged spreading to ascending. Mature fruits spherical, sometimes partially flattened and grooved, sessile orstalked,palepinktodarkpurplewhenripe,1.5by1.5cm,crownedwithadistinctc.3mmlongcalyxlimb,pericarpdry,distinctlyfreefromtheseed.Seed one, without intrusive tissue interlockingthecotyledons. Distribution—India(AndamanandNicobarIslands,NorthAndamanIslands,SaddlePeakNationalPark). Habitat&Ecology—BanksofKalpongRiver. Phenology—Floweringandfruiting:January–May.

Additional specimen examined. IndIa,NorthAndamanIslands,SaddlePeakNationalPark,KalpongRiver,M.V. Ramana 1188(CAL),N13°10'08.3"E92°58'05.9",225malt.,18Jan.2012.

Conservation status — The authors came across 4 small populations, eachwith notmore than 3 individuals, on theKalpongRiverbankintheNationalPark.Theareaiswellpro-tectedwithnoperceivedthreatstothepopulations/habitats.ThespeciesmaybetreatedunderDataDeficient(DD)categoryIUCN(2013).

Note — The authors examined the new species for com-parison with species that have commonality in showing sub- orbicular-rotund leaves with terminal and axillary inflores-cences(Hooker1879).Thenewspeciesexhibitssimilaritywith S. rotundifolium Arn. and S. sclerophyllum Thwaites(endem-icstoSriLanka)inbroadlyellipticorbicularlamina,calyptrateflowersandgloboseberrieswithpersistentenlargedcalyxlimb.Butitisdistinctivewithsmallerplantsupto5mhigh(vsupto10mhigh),flattenedyoungtwigs(vssharplyquadrangular),longerpetioles,3–6mmlong(vs1–3mmlong),few-floweredcymesmostlyinleafaxils(vsmany-floweredinterminalandaxillary),visiblypellucidpunctuateonundersurfaceofleafandfloralparts(vswithoutpellucidpunctuate),orbicularpetalswithshortclaw(vselliptic-concavepetals)andstamensupto10mmlong(vsupto4mmlong).

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Fig. 3 Syzygium sanjappaiana M.V.Ramana.a.Habitat;b.habit;c.portionofthestemshowingbark;d.leaves;e,f.inflorescence;g–i.berriesunripened/ripened.—PhotosbyM.V.Ramana.

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Fig. 4 Syzygium sanjappaianaM.V.Ramana.a,b.Flowerbudwithcalyptraandpseudocalyptra;c.flowerbudafterseparationofcalyptraandpseudocalyp-tra;d.openflower;e,f.calyptradorsalandventralsides;g,h.petalsdorsalandventralsides;i.stamenbundles;j,k.antherlobesventralanddorsalsides; l.anthersacs;m.hypanthiumwithstyle;n.hypanthiumlongitudinalsection;o.ovarylongitudinalsection.—PhotosbyAlokChorghe.

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Acknowledgements The present work was carried out under a DBT spon-soredprogram‘QuantitativeAssessmentandMappingofPlantResourcesofAndamanandNicobarIslands’.AuthorsarethankfultoDr.P.Singh,Direc-tor,BotanicalSurveyofIndia,KolkataandDr.M.SanjappaandProf.K.N.Ganeshaiah,GKVK,Bangalore,theprincipleinvestigatorandcoordinatorofthisprogram,respectively,forfacilities.Theseniorauthor(MVR)gratefullyacknowledgesthefellowshipreceivedundertheprogram.Theopinionandliterature fromDr.LynA.Craven(Australia)andopinionofProf.PranomChantaranothai(Thailand)onthematerialsareacknowledged.ThanksareduetothecuratorsofEandKandtheIndianBotanicalLaisonOfficeratKew,fordigitalimages;forestofficialsoftheAndamanandNicobaradministrationassistedduringfieldwork.

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