<i></i>Sonerila janakiana<i></i>, a new stoloniferous species of Melastomataceae from India

21 November 2016

Ratheesh, M.K.; C N, Sunil; M, Sivadasan; M. K., Nandakumar; V V, Naveen Kumar; Alfarhan, Ahmed; M. H., Sameh

Sonerila janakiana, a new tuberous, scapigerous and stoloniferous species of Melastomataceae collected from exposed wet rocks of evergreen and semi evergreen forests of Nilgiris and Wayanad districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states respectively on the Western Ghats in India is described and illustrated. Apart from other characteristics, it is distinguished from the hitherto known species in India by having stolons and dimorphic leaves. The stolons produced from tubers terminate and develop into new tubers producing new plants. The presence of stolons as a means of vegetative reproduction and foliar dimorphism are reported for the first time in an Indian species of the genus.

10.1111/njb.01297