Peliosanthes meghalayensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Meghalaya, NE India, and synonymization of P. bipiniana with P. subspicata

Abstract

Peliosanthes meghalayensis, a new species from Wari Chora gorge in Meghalaya, NE India, is described and illustrated. It is similar to P. pumila from Khasia, NE India, in its small habit and having flowers fewer than 10, but differs chiefly by the knobby rhizome, broader leaf blades with closer transversal veinlets, slightly larger cernuous flowers, and pistils with 6 distinct ridges. On the other hand, in Assam, NE India, we rediscovered P. subspicata, which had been known only by old collections made in NE India and Bangladesh in the 19th century. We supplementarily describe and illustrate it based on living collections. We treated P. bipiniana as conspecific with P. subspicata.