The genus Salacia (Celastraceae: Salaciodeae) in peninsular India

Mayur Dhondiram Nandikar

doi:10.36253/jopt-10390

Abstract

The genus Salacia (Celastraceae: Salaciodeae) in peninsular India is revised, wherein ten species are recognised. Eight species are endemic to the region. Salacia macrophylla and S. reticulata are excluded from the revision as occurrence of both the species is doubtful in mainland India. Salacia macrosperma exhibits great variation in leaf shape, flower number, pedicel length and fruit texture, hence the morphologically similar species S. beddomei and S. vellaniana are relegated to its synonymy. Descriptions, photographs, and pen and ink as well as colour drawings of all recognised Salacia species are provided with an artificial key, updated nomenclature, and synonymy. Distribution and IUCN Red list categories and criteria are also discussed. Seven binomials, S. fruticosa, S. macrophylla, S. macrosperma, S. oblonga, S. ovalis, Tontelea prinoides and Johnia coromadeliana are lectotypified.

Highlights

Celastraceae consists of 96 genera and about 1300 species (Mabberley 2017), distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate parts of the world
The processed and identified specimens were deposited in Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research (NGCPR) Herbarium and duplicates presented to C.J. Saldanha 11366 (CAL) and BSI
Existing herbarium specimens from the study area were consulted at BSI, CAL, CALI, CMPR, FRLH, K, MH, PBL, RHT and TBGRI

Summary

Introduction

Celastraceae consists of 96 genera and about 1300 species (Mabberley 2017), distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate parts of the world. Inflorescences axillary or ramiflorous few to many flowered, tuberculate fascicle or branched cymes; pedicels 5–20 mm long; sepals 5(4) lobed, broadly ovate to orbicular, margin laciniate, or fringed or entire or erose or ciliate; petals 5 obovate to oblanceolate, elliptic to oblong, or ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, or orbicular or oblanceolate, often revolute; disk intra-staminal, fleshy, annular-pulvinate, sometimes conical or flattened, rarely cupular; stamens 3, inserted on disk, free or adnate with pistil, usually reflexed at anthesis, filaments subulate, broadened towards the base, anthers bilobed, thecae globose or ellipsoid or ovoid, confluent transversely or longitudinally or obliquely; ovary partly or completely immersed in the disk, 3-celled (locular), ovules 1(2)–8 in each cell; style short, simple, stigma simple.

Results

Conclusion