A Nephelium New to India from the Nicobar Islands

2 Pages·1991·0.37 MB·English

by  Lakshmiarasimhan, P

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS : HUIAT2. HOT. SZJKV. INDIA VOL, 33 (I-4), 1991 3l7
A NEPHELIUM NEW TO INDIA FROM THE NICOBAR ISLANDS
Neplzefirrnz L. includes species, g varie- the upper side, sparsely hairy on midrib and
22
ties and 4 subvarieties (Leenhouts, 1986). The veins on the lower surface and minutelv
J
genus is centered around West Malesia with scriceous in between, domatia sometilnes pre-
a few distributed in continental Asia and the sent beneath, midrib and lateral nerves rais-
Philippines. Of the 22 species, 3 species are ed below, midrib pronlinently grooved above ;
endemic to Malay Peninsula and 8 to Borneo. lateral nerves impressed or flattened and
Leenhouts reports species viz., Ne$heZizrnr faintly visible ahove, coarsely reticulate,
I
rcrnzhoutan-ake (Labill.) Iacnh. from Assam, lateral nerves. 9-20 pairs running oblicluely
India. Parkinson (1923) records Nephelzztm towards margin ; petiolules 0.3-0.4 cm long,
litchi Cambess. as having been introduced in semi-terete, broadly shallowly grooved with a
the Andalnans for its delicious fruits. 1,een- clear median rib above. Fruits 2.7-3.5~
houts cxcludes this taxon from Neplzelirlm 2-2.5 cm, red, solitary or with an undeveloped
and treats it under Litchi Sonn. as Litchi one ; epicarp set with thick warts tapering to
clzinensis Sonn. Vasudeva Rao (1986) lists filiform 0.4-0.75 CIII long, pukruloos or
Nephelium longun(~C ambess. from Nicohar gla11n)us appendages ; mesocarp thin, endo-
Islands ; Leenhours treats it under Dimoccdr- carp stony, I -seeded.
longnn 1,our. Frts. : June.
plrs
While studying the Sapindaceae of Anda- ljistribrrtbn : Malaya ; Sumatra ; Hor-
Inan and Nicobar Islands, we came across a neo ; India : Nicobar Islands.
herbariuin specimen U.K . Hore 87 18 collect- Specimen examined : South Nicobars,
ed from the Great Nicobar Island and dep- Laful Forest, Great Nicobar Island, 3.6.198 I.
sited at BI, identified as Nephclzum- lnpp(r- D. K. Hore 87 18 (PBL).
c-ezlm L. On a critical examination, it turned Hcibitnt : Rare in trorpical inland forests.
out to be Neplzeli~rm uncinatum Radlk. cx
Ixenh., hitherto unrecorded fro111 India.
As N. lrncinatunr is a new record for India, Thc authors arc grateful to the ilirector,
to facilitate its easy identification, clescrip- Boranical Survey of India, Calcil t ta for faci-
tion with figure has heen provide(i. lities. Thanks are due to Dr. J. L. Ellis,
;I
Nephelium uncinatum Radlk. ex Leenh. in formcr Scientist 'SE', Botanical Survey of
Blumea 31 (2) : 42 I, fig. 3 c & 4 h. 1986. India for critically going through the manus-
cript and a) Dr. 1'. S. N. Rao, Scientist-'R'
(Fig.
I).
Botanical Survey of India, Anclarnan and
Trees, up to 60 m tall ; hark whitish :
Nicohar Circle, lbrt Blair hlr eocourage~nrnt.
l~ranchlets rusty tomentose. l~ngitodinall~
gfi)oved when young, later glablrous? tcrere.
1'.
I,~ks~~Mrlu~nH~A\Ks, ~ht
Ixaves alternate, paripinnate, 4-8 jugate. S A ~1'I. MATHEW L. N. HAY
AND
cowry brown to blackish-brown above, Ilotnr~icalS 111,vey o/ ft~rlin,P ort Blair
grey to greyish-brown helow when dry :
petioles 2.4-8 cm long, trrete, base slightly
swdlen, a prolninent tncdian rib r~~nning1. IS I NIIOII,S~. l'.M'. A ti~~o~i(t~rkoviii~si:o ~0~1' ,Vefi~~~:l11111i
entire lengrh of rachis above, median ril) in- (Sapi titlacc.;~c.), Birr I~~IV:Ij 1 (2) : :17:1-456. 19$(i.
I'AHKIUSON. <:. K. A Fo1.est floi-a of the Andiilii:u~
conspicuous in petiole : leaflets 3.5-12x 1-4.5
Isl;tnds, Go~t.( :~~itr;lll 'rcss. Sitl~li~1. 923.
cm, subopposite or a1 tcrnare. cllipt ic or \'ASIII )I, \'A KAO, M. K. 11 l)rdit~~itl:ir!r chpo~.t0 11 tl~t*
elliptic-ohlong, acute or ac~~rninntact apes. Al1giospt31.11o1f~ ~III~:IIII:IoIi~)-;N~ti~s l(;1 1\(1s. 1, 1,:O~ ~ I ,
cuneate or oftcll ol,liqllc at base, glnbroos oil 'f'rr~.U ot. 8(1) : 10'7-18.1,