Aeschynanthus reiekensis, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Mizoram, Northeast India

10.6165/tai.2023.68.1

Margaret LALHLUPUII；Sandhyarani Devi KHOMDRAM；Sanatombi DeviYUMKHAM；Mannar Kandy AKHIL；Santhosh NAMPY

Aeschynanthus angustissimus ； Aeschynanthus hookeri ； Aeschynanthus tengchungensis ； Indo-Burma Hotspot

TAIWANIA

68卷1期（2023 / 03 / 01）

1 - 7

英文

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Aeschynanthus reiekensis is described and illustrated from the Mizoram state of Northeast India. It closely resembles A. tengchungensis W. T. Wang in having leathery, linear leaves and axillary to pseudoterminal inflorescences, but differs by its calyx characters, number of flowers per inflorescence, size of pistil and capsule and in the number of seed hilar appendages. It is also compared with two other closely allied species, A. angustissimus (W.T. Wang) W.T. Wang and A. hookeri C. B. Clarke which differs in having smaller size bracts, strongly oblique corolla mouth and tuft of hair being present inside the corolla. The pollen grains of the newly described species are monads, isopolar, small in size, prolate, circular to subangular amb and tricolporate with the exine microreticulate ornamentation. Based on the present data, the new species is provisionally assessed here as Critically Endangered (CR), according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.