Litsea vagamonica (Lauraceae): a new species from southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India Author Robi, Aloor Jose Department of Botany, Bi-shop Abraham Memori-al College, Thuruthi-cad, Pathanamthi-tta, Kerala, Indi-a- 689 597 & P. G. & Research Department of Botany, St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India ˗ 689 641 ajrobi-n80@gmai-l.com Author Vijayasharma, Revathy P. G. & Research Department of Botany, St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India ˗ 689 641 revuvi-jayasharma@gmai-l.com text Phytotaxa 2024 2024-04-26 645 3 294 300 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.645.3.9 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.645.3.9 1179-3163 13215134 Litsea vagamonica Robi & Revathy V. , sp. nov. ( Figs 1–3 ) FIGURE 1. Holotype of Li­tsea vagamoni­ca Robi & Revathy V.: A.J. Robi­ & Revathy Vi­jayasharma 330 (BAM). FIGURE 2. Li­tsea vagamoni­ca Robi & Revathy V.: A. Habit. B. Bark. C. Inner bark. D. Leaf, abaxial view. E. Branch with leaves. F. Branchlet with unopened umbels. G. Brachyblast with inflorescence. H. Tepal, adaxial side. I. Tepal, abaxial side. J. Umbel with male flowers. K. Male flower, longitudinal section. L. Outer stamens, abaxial side. M. Stamen with stipitate glands. FIGURE 3. Li­tsea vagamoni­ca Robi & Revathy V.: A. Twig with immature brachyblasts. B–C. Branch with female inflorescences. D. Involucral bract, abaxial view. E. Involucral bract, adaxial view. F. Female flower. G. Female flower, longitudinal section. H. Staminodes without glands. I. Staminodes with glands. J. Gynoecium. K. Branch with immature fruits. L. Fruit with cleft cupule. M–N. Ripening and fully mature fruit, respectively. Type :— INDIA . Kerala : Kottayam dist. , Vagamon hills, ± 1000 m , 26 November 2021 , fl., A.J. Robi­ & Revathy Vi­jayasharma 330 ( holotype , BAM! Fig. 1 ; isotypes , MH !, KFRI !) . Li­tsea vagamoni­ca is similar to Li­tsea wi­ghti­ana , from which it differs by its glabrous branchlets (vs. rusty tomentose), glabrous and thinly coriaceous leaves (vs. rusty tomentose on both sides, rigidly coriaceous), densely puberulent brachyblasts (vs. rusty-tomentose), fulvous-tomentose involucral bracts, the inner ones with 6 nerves (vs. ferrugineoustomentose bracts, the inner ones with obscure nerves), stamens with stipitate glands (vs. sessile glands), presence of a pistillode in male flowers (vs. pistillode absent), and an ellipsoid fruit with puberulent fruit cupule (vs. ovoid fruit with sparsely pubescent cupule) on a 0.9–1.2 cm long fruiting pedicel (vs. 0.2–0.8 cm long) ( Table 1 ). TABLE 1. Morphological comparison between Li­tsea vagamoni­ca, L. wi­ghti­ana and L. glabrata .

Characters	Litsea wightiana	Litsea vagamonica	Litsea glabrata
Habit	Tree, 15 m	Tree, 5 m	Tree, 15 m
Branchlets	Rusty tomentose	Glabrous	Glabrous
Leaves	7–16 × 3–8 cm, oblong, elliptic to obovate; base acute, apex obtuse, margins incurved, rusty tomentose, rigidly coriaceous	12–13 × 4–6 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, base acute to obtuse, apex acute to acuminate, margins incurved, glabrous, thinly coriaceous	10–16 × 3–6 cm, oblanceolate, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, base acute to cuneate, apex acute to attenuate, margin flat, glabrous, coriaceous
Petiole	10–20 mm long, rusty-tomentose, slightly grooved adaxially, rounded abaxially	8–10 mm long, glabrous, flat adaxially and rounded abaxially	10–15 mm long, glabrous, slightly grooved adaxially
Lateral veins	8–12 pairs of secondaries, rusty tomentose; tertiary veins prominent and scalariform reticulation, marginally looped	9–11 pairs of secondaries, glabrous; tertiary veins prominent, sub- scalariform and finely reticulate	9–12 pairs of secondaries, glabrous; tertiary veins obscure, faintly reticulate
Brachyblasts	4–10 cm long, rusty tomentose	4–7 cm long, densely puberulent	5–12 cm long, silky-appressed hairy
Peduncle of umbels	4–6 mm long, rusty tomentose, terete	5–10 mm long, densely puberulent, sub-terete	5–8 mm long, sparsely tomentose, terete to angular
Involucral bracts	5–8 × 3–5 mm, obovate, ferrugineous-tomentose outside and glabrous inside, nerves obscure	3–5 × 4–5 mm, orbicular, obovate, fulvous-tomentose outside, glabrous inside, 6-nerved	5–6 × 3–4 mm, obovate, greyappressed hairy outside, glabrous inside, 5-nerved
Staminal glands	Sessile	Stipitate	Stipitate
Pistillode	Absent	Present	Absent
Ovary	Ca. 1 mm long, ovoid, glabrous	Ca. 1.5 mm long, ellipsoid, sparsely pubescent	Ca. 2 mm long, ovoid, glabrous
Fruit	1.2–1.6 × 0.8–1.0 cm, ovoid	1.2–1.9 × 0.9–1.2 cm, ellipsoid	1.0–1.6 × 0.5–0.8 cm, ovoid
Cupule (length × diameter)	0.5–0.8 × 0.6–0.8 cm, sparsely pubescent, margin entire	0.6–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 cm, puberulent, margin entire, cleft at maturity	0.7–0.8 × 0.5–0.7 cm, glabrous, margin entire
Fruiting pedicel	0.2–0.8 cm long, angular, sparsely pubescent	0.9–1.2 cm long, sub-terete to angular, glabrous	0.2–0.8 cm long, terete, sparsely silky-pubescent

Trees to 5 m tall, bark densely lenticellate, inner bark creamy with reddish-brown fibers; branchlets glabrous, conspicuously lenticellate. Leaves alternate; petiole 8–10 mm long, flat adaxially and rounded abaxially, glabrous; lamina 12–13 × 4–6 cm , elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous, thinly coriaceous, slightly bullate adaxially, base acute to obtuse, apex acute to acuminate, margin incurved, midrib and secondary veins adaxially prominent, midrib flat above, secondary veins 9–11 pairs, adaxially impressed, tertiary veins sub-scalariform, slightly raised on abaxial side, quaternary veins finely reticulate. Inflorescences umbellate, axillary or lateral arranged on reduced branchlets (brachyblasts), giving the appearance of a raceme of umbels; brachyblasts 4–7 cm long, densely puberulent; peduncle of umbels 5–10 mm long, densely puberulent, sub-terete; involucral bracts 6, 3–5 × 4–5 mm , orbicular to obovate, fulvous-tomentose outside, glabrous inside, 6-nerved. Flowers 7–8 per umbel, creamy yellow, 3–4 mm long; pedicel 2 mm long, silky tomentose, quadrangular. Male flowers: tepals 6, ca. 4 × 2 mm , ovate-oblong, base obtuse, apex acute and slightly keeled, membraneous, silky-tomentose on both sides, stamens 12, in 4 whorls, unequal; anthers 1.2–1.5 mm long, 4-locular, upper 2 locules smaller, introrse and lower 2 larger, latrorse; filaments 4 mm long, slender, pale yellow, villous, those of whorl 1and 2 usually eglandular, those of whorls 3 and 4 with 2 glands; glands 1 mm long, ovate, white, stipitate; stipe 0.6–0.9 mm long, pistillode present. Female flowers: tepals 6, ca. 2.5 × 1 mm , ovate-oblong, base obtuse, apex rounded and slightly keeled, membraneous, silky-tomentose on both sides, staminodes 12, those of outer whorls 3–3.2 mm long, linear, subulate, eglandular, pilose at base; inner whorls 1–2.5 mm long, subulate, 2-glandular, pilose at base, glands ca. 0.6 mm long, ovate; ovary ca. 1.5 mm long, ellipsoid, sparsely pubescent, style ca. 3 mm long glabrous, straight; stigma peltate. Fruit a berry, 1.2–1.9 × 0.9–1.2 cm , ellipsoid, tip rounded, receptacle cup shaped, cupule 0.6–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 cm , puberulent, margin entire and cleft at maturity; fruiting pedicel 0.9–1.2 cm long, sub-terete to angular, glabrous, stout. Phenology :—Flowering: October–November; Fruiting: December–May. Distribution and Ecology :—So far, known only from Vagamon hills of Kottayam district of Kerala , India . It is growing as a small tree in evergreen forests at an elevation of ca. 1000 m . Etymology :—The specific epithet “ vagamoni­ca ” named after its type locality Vagamon in Kerala , India . Additional specimens examined: — INDIA . Kerala : Kottayam dist., Vagamon hills, ± 1000 m , 28 April 2018 , fr., A.J. Robi­ 69 (BAM); ibid., 12 November 2020 , fl. bud, A.J. Robi­ 204 (BAM); ibid., 23 November 2022 , fl. Revathy Vi­jayasharma & A.J. Robi­ 477 (BAM); ibid., 12 April 2023 , fr., Revathy Vi­jayasharma & A.J. Robi­ 584 (BAM). Notes:— Li­tsea vagamoni­ca also shows similaries with Li­tsea glabrata (Wall. ex Nees von Esenbeck 1831: 67 ) Hooker (1886: 174) , from which it differs by its leaves with margins incurved, thinly coriaceous (vs. margins flat and coriaceous), densely puberulent brachyblasts (vs. silky-appressed hairy), fulvous-tomentose involucral bracts, the inner ones with 6 nerves (vs. grey appressed hairy, with 5 nerves), presence of a pistillode in male flowers (vs. pistillode absent), and an ellipsoid fruit (vs. ovoid fruit) on a 0.9–1.2 cm long fruiting pedicel, glabrous (vs. 0.2–0.8 cm long, sparsely silky pubescent).