Notes relating to the Flora of Bhutan: XV

Revision of Aquifoliaceae, Polygalaceae, Icacinaceae, Hippocrateaceae, Rhamnaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae and Vitaceae has resulted in the following new taxa, new names and new combinations: Polygala sibirica L. subsp. bhutanica Kit Tan, subsp. nov., P. sibirica L. subsp. elegans (Wall, ex Royle) Kit Tan, comb, nov., P. sibirica L. subsp. heyneana (Wall, ex Wight & Arnott) Kit Tan, comb, nov., Zizyphus rubiginosa Long & Rae, sp. nov., Nayariophyton zizyphifolium (Griff.) Long & Miller, comb, nov., Syzygium smalianum (Brandis) Long, comb, nov., and Tetrastigma corymbosum Long, sp. nov.. Notes on some critical Himalayan species of Ilex are provided, new lectotypes are designated for several names, and Salacia membranacea Lawson is shown to be a synonym of S. salacioides (Roxb.) Rao & Hemadri.

in Yunnan as var. coccinea Comber thus making all the yellow-berried specimens var.
-•! sikkimensis. Unless plants are collected in fruit and the fruit colour noted, the two ,' taxa cannot be distinguished. POLYGALACEAE : by \ KIT TAN \ In revising Himalayan material of Poly gala, the plant referred to by Bennett (1872) and Hara & Williams (1979) as P. elegans Wall, ex Royle, has proved not to be specifically distinct from the widespread P. sibirica. In the Himalaya it comprises two discrete taxa which are treated as subspecies: subsp. bhutanica, which is described as new, from Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam and Burma, and subsp. elegans, from Nepal and NW Himalaya. In south India a third member of the aggregate occurs (P. heyneand) •. which is likewise treated as a subspecies of P. sibirica.
Miquelia kleinii is a rare species apparently known only from the type collections of male plants. It is characterized by its broadly oblong-ovate leaves truncate or subcordate at the base, with margins somewhat dentate in the lower half, its very long slender male peduncles 60-70mm, and its almost glabrous young shoots and inflorescences.
Extensive climbing shrub, stems red-brown pubescent and with pale lenticels, bearing short stout recurved reddish-pubescent prickles up to 4mm at nodes. Leaves alternate, membranous, narrowly ovate, 9-15 x 4-7cm, acuminate to a narrow truncately tipped acumen, base rounded, oblique, margin serrulate, strongly 3-veined from base to apex, veins prominent beneath, reticulations transverse, weak, sparsely hairy on veins beneath otherwise glabrous; petiole 8-1 lmm; stipules not seen. Panicles large, leafless, 26-30cm, softly red-brown tomentose throughout; branches cymose, pedicels 2-4mm. Flowers cream. Calyx lobes 5, ovate, 2.5-3mm, tomentose outside glabrous and with median rib within. Petals absent. Stamens 5. Disc shallowly 5lobed, glabrous. Ovary partly immersed in disc, free part hairy; style divided to middle, lower part hairy, lobes sparsely hairy. Zizyphus rubiginosa is a distinctive new species known from the Darjeeling Terai, S Bhutan, Assam and Burma. Its apetalous flowers borne in large leafless panicles, and prickly climbing habit indicate a close affinity with only one other Indian species, Z. rugosa Roxb., which is a widespread species throughout India, Ceylon, Bangladesh, Burma and in the foothills of Nepal and Sikkim. It is not yet recorded from Bhutan. However, Z. rugosa appears to differ consistently in its broadly ovate or elliptic leaves which are thick in texture with an obtuse or shortly a n d bluntly pointed apex, often shallowly cordate base, m o r e finely serrulate margin a n d softly tomentose lower surface, as well as in the pale brown or fawn-tomentose panicles.  Syst. 110:43(1988). Bentham (1862) described the genus Dicellostyles to include two species: D. jujubifolia from the East Himalaya and D. axillaris from Sri Lanka. No lectotype for Dicellostyles has been formally designated, although Paul (1988) restricted the genus to D. axillaris and segregated the disjunct Himalayan member as a new genus, Nayariophyton. However, in describing this new genus he overlooked the existence of an earlier valid epithet for the same species, Kydia zizyphifolia Griff, which antedates the epithet jujubifolia by six years and renders the latter illegitimate. Hence the new combination must be made. It is surprising that the earlier epithet was overlooked, because the protologue of Kydia jujubifolia lacks any description but clearly refers back to the earlier description of K. zizyphifolia; the two names are therefore based on the same description and type. The above specimens apparently constitute new records for both India and Bhutan.

MYRTACEAE
In line with modern thinking (Smid, 1972) this species should be considered as a member of the genus Syzygium and the necessary combination is therefore made.  T. corymbosum is characterized principally by its thinly coriaceous leaflets with strongly serrate margins, glabrous corymbose cymes 6-12cm diameter and very short thick style. T. dubium differs in its lanceolate leaflets, small compact cymes and petals ending in a subulate point. T. serrulatum differs in its much smaller leaflets with marginal teeth reduced to subulate excurrent vein-tips, and smaller cymes. T. leucostaphylum differs in its larger more coriaceous leaflets and dense puberulous cymes. T. rumicispermum is closely related but differs in its membranous, distinctly obovate leaflets with minute projecting vein-tips (as in T. serrulatum), shorter densely puberulous cymes and a more distinct and slender style. T. aplinianum differs in its thickly coriaceous leaflets with coarsely but distantly serrate margins and large, paniculate puberulous inflorescences.