Sonerila gigantea (Melastomataceae): A New Species from Western Ghats, India
Prashant Karadakatti
Department of Studies in Botany, Davangere University, Shivagangothri, Davangere–577 007, India.
Siddappa B Kakkalameli
*
Department of Studies in Botany, Davangere University, Shivagangothri, Davangere–577 007, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Sonerila gigantea is a new acaulescent species found in Mallalli Falls, Kodagu District, Karnataka, India, part of the Western Ghats. This species has distinguishable characteristics like habit from the genus Sonerila worldwide. S. gigantea is compared with Sonerila wallichii Benn. & Sonerila grandis Ridl. The species shown differ in several characteristics like habit, leaf and inflorescence, described in a table form with taxonomic keys and even explained micro morphology characters like pollen and seed. This report deliberates on the new species Sonerila gigantea from the Western Ghats, India.
Keywords: Acaulescent, giant habit, Kodagu, stemless sonerila, white patches