Strobilanthes

Abstract: Various problems and issues in the Acanthaceae of Bhutan and the Himalaya are considered. The typification of Thunbergia grandiflora is discussed, and T. lacei and T. clarkei are reduced to synonomy. A new species of Eranthemum, E. erylhrochilum, is described, and the characters which separate it from its allies are listed. A new combination, P. gomezii, is made in Phlogacanthus. The genus Echinacanthus is reviewed and redefined. One group of species placed in it is moved to a new genus, Clarkeasia. which contains one species with two recognized varieties. The Chinese species, Strobilanthes lofuensis, is moved to Echinacanthus pending a thorough review of the three Chinese species in the genus. A wide-ranging discussion of Strobilanthes is presented, and Bremekamp's division of the genus into some fifty segregate genera is criticized and rejected. Various characters used in dividing the genus including life form (with particular attention to the gregarious flowering of the many plietesial species), anisophylly, inflorescence type, calyx development, corolla shape, pollen and seeds are discussed and reassessed. Although pollen is of minor value in subdividing the genus in the Himalayan region, it is possible to recognize 17 distinct groups of species at infrageneric level. These groups are described and discussed with the hope that they will help towards the reclassification of the Strobilanthes group as a whole. Keys are provided for most groups covering species from outside the Himalayan region as well. Thirty-five individual species of Strobilanthes are discussed, of which 17 are described as new. SEM photographs and line drawings illustrate the new species and various aspects of the genus discussed in the paper.

Abstract: A new species of Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae), S. bolavenensis, is described from Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos. Photos and illustration are given together with information of habitat, ecology, vernacular name and preliminary conservation assessment based on IUCN criteria.

Abstract: This paper draws attention to the presence of neglected types of Strobilanthes (Acanthaceae) in the Central National Herbarium (CAL) in Kolkata, focussing on those described in the 19 th century by Thomas Anderson and Sulpiz Kurz from China, India and Myanmar. Eleven species are typified and illustrated. Their synonomy and distribution are discussed. Attention is drawn to close similarities between Strobilanthes elongata C.B. Clarke, S. neesii Kurz and S. spicata T. Anderson with species described from China. The name Strobilanthes anisophylla (Hooker) T. Anderson is reinstated.

Abstract: Chloroplast trnL-F sequence data, nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data, and morphology were used to analyze phylogenetic relationships among members of the subtribe Strobilanthinae. Parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of trnL-F indicate that the Strobilanthinae are a monophyletic group. While parsimony analysis of ITS recovers a nonmonophyletic subtribe, maximum likelihood analysis of ITS corroborates results from trnL-F and suggests that systematic error is impacting on ITS parsimony analysis. A combined ITS and trnL-F analysis strengthens the signal and also recovers a monophyletic subtribe. All analyses indicate that Hemigraphis, Sericocalyx, and Strobilanthes are nonmonophyletic. With one exception, all morphological characters included in a combined ITS and morphological analysis are homoplastic. The prospect for a new informative generic classification of the Strobilanthinae aiming to recognize and diagnose only monophyletic groups is considered. While some groups can be diagnosed, adequate diagnosis of the majority of groups remains problematic. Consequently, a single expanded genus Strobilanthes sensu lato is proposed at the level of the well-supported and monophyletic Strobilanthinae.