Globba polymorpha Y. Ritu & V. Gowda 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Yadav, Ritu
name: Gowda, Vinita
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Liliopsida
Zingiberales
Zingiberaceae
Globba
Globba polymorpha

description: Globba polymorpha Y. Ritu & V. Gowda sp. nov.
Fig. 7
Type.
India. West Bengal: Darjeeling district, Pankhabari, 26.8326, 88.2662, elevation 600 m, 6 September 2022, Y. Ritu, & P. A. Shangreiphao VG 2022 WB 3906 (holotype: BHPL!; isotype: ASSAM!).
Diagnosis.
G. polymorpha is morphologically similar to G. andersonii but differs in having pale yellow flower, densely pubescent ligule with long white hairs (Fig. 7 C), red or green-colored bracteole, large anther (4–5 mm) vs. white flowers, ligule pubescent externally, white color bracteole and small anther (1.5 mm).
Description.
Lithophytic herbs, 42–68 cm tall including inflorescence height, pseudostem swollen at the base. Rhizomes compact, non-tuberulous, creamish white. Leafy shoot with 6–12 leaves; sheath ligulate, ligule 1.5–1.8 cm long, bilobed, densely pubescent; lamina 22–28 × 5–9 cm, sessile, narrowly ovate, base attenuate, apex caudate, margin entire, adaxially pubescent along veins and margins, abaxially pubescent. Inflorescence terminal to the leafy shoot, 7.5–16 cm long, erect; peduncle 1.5 cm long, green with red dots to dark maroon, densely pubescent; rachis, green with red to dark maroon spots, densely pubescent; bracts 4.7–9.2 × 2.2–3.4 mm, elliptic, olive green with brown tinge, glabrous; bracteole 6.4–8.7 × 2.9–4.7 mm, obovoid to ovoid, brown with purple tinge, glabrous. Cincinni 7–17, each cincinni with 4–6 flowers. Floral pedicel for basal flowers 1.2–1.4 cm long, for terminal flowers 0.6–0.8 cm long, dark maroon, sparsely pubescent. Flowers 4–4.5 cm long, pale dull yellow, recurved; calyx 4–5 mm long, maroon; floral tube 8–9.3 mm long, pale yellow tinged pink, densely pubescent, curved upwards holding the flower upright; dorsal corolla lobe 5–6 × 2.5 mm, ovate, apex cucullate, light maroon, pubescent; lateral corolla lobes 3–3.5 mm × 2.2 mm, ovate, apex acute, yellow tinged maroon, pubescent; labellum 7–8 × 1.5–1.8 mm, decurrent, linear, pale dull yellow, glabrous, labellum notch with echinate structures; lateral staminodes 6–6.5 × 2–2.5 mm, narrowly ovate, apex acute, pale dull yellow, glabrous. Stamen 1.9–2.1 cm long, filament 1.6–1.8 cm long, off-white tinged yellow, glabrous, arching; anther 2.5–3 mm long, largely ovate, apex attenuate, pale yellow, crest 0.3 mm long, non-appendaged; style, filiform, stigma 4–5 mm wide, funnel-shaped, apex ciliate. Ovary 2.9 × 1.7 mm, ovoid, maroon, verrucose; epigynous glands 2, 1.2–1.3 mm, linear, cream. Fruit 1.5 cm in diameter, globose, greenish yellow, verrucose, calyx persistent. Bulbils absent.
Distribution and ecology.
G. polymorpha is recorded only from Pankhabari, Darjeeling district, West Bengal. At Pankhabari, we have observed ca. 21 individuals in a ca. 400 m 2 area. G. polymorpha is lithophytic, mostly growing along the edge of roads at an elevation of ca. 600 m. We observed floral color polymorphism in this species, with red bracteole and yellow bracteole individuals growing within the same population. We have observed different species of bees and butterflies visiting the flowers of this species.
Phenology.
Flowering and fruiting were observed in the month of September.
Etymology.
The species epithet refers to the floral color variation due to bracteole color variations among individuals within the same population, which can be seen in Fig. 7 A (top left and bottom left).
Informal conservation status.
G. polymorpha is known from only one population, which was not a protected habitat or area. The population was spread across a 10–15 m long stretch along the roadside with 20–25 individuals. We surveyed six potential locations in the Darjeeling district, which is 40 km 2 around the type locality (Pankhabari), and we did not locate any population in northern West Bengal. Based on the IUCN (2022) guidelines and a formal conservation assessment based on the known distribution and number of individuals present, we propose its conservation status to be critically endangered according to criteria B 1. (a) (B 1: extent of occurrence is less than 100 km 2, a: = 1 location), and D. (D: number of mature individuals <50). In 2022, we observed 20–25 individuals at the type location, most of which were cleared for road extension, which led to a decrease in the number (10) of individuals, suggesting that the species is at risk of extinction.
Specimens of allied species examined.
G. andersonii: India. West Bengal: Darjeeling Himalaya, around Baghpul, elevation 200–300 m, 6 July 2011, S. Nirola & AP Das 1334 A (holotype: CAL!), Sivok Hill Forest, Near Coronation Bridge in the ghat region, 2 July 2011, Sachin A. Punekar s. n. (CALI!), elevation 914 m, 15 July 1913 (E 00095574), Mongpoo, elevation 914.4 m, 12 July 1884, Williams (P 00411420), Mongpoo, elevation 914.4 m, 12 July 1884, Williams (P 00252245), Darjeeling, Pankabari, elevation 762 m, July 1874, J. S. Gamble 8130 (K 000640559). Sikkim: elevation 305 m, 6 July 1915 (E 00095573), Regio Trop (P 00686468).
Taxonomic notes.
The new species is similar to one species in inflorescence height, sessile leaves, densely pubescent peduncle, and absence of bulbils. This species differs from G. andersonii in its large ligule 1.5–1.8 mm (vs. 0.8–1.2 mm), pale dull yellow flowers (vs. white), and large anther 2.5–3 mm (vs. 1.5 mm). Detailed morphological comparisons between G. polymorpha and G. andersonii are presented in Table 2.
Notes.
G. andersonii is distributed to West Bengal, India (Fig. 8).
description: Published as part of Yadav, Ritu & Gowda, Vinita, 2024, Six new species of Globba L. (Zingiberales, Zingiberaceae) from the Eastern Himalayas and Northeast India, pp. 197-228 in PhytoKeys 246 on pages 197-228, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.246.118751