Sonerila janakiana sp. nov., a stoloniferous species of Melastomataceae from India

Abstract

Sonerila janakiana, a new tuberous, scapigerous and stoloniferous species of Melastomataceae collected from exposed wet rocks of evergreen and semi evergreen forests in the Nilgiris and Wayanad districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala states on the Western Ghats in India is described and illustrated. Apart from other characteristics, it is distinguished from all hitherto known species of the genus in India by having stolons and dimorphic leaves. The stolons produced from tubers terminate and develop into new tubers producing new plants.