Plant Science Today (2017) 4(3): 102-105 http://dx.doi.org/10.14719/pst.2017.4.3.316 102 ISSN: 2348-1900 Plant Science Today http://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST Research Communication Anisochilus carnosus (L. f.) Wall. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) – a new generic record for Pakistan Ashfaq Ali,1 Mahrine Rashid,2 Amir Sultan,2 and Muhammad Irfan1 1 Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 2 National Herbarium (Stewart Collection), National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan Article history Received: 21 June 2017 Accepted: 27 June 2017 Published: 14 July 2017 © Ali et al. (2017) Editor K K Sabu Abstract During an exploration of Gadoon area in district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a specimen of Anisochilus carnosus (L. f.) Wall. ex Benth. was collected which represents a new plant record for Pakistan. Its description and illustrations are provided for easy identification. Keywords Lamiaceae; Anisochilus carnosus; Swabi; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Pakistan. Publisher Horizon e-Publishing Group Correspondence Amir Sultan amirsultan_2000@yahoo.com Ali, A., M. Rashid, A. Sultan and M. Irfan. 2017. Anisochilus carnosus (L. f.) Wall. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) – a new generic record for Pakistan . Plant Science Today 4(3): 102-105. http://dx.doi.org/10.14719/pst.2017.4.3.316 Introduction The genus Anisochilus comprises 16 species and is mainly distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Himalaya, Burma, south China, Thailand and Indo-China (Suddee and Paton, 2009). Anisochilus carnosus is known from Southern China, Thailand, Burma, Nepal, India, and Sri Lanka (Suddee and Paton, 2009). A specimen was collected by the first author (Ashfaq Ali) on 20 September, 2013 from Gadoon area of district Swabi, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The plant appeared to be a novelty for flora of Pakistan. Some seeds were carefully isolated from the only herbarium ISSN: 2348-1900 specimen available and were grown in the live repository at National Herbarium for further examination. A plant grown from the seed was later sent to Dr. Alan Paton (Kew) who confirmed its identity as Anisochilus carnosus. The plant has neither documented in Stewart’s annotated catalogue (1972) nor in the account of the family Labiatae (Lamiaceae) in the flora of Pakistan (Hedge, 1990) and thus represents a new record for Pakistan. Its occurrence represents an extension in known range of this species as the closest records of this species are from Himachal Pradesh (India) (Suddee and Paton, 2009). Horizon e-Publishing Group 103 Plant Science Today (2017) 4(3): 102-105 Fig. 1. Herbarium specimen of Anisochilus carnosus (Ashfaq Ali 56). Anisochilus carnosus (L. f.) Wall. ex Benth. in N.Wallich, Pl. Asiat. Rar. 2 (5): 18. 1830. Lavandula carnosa, L.f : Suppl. Pl. 273. 1782 [1781 publ. Apr 1782]. Anisochilus crassus Benth., Prodr.12: 81.1848. Anisochilus decussatus Dalzell & Gibson.,Bombay Fl. 206.1861. Anisochilus rupestris Wight ex Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 627.1833. Taxonomic description Annual herbs, up to 37 cm tall; stem erect, quadrangular, internodes 2.5-6 cm long, densely covered with appressed hairs. Leaves Horizon e-Publishing Group opposite, petiolate, petiole 0.5-3 cm long; lamina broadly ovate to rhomboid or oblongovate, 2.8-5.4 × 2.4-4.2 cm, obtuse to shortly acuminate, margins crenate, subcordate to round or subtruncate puberulent, densely brown spotted on both surfaces, secondary veins up to 16 pairs, alternate, opposite or subopposite. Inflorescence subglobose spike arranged in dichasial cymes, upper peduncle up to 5.7 cm long, lateral ones up to 4 cm, 2 basal bracts present, pubescent, 1-2 mm long. Flowers sessile or short pedicellate 0.5-1.0 mm long; calyx 4-4.5 mm long, densely pubescent ISSN: 2348-1900 Plant Science Today (2017) 4(3): 102-105 104 Fig. 2. Anisochilus carnosus plant grown from seed isolated from the herbarium specimen tube with 1.5-2.0 mm dilated base and an upper lip of 2.0 - 3.0 mm long, reflexed, acute, tip of upper lip suffused with red/pink, fruiting calyx dilated, 7- 8 mm long; corolla purple, 6-9 mm long, tube slender, exerted, recurved, visible part 4 mm long, densely covered with soft hairs and red glands, upper lip up to 3 mm long, shorter than lower lip, 4 lobed, lateral lobes transparent to white, smaller, middle lobes purplish, lower lip up to 4-5 mm long, concave/boat shaped; stamens 4, anthers dark purple, dorsifixed. Nutlets 4, broadly ovate, black, 1 × 0.8 mm, inconspicuously emarginated at apex. Specimen Gadoon, ISSN: 2348-1900 examined: Pakistan: Swabi District, Dalori, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 20 September 2013, Ashfaq Ali, (RAW). The plant is used extensively in folk medicine for the treatment of gastric ulcer and skin diseases (Bhagat et al., 2014) and is cultivated in China for its medicinal value (Li and Hedge, 1994). The present record represents the westernmost distribution recorded so far. The plant may have a wider distribution and may potentially be present in suitable habitats in Jammu and Kashmir. Acknowledgements We are thankful to Dr. Alan Paton, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for confirming the identity of plant and to Mr. Sayed Afzal Shah for reviewing the description. Horizon e-Publishing Group 105 Plant Science Today (2017) 4(3): 102-105 Fig. 3. a. Portion of stem showing leaf, nodal and intermodal hairs, b. calyx and corolla split open showing pistil and stamens, c. stigma and style, d. stamen, e. fruiting calyx References Bhagat, J., Lobo, R., Kumar, N., Mathew, J. E. and Pai, A. 2014. Cytotoxic potential of Anisochilus carnosus (L.f.) wall and estimation of luteolin content by HPLC. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 14: 421. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-14-421 Hedge, I. C. 1990. In Ali S. I. and Nasir Y. J. (Eds.) Flora of Pakistan (Labiatae). No. 192. 310 p. Stewart, R. R. 1972. An annotated catalogue of the vascular plants of West Pakistan and Kashmir (Flora of Pakistan). Fakhri Printing Press, Karachi. Suddee, S. and Paton, A. 2009. A revision of Anisochilus Wall. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae). Kew Bulletin 64: 235-257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-009-9115-5 Li, X. and Hedge, I. C. 1994. Flora of China (Lamiaceae) 17: 50-299. Horizon e-Publishing Group ISSN: 2348-1900