Rheedea
Vol. 19 (1 & 2)
13-17
2009
On the identity and occurrence of Amomum fulviceps
(Zingiberaceae) in India
V. P. Thomas, E. Sanoj, M. Sabu* and A. V. Prasanth
Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Calicut University P. O. – 673 635, Kerala, India.
*E-mail: msabu9@gmail.com
Abstract
Amomum fulviceps Thwaites is correctly identified for the first time from India. Previous record regarding
the occurrence of the species is discussed. Detailed description, illustration, photographs, distributional and
ecological details are provided.
Keywords: Amomum fulviceps, Zingiberaceae, New Record, India
Introduction
Amomum Roxb. is the second largest genus of the
family Zingiberaceae (Tripathi & Prakash, 1999).
The first account on Amomum was given by Roxburgh (1820). Baker (1892) recorded 12 species of
Amomum from Indian subcontinent. Subsequently
Karthikeyan et al. (1989) enumerated 14 species
and Jain & Prakash (1995) 16 species from India.
Since Baker, 5 new species, viz. A. deorianum D. P.
& N. Dam, A. jainii S. Tripathi & V. Prakash, A.
garoense S. Tripathi & V. Prakash, A. ghaticum
K. G. Bhat and A. vermanum S. Tripathi &
V. Prakash have been added to this genus. The first
description of A. fulviceps was given by Thwaites
(1864), followed by Baker (1892) and Trimen (1898)
from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Thwaites described two
variations of A. fulviceps – one with glabrous leaves
collected from Raxawa in Central Province (C. P.
3122) and another with hairy leaves collected from
Reigam Corle (C. P. 3704). Baker (1892) established
a new species named A. ciliatum based on the specimen C. P. 3704. Fischer (1928) reported 5 species of
Amomum including an endemic from South India
of which one species has been transferred to Alpinia
thus reducing the number of species to four. Mitra
(1958) reported 8 species of Amomum from Eastern
India. Rao & Verma (1972) reported 5 taxa including one variety from Assam. Bhat (1988) added
A. ghaticum, a new species and A. masticatorium
Thwaites, a new record for India. Recently, Sabu
(2006) dealt 6 species for South India.
Panigrahi & Naik (1966) reported the occurrence
of A. fulviceps Thwaites in Northeast India based
on an earlier collection (Meghalaya, Khasia &
Q020-Rheedea-080901_CH003.indd 13
Jaintia Hills, Dawki forest, 27.4.1940, R. N. De 20322
(ASSAM)). After critical study of the specimen it
has been identified as A. deorianum, a new species
established by Dam & Dam (1992) based on the collections from East of Dawki (Meghalaya, Khasia &
Jaintia Hills, East of Dawki, 22.4.1972, N. C. Deori
51696 (ASSAM)). The common characters such as
pale yellow flowers, red-coloured bracts, trilobed
labellum and hairy nature of bracts must have led
to the wrong identification.
During recent explorations in Agasthyamala Hills
of Western Ghats (Kerala), A. fulviceps has been
collected and it forms a new addition to the Zingiberaceae flora of India. Its identity has been confirmed by comparing it with the photograph of
type specimen obtained from National Herbarium,
Paradeniya (PDA), Sri Lanka. Detailed description, distribution, ecology, etc. along with illustration and photographs are provided to facilitate its
easy identification.
Amomum fulviceps Thwaites, Enum. Pl. Zeyl.: 317.
1864; Baker in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 237. 1892;
Trimen, Handb. Fl. Ceylon 4: 252. 1898; B. L. Burtt &
R. M. Sm. in Dassan., Rev. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 4: 526.
1983.
Fig. 1, 2
Type: SRI LANKA, Raxawa, Central Province,
February 1854, C. P. 3122 (PDA, photograph!)
Phaeomeria fulviceps (Thwaites) K. Schum. in Engl.,
Pflazenr. 4(46): 263. 1904.
Perennial herbs; rhizome subterranean, woody,
fibrous, hard. Leafy shoots 160 – 200 cm high,
12/23/2009 3:11:30 PM
5 mm
5 mm
1 cm
1 cm
14 On the identity and occurrence of Amomum fulviceps (Zingiberaceae) in India
g
f
e
c
1 cm
4 mm
3 cm
d
i
5 mm
h
2 mm
j
2 mm
l
a
3 cm
2 mm
25 cm
1 cm
b
4 mm
m
k
o
n
Figure 1. Amomum fulviceps Thwaites: a. Habit; b. Ligule; c. Inflorescence; d. Flower; e. Bract; f. Bracteoles; g. Calyx;
h. Dorsal and Lateral Corolla lobes; i. Labellum; j. Stamens; k. Ovary with epigynous glands; l. Stigma; m. C. S. of Ovary;
n. Infructescence; o. Seed.
Q020-Rheedea-080901_CH003.indd 14
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V. P. Thomas et al. 15
Figure 2. Amomum fulviceps Thwaites: a. Population; b. Ligule; c. Inflorescence; d. Flower; e. Bract; f. Bracteoles;
g. Calyx; h. Dorsal and Lateral Corolla lobes; i. Stamen; j. Epigynous glands; k. Fruits.
Q020-Rheedea-080901_CH003.indd 15
12/23/2009 3:11:37 PM
16 On the identity and occurrence of Amomum fulviceps (Zingiberaceae) in India
green, swollen at base; sheath 2.5 – 4 cm long, broad
at base, margins hyaline, puberulous outside,
glabrous inside, green. Leaves simple, alternate,
distichous, 12 – 14 per tiller; lamina lanceolate,
35 – 40 ⫻ 6 – 7 cm, acute at base, equal, wavy and
hyaline along margin, apex acuminate; dark green
on upper side, pale beneath, glabrous; midrib
green, glabrous; parallel nerves many, glabrous;
petiole 1 – 1.5 cm long, grooved above. Ligule 1.7
– 1.9 cm long, margin entire, apex nearly rounded,
coriaceous, glabrous, green. Spike radical, ovoid,
10 – 14.5 ⫻ 4 – 5 cm, compact, many-flowered, 2 – 4
flowers at a time; peduncle 5 – 8 cm long. Bract
ovate, boat-shaped, 2.5 – 3.2 ⫻ 0.9 – 1.6 cm,
imbricate, margin ciliate, apex acute to rounded,
appressed-pubescent outside, hair yellow-brown
when dry, densely hairy towards base, glabrous
inside, red. Bracteole tubular, 1.4 – 1.7 ⫻ 0.3 – 0.4 cm,
thin, pink, 2-lobed; lobes nearly equal or unequal,
rarely each lobe shallowly lobed into two, margin
ciliate, hairy outside, hair yellow-brown, glabrous
inside. Flowers 3.6 – 4 cm long, pale yellow, born
singly from each bract and bracteole. Calyx cylindrical, tubular, slightly longer than corolla tube,
2 – 2.2 ⫻ 0.3 – 0.4 cm, pale pink, unequally split,
3-clefted; cleft 2 – 6 mm deep, apex hairy, hairy
outside, glabrous inside. Corolla tube shorter than
calyx, 1.8 – 2 cm long, c. 3 mm width at mouth, pale
yellow, pink towards base, hairy outside, densely
hairy towards mouth inside, glabrous towards
base; dorsal corolla lobe ovate, broader than laterals, 1.4 – 1.5 ⫻ 0.8 – 0.9 cm, pale yellow, margin
ciliate near pouch, slightly ciliate near base, apex
pouched, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, c. 10
nerves enter to lobe; lateral corolla lobe oblong,
equal to dorsal lobe with less width, 1.4 – 1.5 ⫻
0.5 – 0.6 cm, pale yellow, sparsely ciliate near base,
apex incurved, glabrous inside, pubescent outside,
4 or 5 nerves enter lobe. Labellum obovate, 3-lobed;
mid lobe bifid, 1.5 – 1.6 ⫻ 1 – 1.1 cm, pale yellow,
parallel hyaline-nerved, nerves diverge to periphery, densely hairy in middle part inside, margin
entire, glabrous. Lateral staminodes rarely branching, 1 – 2 mm long, glabrous. Stamens shorter than
lip, 1.1 – 1.2 cm long; filaments 4 – 5 ⫻ 2 – 2.5 mm,
creamy-white, sparsely hairy outside, hairy inside;
connective produced into a crest, slightly hairy;
crest very small, semi-lunar, emarginate, c. 4 ⫻ 1
mm, pale yellow, reaches level of stigma, ciliate
at margin; anthers 2-celled; thecae oblong, c. 7 ⫻
1 mm, cream-coloured, base hairy, base nearly
rounded, margin glabrous, apex nearly acute,
dehiscence complete, linear. Epigynous glands
2 in number, oblong, 3 – 4 ⫻ 1.5 – 2 mm, slightly
notched at apex, cream-coloured, glabrous, style
passing through middle of glands. Ovary inferior,
Q020-Rheedea-080901_CH003.indd 16
obconic, 4 – 5 ⫻ 3 – 3.5 mm, densely hairy outside,
3-loculed; ovules many, on axile placenta, 2 or 3
in each row; style linear, 3 – 3.2 cm long, densely
hairy; stigma subglobose, slightly bulged at one
side, c. 1 mm long, minutely red-spotted, situated
at tip of anther locule, not exceeding crest; mouth
ciliate, opening lateral, elliptic. Infructescence 11 –
18.5 ⫻ 4 – 4.5 cm, elongate during fruiting; fruit a
capsule, 3 – 6 per spike, globose, 1.5 – 3 cm, red,
densely echinate, pubescent; seeds many, 3 – 4 ⫻ 4
– 5 mm, glabrous, brown-red, arillate; aril white.
Flowering & Fruiting: February – April.
Distribution: India and Sri Lanka; in India, this species
is reported only from Agasthyamala Hills of Kerala.
Ecology: Plants growing in deep evergreen forests
at an altitude between 1200 and 2000 m.
Notes: The species can be easily distinguished from
other Amomum spp. by red-coloured bracts, pale
yellow flowers with trilobed lip, semi-lunar anther
crest, yellow-brown indumentum when dry and
echinate red capsule. However, descriptions given
by Burtt & Smith (1983) has 2-lobed calyx instead
of three lobed, corolla lobes flushed with brownish
red on middle of back (here colouration only near
lower part of corolla tube) deep yellow lip instead
of pale yellow and slight changes in size. But the
specimens match with the type and protologue.
Etymology: The specific epithet ‘fulviceps’ derived
from a Latin word ‘fulvous’ means yellow-brown
(tawny) indicates the presence of yellow-browncoloured hairs on surface of bracts, bracteole, calyx
and ovary.
Specimens Examined: INDIA, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram District, Near Nadukanippara, 7.2.2007,
Sanoj 86185; Near Pongalappara, 7.2.2007, Sanoj
86188; Agasthyamala, Athirumala, near camp
shed, 27.2.2008, Thomas & Prasanth 103025, 103027,
103030; beneath Agasthyakoodam, 28.2.2008,
Thomas & Prasanth 103031; forest track, way to Pandavanpara, 29.2.2008, Thomas & Prasanth 103030;
Pongalappara, 1.3.2008, Thomas & Prasanth 103035
(CALI).
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Department of Biotechnology and Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, for the financial assistance
to the research projects on Indian Zingiberaceae
(BT/PR6735/PBD/16/605/2005, dt. 29.9.2006
and SP/SO/PS-52/2005, dt. 17.10.2006). Thanks
are due to the Forest Department, Government of
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V. P. Thomas et al. 17
Kerala, for the necessary permission. We are
thankful to Dr. Siril Wijesundara, Director, Royal
Botanic Garden, Paradeniya, Sri Lanka, for providing digital images of type specimen. Also
thankful to Mr. V. K. Sreenivas, Research Scholar,
University of Calicut, and Mr. Jacob Thomas,
Research Scholar, Tropical Botanic Garden and
Research Institute, Palode, for their valuable help
during plant exploration.
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Rheedea 9: 177 – 180.
Received: 13.6.2009
Revised and Accepted: 3.10.2009
12/23/2009 3:11:40 PM
mamiyil sabu
Deepa Palengara