mamiyilsabu
A new species of Torenia (Schrophulariaceae) from Northeast India is described as Torenia minor.
Torenia minor ………….. sp. nov. (Figure 1)
Similar to Torenia flava in its yellow colored flowers, but differ from it in having highly creeping stems, smaller leaves, leaf base cuneate, smaller flowers, flowers solitary in a node, calyx tubular, corolla yellow with glandular hairs towards the throat with red-purple spots, corolla tube yellow, upper lip two lobed and anthers non-appendiculate.
Annual creeping herbs, 10–15 cm tall, rooting from lower nodes, branches numerous. Stems quadrangular, moderately hairy on the angles, green, sometimes tinged with purple. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, sub-sessile to petiolate, leaves decresasing in size up wards; petioles hairy, green, 3–4 mm long; lamina ovate, 12–14 × 9–11 mm, green adaxially and abaxially, apex acute, margins serrate, base cuneate, villous, especially on the upper surface;. Flowers axillary, solitary, not in pairs in a node, 10–11 × 4–5 mm, unequally pedicellate,. Pedicels quadrangular, hairy, green, sometimes longer than the calyx, up to 22 mm long. Calyx tubular, 5-keeled, 5-toothed, 7–8 × 3–4 mm in flower, green, hairs at the angles, 12–13 × 6–7 mm in fruit, accrescent, margins ciliate, base round. Corolla bilipped, 10–11 × 4–5 mm, yellow, red-purple spots towards the throat and with glandular hairs, corolla tube cylindric, yellow, dilated above, exceeds calyx by 2–3 mm, lower lip 3-lobed, upper lip 2-lobed, margins wavy. Stamens four, inserted, 0.4–0.5 cm long, didynamous, without appendage; filaments arched, non-appendiculate; anthers perfect, divaricate. Ovary elongated, 2–3 mm long, glabrous; style filiform, longer than the calyx, stigma bilamellate. Capsule narrow, elongated, 8–9 × 2–3 mm, completely invested by the accrescent calyx, half of style persistent. Seeds small, numerous, shortly cylindrical or ellipsoidal, scrobiculate.
Torenia minor ………….. sp. nov. (Figure 1)
Similar to Torenia flava in its yellow colored flowers, but differ from it in having highly creeping stems, smaller leaves, leaf base cuneate, smaller flowers, flowers solitary in a node, calyx tubular, corolla yellow with glandular hairs towards the throat with red-purple spots, corolla tube yellow, upper lip two lobed and anthers non-appendiculate.
Annual creeping herbs, 10–15 cm tall, rooting from lower nodes, branches numerous. Stems quadrangular, moderately hairy on the angles, green, sometimes tinged with purple. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, sub-sessile to petiolate, leaves decresasing in size up wards; petioles hairy, green, 3–4 mm long; lamina ovate, 12–14 × 9–11 mm, green adaxially and abaxially, apex acute, margins serrate, base cuneate, villous, especially on the upper surface;. Flowers axillary, solitary, not in pairs in a node, 10–11 × 4–5 mm, unequally pedicellate,. Pedicels quadrangular, hairy, green, sometimes longer than the calyx, up to 22 mm long. Calyx tubular, 5-keeled, 5-toothed, 7–8 × 3–4 mm in flower, green, hairs at the angles, 12–13 × 6–7 mm in fruit, accrescent, margins ciliate, base round. Corolla bilipped, 10–11 × 4–5 mm, yellow, red-purple spots towards the throat and with glandular hairs, corolla tube cylindric, yellow, dilated above, exceeds calyx by 2–3 mm, lower lip 3-lobed, upper lip 2-lobed, margins wavy. Stamens four, inserted, 0.4–0.5 cm long, didynamous, without appendage; filaments arched, non-appendiculate; anthers perfect, divaricate. Ovary elongated, 2–3 mm long, glabrous; style filiform, longer than the calyx, stigma bilamellate. Capsule narrow, elongated, 8–9 × 2–3 mm, completely invested by the accrescent calyx, half of style persistent. Seeds small, numerous, shortly cylindrical or ellipsoidal, scrobiculate.