Short spike indicating *A.bidentata*.(Like) Read the interesting discussion. Dr Satish Phadke
On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 1:50 PM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > This interesting Achyranthes was photographed growing commonly along > roadsides from Dakpathar to all the way up to Chakrata, having the habit, > leaves and inflorescence of A. bidentata but with pink flowers. This plant > needs further critical study in light of the fact that a pink flowered form > of related species A. aspera has been described as distinct species A. > coynei endemic Ghats. Here are points of distinction of concerned taxa: > > *A. coynei:* Perennial shrubby in habit, 2-4 m tall, pubescent when > young, glabrescent when old; leaves broadly elliptic, 15-23 cm long, 7-10 > cm broad, subglabrous above, pubescent beneath, especially along veins; > petiole 1-3 cm long; flowers rosy purple, up to 1.5 cm across when open, > dense on 30-60 cm long spike; bract 5 mm long, bracteoles with papery > wing, tepals up to 8 mm long, pseudostaminodes fimbriate; utricle 5 mm long. > > *A. aspera:* Perennial herb up to 1 m tall, 4-angled, slightly inflated > at nodes, pubescenct., branches opposite; leaves opposite, broadly > obovate to elliptic-oblong, hairy on both surfaces, apex obtuse, slightly > mucronate; petiole up to 1.5 cm long; flowers green to tinged red, in > terminal spikes, initially condensed finally up to 40 cm long; rachis > densely hairy, angular; bracts 3-4 mm long, lanceolate, bracteoles spiny, > 3-5 mm long, rigid with two basal membranous wings; perianth 4-5 mm long; > pseudostaminodes crenate at apex; dorsal scale fimbriate or ciliate ; > utricle ovoid, 3 mm long. > > *A. aspera *var.* porphyristachya*: Perennial herb 1.4-2 m tall, densely > branched; leaves opposite, broadly elliptic, 7-25 cm long, acuminate; spike > slender > > *A. bidentata:* Perennial herb up to 1 m tall, green or tinged purple, > some what 4-angled, appressed pubescent or nearly glabrous, branches > opposite; leaves opposite, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, up to 12 cm > long, thinly hairy especially below, apex caudate; flowers green or > pinkish, up to 5 mm long on terminal usually up to 10 cm long spike; bracts > broadly ovate, 2-3 mm long, bracteoles 3 mm long, spiny, base 2-parted, > apex curved; perianth 4-5 mm long, apex acute erose, without fimbriate > dorsal scale; utricle 2-2.5 mm long. > > > > > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > > -- > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
