Many thanks Gurcharan ji for this upload. In light of the keys put, requesting a fresh look at Prashant's upload (*Rubia cordifolia* - https://groups.google.com/d/msg/indiantreepix/q5IZ2nmhDRg/7z0TB5delPEJ) having maroon coloured flower ... the same upload earlier queried for ID at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/indiantreepix/3lvnWc6PBFU/E5R70uekKOMJ
Regards. Dinesh On Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 1:59 PM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > *Rubia manjith* Roxb. ex Fleming, Asiat. Res. 11: 177. 1810 > syn: *Rubia* *cordifolia* var. *khasiana* G.Watt; *R. cordifolia* var. * > munjista* (Roxburgh) Miquel > > These two plants have confused me since i collected two very distinct > species of Rubia, not able to place precisely because most authors > considered R. manjith as synonym of R. cordifolia, and as such I named one > with broader leaves as R. cordifolia and narrow leaved in R. manjith. Today > while looking at the nomenclature in The Plant list and descriptions in > eFlora of china where both are described as distinct species, I realised > that it was rather reverse, a decision reinforced by looking at our > collections in flower from Chakrata which had red flowers, broader leaves > and even young fruits looking red. There are rather three closely related > species differentiated as under: > > 1a. Dried plants flushed with red, particularly on lower leaf side; > corolla rotate, > purplish red, red, or orange, with spreading lobes of 1.2-1.5 mm; > mature fruit dark > red...............................................................................................Rubia > manjith > 1b. Dried plants green, gray, or yellowish (if rarely flushed with red > then corollas > campanulate with reflexed lobes); corolla white, yellow, greenish, > or red; > mature fruit black, dark blue, or > orange...............................................................2 > > 2a. Stems smooth or sparsely aculeolate; petiole usually up to 6 cm long; > flowers > purplish red, greenish yellowish, or whitish; fruit 3.5-4 mm in > diam., > black at > maturity......................................................................................................Rubia > wallichiana > 2b. Stems rather markedly or sparsely aculeolate; flowers greenish, > yellowish, or whitish; fruit 4-6(-7) mm in diam., orange at > maturity.........................Rubia cordifolia > > > Here are my photographs of what I think Rubia manjith from Chakrata > > > -- > 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://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > >
