The plants are very distinct, no one ever confuses them. One without corona
now correctly known as Holarrhena pubescens, commonly known as Indrajao,
feverpod and perhaps the real Kutaja of Ayurveda.
The other is the Wrightia antidysenterica, the coral swirl popularly
sold in nurseries under the name arcticsnow, Snowflake. A plant with
distinct corona, petals distinctly obovate, also known as Meethi indrajao.
Let us also bring in the related species Wrightia tinctoria with smaller
flowers, linear petals, also known as sweet indrajao
To resolve this confusion let us go to the original descriptions in
Flora of British India and synonyms. The first plant is described as named
by Wallich and subsequently A. deCandolle, and hence citation Wall. ex DC.
in recent publications. Wrightia antidysenterica Grah cited as synonym. FBI
is not sure about synonymy of Chonemorpha antidysenterica G. Don.
Wrightia tinctoria is a distinct species and should not come in
confusion except for names indrajao and kutaja sometimes applied.
The third crucial plant is one described as Wrightia zeylonica (L.) R.Br.
with Nerium antidysentericum L. and Nerium zeylanicum L.
At the time Flora of British India, synonyms were cited but basionym
author was not included in the accepted name. When this practice started
Chonemorpha G. Don remained unknown and combination came to be known as
Holarrhena antidysenterica (L.) Wall. ex A. DC., many not bothering to know
where this L. came from, even after recently it has been understood that
correct name for this plant been understood as H. pubescens. Pl. see
citations below:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=115580
http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Holarrhena%20pubescens_En.htm
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-1800031
The second website, though a very reputed one, but puts first black and
white illustration correctly but coloured photograph shows Wrightia
antidydenterica. The Plant List worst confused, even putting H. pubscens as
unresolved name. The correct synonymy can be seen at:
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?102211
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=210000702
The second plant very distinct though remained in confusion because people
remembered L., but forgot where it came from till it was finally known that
Wrightia zeylanica (L.) R. Br. be correctly known as Wrightia
antidysenterica (L.) R. Br., and it is based on Nerium antidysentericum.
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?451290
The unfortunate thing being that people remembered antidysenterica but
never bothered to know where it came from, and got tagged wrongly to
Holarrhena antidydenterica (L.) Wall. ex A. DC., instead of correct H.
anitdysenterica (G. Don) Wall. ex A.DC.
as synonym for H. pubescens. Perhaps also important to mention that
earliest name for this species was given by Roth in 1821 as Echites
antidysenterica 1821 as against Chonemorpha antidysenteria G Don, 1838, but
Roth's name can't be taken as basionym (Roth can't go in parenthesis) as it
is a a later homonym of Echites antidysenterica (L.) Roxb. ex Fleming.
--
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/
--
