Sonerila rheedi

  

 

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Sonerila rheedi Wight & Arn. 

Wight Arn. Prodr. (1834) p. 321 (not Wall. Cat. 4096). A small herb 4-6 in. high ; stem distinct, quadrangular, sparsely clothed with weak hairs. Leaves 1.1/4-3 by 5/8-1.1/2 in., ovate, remotely bristle-serrate, often tinged with purple, the upper surface sparsely clothed with short thick bristles, the lower surface paler and usually with minute scaly points, base subcordate or rounded ; petioles 1/2-1.1/2 in. long, usually with a few scattered weak hairs. Flowers 4-8, crowded, subumbellate on terminal or axillary peduncles which are sometimes 2.1/2 in. long ; pedicels 1/8-1/6 in. long, hairy. Calyx 3/16-1/4 in. long, hairy ; lobes triangular, deciduous. Petals violet, 1/3 in. long, oblong-obovate, acute. Anthers 3/16 in. long, bright-yellow, subulate, sagittate at the base. Capsule 1/8-1/6 in. long. Seeds with raised points. Grah. Cat. p. 71. Sonerila Wallichii, Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 11 (1898) p. 637.—Flowers : July-Aug. 

Triana (Trans. Linn. Soc. v. 28 [1873] p. 77) and, following him, Mr. C. B. Clarke (Hook. f. Fl. B. 1. v. 2, p. 538) reduce this plant to S. Wallichii (Benn. Pl. Jav. Rar. p. 215) and cite S. Rheedii, Wall., 4096, as equivalent to S. Rheedei, Wight & Arn. Cogniaux (DC. Monogr. Phan. v. 7, p. 512) follows Mr. Clarke with a query, while the ‘ Index Kewensis retains S. Rheedii as a separate species, citing both Wall, and Wight & Arn. The two plants, S. Rheedei, Wight & Arn,, and S. Rheedii, Wall., are, however, quite distinct and belong to different sections, the first having a stem and the latter (S. Rheedii, Wall.), which is conspecific with S. Wallichii, Benn., and with S. acaulis, Bedd. (Trans. Linn. Soc. v. 25 [1866] p. 216), being entirely stemless. S. Rheedei, Wight & Arn., should properly take its place in Fl. B. I. after no. 32, S. maculata, Roxb., to which it is nearly allied. Konkan : S. Konkan, Nimmo ex Graham. Kanara : Karwar, Talbot, 10 !—Distrib.  

(From The Flora of the Bombay Presidency (1903) from  IBIS Flora)