Devendraea myrtillus (Hook.f. & Thomson) Pusalkar, comb. nov. (Syn: Lonicera myrtillus Hook.f. & Thomson; L. parvifolia var. myrtillus (Hook.f. &Thomson) C.B. Clarke in Hook.f.) as per A New Genus of Himalayan Caprifoliaceae;
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A small shrub or Undershrub. Young branchlets hairy, Leaves oblong-obovate to oblong-elliptic, 0.5-2.2 x 0.3-0.6 cm across, glabrous, lateral veins 4-6 on either side of the midvein, margin entire, apex obtuse to acute or rounded, petiole about 2 mm or subsessile. Flowers axillary in peduncled pairs, actinomorphic, glabrous, bracts like leaves, slightly longer than the calyx lobes, copular bracteoles about the length of the calyx tube, calyx tube apex truncate, calyx limb shallow copular, apex obtuse. Corolla purplish red or white, glabrous, puberulous, hair, lobes orbicular or suborbicular about the half the length of the calyx tube, Stamens 5, anthers bilobed, style included. Fruit purplish red about 0.5 cm in diameter; seeds brownish oblong. Flowering/Fruiting: June-October.
Lonicera species flowers are bisexual i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects.
Seeds dispersed by barochory i.e., gravitational dispersal, endozoochory i.e., dispersal by birds and animals internally, epizoochory i.e., dispersal by animals externally, and anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.
Susceptible to insect pests bug infestations.
Forests at an altitude of 6,500 to 13,000 ft.
Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India (Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, West Bengal), Myanmar, Pakistan.
(Attributions- Ganeshaiah, K. N., UAS, Bangalore, India & Kailash, B. R., UAS & ATREE, Bangalore, India.
PLANT FOR ID: 2 high resolution images.
A shrub from Kinnaur (Sangla valley) H.P I can see the fruit (?) in the 1st image. Can it be some Cotoneaster ? It is not a cotoneaster but a Lonicera I feel it is a Lonicera species. If I am not mistaken, there seem to be few flowering buds in the upper half of first photograph. When were these images clicked ?
What are the species listed in your area ?
I could not find a match as per comparative images at Lonicera I too compared it with lonicera sp. but could not find any match, it do resembles more with cotoneaster but not sure. these images clicked last year during august, it is a shrub with edible fruits. I am attaching more closeups to get broader view of this plant. 3 high resolution images. I guess this must be some Lonicera sp. Looking at the stem branch it looks like Lonicera hispida Pall. ex Schult. : Caprifoliaceae Link shows image of Lonicera litangensis Lonicera sp. (Possibly L. myrtillus). Leafing and fruit shape looks different ! Lonicera myrtillus Wikimedia Commons I think id by … is correct as per GBIF– specimen one and two and as per Wikimedia Commons and as per images and references at Devendraea myrtillus .
LONICERA sp. Bergen Botanical Garden.,,22nd July 2023: Found in Bergen Botanical gardens. Decided it was a very cute Lonicera sp so wrote to the gardens for help to pin it down.
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Just had this reply…
“I checked the specimen. It was received at one of our other gardens in 1995, supposedly wild collected and only determined as ”Lonicera sp.”, unfortunately. The data in our database on this particulkar specimen is rather weird, and not to be trusted. I believe it to have been collected in Kumaon in Uttar Pradesh (India), but the record say something else.
I regret that this is the extent of our current information on this specimen.”
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Can any one here help further?
BUMP…..I fear my title has put you off…this plant is from India! Lonicera obovata Royle I am thrilled to get an answer…that looks just perfect. Your help is very much appreciated.
Thank you.
I was sure someone here would help me!
My lovely expert in Bergen Norway … Lars Torsten Eriksson has come back to me.
The berry is red!
This completely rules out Lonicera obovata…as that has a blueberry.
See 2nd pic in link below.
Quote Lars…..Our specimen seems to be Lonicera angustifolia var. myrtillus, a similar species with red berries.
See attached image from today. (The old flora uses the synonym Lonicera parvifolia.)
Both are from the same plant and from UP, India ? I am very confused.
This is getting a bit technical for me.
Most sites say Lonicera obovatus has blue berries.
Found this link which states Lonicera obovatus berries are red.
In the link it even states exactly where it was found. Most interesting!
On the Kew site for Lonicera angustifolia var. myrtillus.. it shows the red berry but Lonicera obovatus is not listed as a synonym
Quote from link above….
“Homotypic Synonyms
Heterotypic Synonyms
Just have a look at: https://powo.science.kew.org/names:77112378-1 Yes, I agree as per images and details at Most interesting. I see now it is no longer even called Lonicera but Devendraea myrtillus!!!
Never heard of Devendraea before.
No wonder amateurs like me struggle.
. References:
A New Genus of Himalayan Caprifoliaceae by Prashant K. Pusalkar- Taiwania, 56(3): 210-217, 2011
GBIF– specimen one and two and Wikimedia Commons The Plant List Ver.1.1 (Lonicera angustifolia var. myrtillus (Hook. f. & Thomson) Q. E. Yang, Landrein, Borosova & J. Osborne, Fl. China 19: 623 2011. (Syn: Lonicera minutifolia Kitam.; Lonicera myrtillus Hook. f. & Thomson; Lonicera myrtillus var. cyclophylla Rehder); Tropicos
Flora of China (Lonicera angustifolia var. myrtillus (J. D. Hooker & Thomson) Q. E. Yang Syn: Lonicera myrtillus J. D. Hooker & Thomson, J. Proc. Linn. Soc., Bot. 2: 168. 1858; Caprifolium parvifolium Kuntze; L. angustifolia var. rhododactyla W. W. Smith; L. minutifolia Kitamura; L. myrtillus var. cyclophylla Rehder; L. myrtillus var. depressa Rehder.)
Flora of Pakistan (Lonicera myrtillus Hook. f. & Thoms. syn: Lonicera depressa Royle; Lonicera myrtillus var. depressa Rehder; Lonicera parvifolia var. myrtillus (Hook. f. & Thoms.) C.B. Clarke; Lonicera parvifolia* auct. non Edgew.: C.B. Clarke) FOP illustration
Annotated checklist of Flowering plants of Nepal (Lonicera myrtillus Hook. f. & Thomson syn: Lonicera myrtillus var. depressa Rehder; Lonicera parvifolia var. myrtillus (Hook. f. & Thomson) C. B. Clarke) India Biodiversity Portal
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