Xenostegia tridentata subspecies

[J.M. Garg]

Catalogue of life gives three subspecies out of which two are found in India, as per below:

Xenostegia tridentata subsp. angustifolia (Jacq.) J. Lejoly & S. Lisowski (Saudi Arabia (Asir), South Africa (Limpopo, North-West Prov., Gauteng, Mpulamanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, N-Cape Prov.), Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Sao Tome, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Comores (Mayotte, etc.), Madagascar, peninsular Malaysia, Indochina, trop. Asia, India, Sri Lanka, China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Philippines, Lesser Sunda Isl., Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia, Palau Isl. (I) (Babeldaob (I)))

Xenostegia tridentata subsp. tridentata (China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan), Taiwan, Cambodia, India (Bengal), Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar [Burma] (Mandalay, Taninthayi, Yangon), New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia (Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland), Puerto Rico (I), peninsular Malaysia, Borneo (Natuna Isl., Anambas Isl.), Sumatra (Bangka Isl.), Sulawesi, Moluccas (Aru Isl.), Lakshadweep Isl. (Laccadives), Christmas Isl. (Australia))

Xenostegia tridentata var. pubescens Rendle (Caprivi Strip, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania)

I could not find the difference on net among two subspecies found in India.

Based on the distribution, our observations at Xenostegia tridentata may be of Xenostegia tridentata subsp. angustifolia (Jacq.) J. Lejoly & S. Lisowski 

I will correct our page, after getting feedback in this regard, if any.

Can anybody give the distinction between the two subspecies ?
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With regards,
J.M.Garg

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[J.M. Garg]

On further checking, however, Flora of peninusular India says that Both subspecies are found in south India as per

Merremia tridentata subsp. hastata (syn. of Xenostegia tridentata subsp. angustifolia (Jacq.) J. Lejoly & S. Lisowski)

Merremia tridentata subsp. tridentata (syn. of Xenostegia tridentata subsp. tridentata)

Book at Merremia tridentata subsp. hastate says in note that subsp. tridentata also occurs in S. India but has leaves and outer sepal obtuse- emarginate.

[J.M. Garg]

However details at Merremia tridentata subsp. hastata and Merremia tridentata subsp. tridentata seem to be contradictory.

[J.M. Garg]

Flora of China gives M. tridentata subsp. hastata (H. Hallier) van Ooststroom as a syn. of Xenostegia tridentata (Linnaeus) D. F. Austin & Staples

[dr.rakesh Singh]

Sir, 

subsp. angustifolia photographs O have seen from Africa ...leaves show an extreme of change in length and width . I do not remember seeing a post with that extreme variation . 

There is variation in corolla color too...near white to deep yellow , and corolla center with or without maroon color . 

There is X. tridentata subsp. alatipes with winged pedicel and winged outer lobes of calyx . 

There is one more variant with lot of hairs . 

I shall go through the posts here and on facebook . 

[J.M. Garg]

WCSP further confuses the matter as it accepts all these subspecies as below:

Xenostegia tridentata subsp. angustifolia (Jacq.) Lejoly & Lisowski, Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 38: 379 (1993). (Trop. & S. Africa)

Xenostegia tridentata (L.) D.F.Austin & Staples, Brittonia 32: 533 (1980 publ. 1981). (Trop. & Subtrop. Old World including India and Srilanka)

Xenostegia tridentata subsp. hastata (Ooststr.) Parmar, J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 251 (1994). (SE. China to Trop. Asia and Caroline Is. including Assam, India and Srilanka)

[dr.rakesh Singh]

Sir ,

Leaves are very variable . 

I perused posts in Indian Flora ... lot of variation , sometimes extreme . 

Today I visited the species ...uploading one image . So much variation in one vine ...

[dr.rakesh Singh]

One more 

[dr.rakesh Singh]

One more ... Please see them zooming in . 

In the meantime , Flora of Karnataka says var hastata has obtuse or emarginate leaftip , var tridentata has acute , mucuronate tip ... Specimen I saw has no emarginate leaf ,( but I think I have seen them too ) but leaf variation suggests any such classification is going to be a fruitless exercise . 

I shall show fb posts with extreme variation later .

On Tue, Oct 15, 2019, 16:09 dr.rakesh Singh <dr.rake...@gmail.com> wrote:

One more 

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Rakesh ji.

This is contradictory to Book at Merremia tridentata subsp. hastata which says in note that subsp. tridentata also occurs in S. India but has leaves and outer sepal obtuse- emarginate.

[dr.rakesh Singh]

Ok , so I made a mistake again and reversed the chatacters in describing subspecies . 

I am getting slopy . 

Any way , nowhere is the mention of leaf tip trifid with variable width between 3 points , occuring with other leaves having simple acute mucuronate tip . 

My point is , many specimen need to be examined before settling this debate . 

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Rakesh ji

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[dr.rakesh Singh]

Leaves from one stem !

I went through the detailed article by D. F. Austin who separated it from Merremia and gave it the name "Xenostegia" . 

He talks about African population and Asian population of this species , and goes on to say , in Srilanka and in South India 

both African and Asian types are found and this is because this species was a very important medicinal plant , that is why it moved with trade and traders . In whole long paper , he never talks about subspecies and varieties . 

Ana Rita Simoes , and George Staples in their works acknowledge lot of variations ,( even word 'polymorphic' has been used ), but refuse to divide this Taxon  into  inferior taxa . 

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[J.M. Garg]

Thanks, Rakesh ji. 
When were these publications made? 

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With regards,
J. M. Garg

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[dr.rakesh Singh]

Sir , soon I shall upload relevant pages in screen shot with details and links . 

[dr.rakesh Singh]

Ana Rita Simoes in 2007

 

http://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/15560970.pdf

Staples in 2017 https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/183/4/561/3739737 

In 2019 May , A R Simoes has published her work on Xenostegia , unfortunately that paper is not available online ...only abstract 

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/aspt/sb/2019/00000044/00000002/art00017 

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[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Rakesh ji.

Wonderful !!! Very recent work.

It lists all subspecies under Xenostegia tridentata only.