Abstract
Morphological, phenological and ecological evidences support the exclusion of Exacum courtallense var. laxiflorum Gamble (synonym: E. courtallense var. bonaccordense M. Mohanan) from E. courtallense Arn. resulting in the establishment of a new species Exacum laxiflorum (Gamble) Geethakumary, Deepu, Kissling & Pandurangan.
References
<p>Arnott, G.A.W. (1839) Exaci species ex peninsula Indica ac ex insula Ceylano. <em>Annales de Sciences Naturelles; Botanique</em>, Sér. 2, 11: 175–176.</p>
<p>Beddome, R.H. (1874)<em> Icones Plantarum Indiae Orientalis</em>. J.B. Pharoah, Madras, pp. 24, t. 118. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.92</p>
<p>Blume, C.L. (1826) <em>Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indië</em>. Lands Drukkerij, Batavia. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.115427</p>
<p>Clarke, C.B. (1885) [<em>Exacum lawii</em>].<em> In: </em>Hooker, J.D., <em>Flora of British India</em>, vol. 4. L. Reeve & Co., London, pp. 98.</p>
<p>Gamble, J.S. (1923) <em>The Flora of Presidency of Madras</em>, Vol. 2. Adlard and Son Ltd., London, 875 pp.</p>
<p>Grisebach, A.H.R. (1845) [<em>Exacum</em>].<em> In: </em>A.P. de Candolle, <em>Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis</em>, vol. 9. Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz, Paris, pp. 46. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.286</p>
<p>Geethakumary, M.P., Pandurangan, A.G., Ravichandran, P. & Deepu, S. (2016a) A new species of <em>Exacum </em>(Gentianaceae) from Western Ghats, India. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 282 (3): 225–229. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.282.3.6</p>
<p>Geethakumary,M.P., K.M.P.Kumar, Pandurangan, A.G. & Deepu, S. (2016b) <em>Exacum keralense</em> (Gentianaceae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India. <em>Botany Letters </em>163 (4): 429–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2016.1225267</p>
<p>Gopalan, R. (2002) A new species of <em>Exacum</em> L. Gentianaceae from Agasthiyamalai (Pothigai), southern Western Ghats India. <em>Journal of Bombay Natural History Society</em> 99 (2): 271–273.</p>
<p>Henry, A.N. & Swaminathan, M.S. (1983) Rare or new <em>Exacum</em> L. (Gentianaceae) from Southern India. <em>Journal of Bombay Natural History Society</em> 80: 456–459.</p>
<p>IUCN (2012) <em>IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition</em>. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge.</p>
<p>Kissling, J., Yuan, Y.-M., Küpfer, P. & Mansion, G. (2009) The polyphyletic genus <em>Sebaea</em> (Gentianaceae): A step forward in understanding the morphological and karyological evolution of the Exaceae. <em>Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution</em> 53: 734–748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.07.025</p>
<p>Kissling, J., Zeltner, L., Küpfer, P. & Mansion, G. (2008) Cytogeography of Gentianaceae-Exaceae in Africa, with a special focus on <em>Sebaea</em>: the possible role of dysploidy and polyploidy in the evolution of the tribe. <em>Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society</em> 158: 556–566. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2008.00888.x</p>
<p>Klackenberg, J. (1985) The genus <em>Exacum </em>(Gentianaceae). <em>Opera Botanica </em>84: 1–144.</p>
<p>Linnaeus, C. (1753) <em>Species Plantarum. Vol. 1</em>. Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 560 pp.</p>
<p>Mallikarjuna, M.B., Scheriff, A. & Krishnappa, D.G. (1987) Chromosome number reports XCVII (ed. A. Löve). <em>Taxon</em> 36: 766–767. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1996-8175.1987.tb00894.x</p>
<p>Mohanan, M. (1994) [<em>Exacum</em>].<em> In: </em>Mohanan, M. & Henry, A.N. (Eds.) <em>Flora of Thiruvananthapuram</em>. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, p. 305.</p>
<p>POWO (2019). <em>Plants of the World Online</em>. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ (Accessed 11 May 2021).</p>
<p>Roxburgh, W. (1832) [<em>Exacum tetragonum</em>].<em> In: </em>Roxbourgh, W & Carey, W., <em>Flora indica</em>, vol. 1. Serampore, pp. 398. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.590</p>
<p>Sasidharan, N. (2004) <em>Biodiversity Documentation for Kerala. Part 6: Flowering Plants.</em> Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, 702 pp.</p>
<p>Shahina, P.M. & Nampy, S. (2016) A taxonomic revision of <em>Exacum </em>L. (Gentianaceae - Exaceae) in South India. <em>International Journal of Applied Research</em> 4 (3): 1656−1683. [https://www.journalijar.com/article/8728/a-taxonomic-revision-of-exacum-l.-(gentianaceae---exaceae)-in-south-india/]</p>
<p>Theirs, B. (2021 [continuously updated]) <em>Index Herbariorum: A global Directory of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff. New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium.</em> Available from: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ (Accessed 15 August 2021).</p>
<p>Yuan, Y.M., Wohlhauser, S., Moller, M., Klackenberg, J, Callmander, M. & Kupfer, P. (2005) Phylogeny and biogeography of <em>Exacum </em>(Gentianaceae): a disjunctive distribution in the Indian Ocean Basin resulted from long-distance dispersal and extensive radiation. <em>Systematic Biology </em>54: 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150590905867</p>
<p>Beddome, R.H. (1874)<em> Icones Plantarum Indiae Orientalis</em>. J.B. Pharoah, Madras, pp. 24, t. 118. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.92</p>
<p>Blume, C.L. (1826) <em>Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indië</em>. Lands Drukkerij, Batavia. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.115427</p>
<p>Clarke, C.B. (1885) [<em>Exacum lawii</em>].<em> In: </em>Hooker, J.D., <em>Flora of British India</em>, vol. 4. L. Reeve & Co., London, pp. 98.</p>
<p>Gamble, J.S. (1923) <em>The Flora of Presidency of Madras</em>, Vol. 2. Adlard and Son Ltd., London, 875 pp.</p>
<p>Grisebach, A.H.R. (1845) [<em>Exacum</em>].<em> In: </em>A.P. de Candolle, <em>Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis</em>, vol. 9. Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz, Paris, pp. 46. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.286</p>
<p>Geethakumary, M.P., Pandurangan, A.G., Ravichandran, P. & Deepu, S. (2016a) A new species of <em>Exacum </em>(Gentianaceae) from Western Ghats, India. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 282 (3): 225–229. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.282.3.6</p>
<p>Geethakumary,M.P., K.M.P.Kumar, Pandurangan, A.G. & Deepu, S. (2016b) <em>Exacum keralense</em> (Gentianaceae), a new species from the Western Ghats, India. <em>Botany Letters </em>163 (4): 429–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2016.1225267</p>
<p>Gopalan, R. (2002) A new species of <em>Exacum</em> L. Gentianaceae from Agasthiyamalai (Pothigai), southern Western Ghats India. <em>Journal of Bombay Natural History Society</em> 99 (2): 271–273.</p>
<p>Henry, A.N. & Swaminathan, M.S. (1983) Rare or new <em>Exacum</em> L. (Gentianaceae) from Southern India. <em>Journal of Bombay Natural History Society</em> 80: 456–459.</p>
<p>IUCN (2012) <em>IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition</em>. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge.</p>
<p>Kissling, J., Yuan, Y.-M., Küpfer, P. & Mansion, G. (2009) The polyphyletic genus <em>Sebaea</em> (Gentianaceae): A step forward in understanding the morphological and karyological evolution of the Exaceae. <em>Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution</em> 53: 734–748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.07.025</p>
<p>Kissling, J., Zeltner, L., Küpfer, P. & Mansion, G. (2008) Cytogeography of Gentianaceae-Exaceae in Africa, with a special focus on <em>Sebaea</em>: the possible role of dysploidy and polyploidy in the evolution of the tribe. <em>Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society</em> 158: 556–566. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2008.00888.x</p>
<p>Klackenberg, J. (1985) The genus <em>Exacum </em>(Gentianaceae). <em>Opera Botanica </em>84: 1–144.</p>
<p>Linnaeus, C. (1753) <em>Species Plantarum. Vol. 1</em>. Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, 560 pp.</p>
<p>Mallikarjuna, M.B., Scheriff, A. & Krishnappa, D.G. (1987) Chromosome number reports XCVII (ed. A. Löve). <em>Taxon</em> 36: 766–767. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1996-8175.1987.tb00894.x</p>
<p>Mohanan, M. (1994) [<em>Exacum</em>].<em> In: </em>Mohanan, M. & Henry, A.N. (Eds.) <em>Flora of Thiruvananthapuram</em>. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, p. 305.</p>
<p>POWO (2019). <em>Plants of the World Online</em>. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ (Accessed 11 May 2021).</p>
<p>Roxburgh, W. (1832) [<em>Exacum tetragonum</em>].<em> In: </em>Roxbourgh, W & Carey, W., <em>Flora indica</em>, vol. 1. Serampore, pp. 398. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.590</p>
<p>Sasidharan, N. (2004) <em>Biodiversity Documentation for Kerala. Part 6: Flowering Plants.</em> Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala, 702 pp.</p>
<p>Shahina, P.M. & Nampy, S. (2016) A taxonomic revision of <em>Exacum </em>L. (Gentianaceae - Exaceae) in South India. <em>International Journal of Applied Research</em> 4 (3): 1656−1683. [https://www.journalijar.com/article/8728/a-taxonomic-revision-of-exacum-l.-(gentianaceae---exaceae)-in-south-india/]</p>
<p>Theirs, B. (2021 [continuously updated]) <em>Index Herbariorum: A global Directory of Public Herbaria and Associated Staff. New York Botanical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium.</em> Available from: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ (Accessed 15 August 2021).</p>
<p>Yuan, Y.M., Wohlhauser, S., Moller, M., Klackenberg, J, Callmander, M. & Kupfer, P. (2005) Phylogeny and biogeography of <em>Exacum </em>(Gentianaceae): a disjunctive distribution in the Indian Ocean Basin resulted from long-distance dispersal and extensive radiation. <em>Systematic Biology </em>54: 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150590905867</p>