Abstract
Field based taxonomic revisions play an important part in unfolding new species. During such a revision of Sri Lankan members of the genus Lagenandra, we encountered a new Lagenandra species; Lagenandra peradeniyae with two infraspecific taxa; L. peradeniyae var. peradeniyae and L. peradeniyae var. speciosa. The new species with its infraspecific taxa were studied in detail and compared with the morphology of the other species described in the genus and based on field collected data conservation assessments were performed. A detailed description for the new species and the infraspecific taxa is presented and, a key for the identification of the two varieties of Lagenandra peradeniyae is given for easy identification. With the newly described species, the number of endemic members of Sri Lankan species of Lagenandra rises to twelve and global to twenty. The two recognized infraspecific taxa would be the first below species level taxa described under the genus. According to the IUCN red data category guidelines, Lagenandra peradeniyae qualifies for Critically Endangered category under Criterion B1ab (iii, v) + B2ab (iii, v) and C2 (a) (i).
References
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<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hammer, Ø., Harper, D.A.T. & Ryan, P.D. (2001) PAST: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. <em>Palaeontologia Electronica</em> 4: 1–9.</span></span></span></p>
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<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mace, G.M. (2004) The role of taxonomy in species conservation. <em>Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</em> 359 (1444): 711–719. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2003.1454</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Madola, I., Yakandawala, K., Yakandawala, D. & Karunaratne, S. (2021a) <em>Lagenandra wayambae</em> (Araceae), a new endemic species from a freshwater swamp forest of Sri Lanka. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 489 (2): 216–222. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.489.2.10</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Madola, I., Yakandawala, D., Yakandawala, K. & Karunaratne, S. (2021b) Two new species of <em>Lagenandra</em> (Araceae) from the wet zone of Sri Lanka. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 522 (3): 187–199. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.522.3.2</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nicolson, D.H. (1987) Araceae. <em>In</em>: Dassanayake, M.D. & Fosberg, F.R. (Eds.) <em>A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon</em> <em>Vol. VI</em>, Amerind Publishing Co, Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, pp. 75–85.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Premiumbuces (2021) Available from: https://www.premiumbuces.com/en/ (accessed 25 December 2021)</span></span></span></p>
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<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Schott, H.W. (1857) Cryptocorynenskizze. <em>Bonplandia</em> 5: 219–223.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Schott, H.W. (1859) Cryptocoryne Koenigii. <em>Bonplandia</em> 7: 80–82.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sivadasan, M. & Babu, C.M. (1995) A little known endemic and rare variety of <em>Lagenandra toxicaria</em> Dalzell (Araceae). <em>Rheedea</em> 5: 187–190. </span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sivadasan, M., Jaleel, V.A. & Thomas, B. (2001) <em>Lagenandra keralensis</em> (Araceae), a remarkable new species from India. <em>Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica</em> 42: 153–157.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Smithsonian, The National Museum of Natural History, Botany Collections (2021) Available from: https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/ botany/ (accessed 15 February 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The National Red List - 2020 Conservation Status of the Flora of Sri Lanka (2020) Sri Lanka: Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and the National Herbarium, Department of National Botanic Gardens, pp. 254.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thwaites, G.H.K. (1864) <em>Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylaniae</em>. Dulau & Co, London, pp. 334.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wijerathna, T., Tharanga, D. & Wijesinghe, M.R. (2017) New distribution record of the abandoned-web orb-weaver, <em>Parawixia dehaani</em> (Doleschall, 1859) (Araneae: Araneidae) from the wet zone of Sri Lanka. <em>University of Sindh Journal of Animal Science</em> 1 (1): 1–3.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yakandawala, D. (2012) Present status of fresh water aquatic flora in Sri Lanka.<em> In: </em>Weerakoon, D.K. & Wijesundara, S. (Eds.) <em>The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. </em>Ministry of Environment, Colombo, pp. 186–196.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yakandawala, D., Yakandawala, K., Sathurusinghe, A. & Gunasekara, S. (2013) Is the blooming ornamental aquatic plant industry a threat to the biodiversity of Sri Lanka? <em>The Sri Lanka Forester</em> 35 (Special issue): 1–108. [New Series]</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bastmeijer, J.D. (2021) The <em>Lagenandra</em> pages. Available from: https://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Lagenandra/index.html (accessed 21 January 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Biju, P., Josekutty, E.J. & Augustine, J. (2018) <em>Lagenandra cherupuzhica</em> (Araceae), a new species from Kerala India. <em>Annales Botanici Fennici</em> 55: 139–143. https://doi.org/10.5735/085.055.0116</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chamikara, S. (2011) Threat to Indikada Mukalana. The Nation on 25/12/2011. Available from: http://cea/nsf.ac.lk/handle/1/14776 (accessed 30 July 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crusio, W. & A. de Graaf (1986) <em>Lagenandra dewitii</em> Crusio et De Graaf (Araceae), eine neue Art aus Sri Lanka. <em>Aqua Planta</em> 11 (2): 56–59.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cupido, C.N. (2003) Systematic studies in the genus <em>Merciera</em> (Campanulaceae): a re-assessment of species boundries. <em>Adansonia</em> 25 (1): 33–44.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Daily news.lk (2009) Aquatic ornamental plants: an industry for the future. Available from: http://archives.dailynews.lk/2001/pix/PrintPage.asp?REF=/2009/12/23/bus29.asp (accessed 23 July 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dalzell, N.A. (1852) Contributions to the botany of Western India. <em>Hooker’s Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany</em> 4: 289–295.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">de Wit, H.C.D. (1978) Revisie van het genus <em>Lagenandra</em> Dalzell (Araceae). <em>Mededeelingen van de Landbouwhoogeschool te Wageningen</em> 78 (13): 1–45.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">de Wit, H.C.D. (1983) <em>Aquarienpflanzen</em>. Verlag Eugen Ulmer Stuttgart. pp. 291; 299.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dias, R.K.S. & Udayakantha, W.S. (2016) Nest density and other observations on a population of <em>Aneuretus simoni </em>Emery, 1893 (Formicidae, Aneuretinae) and other ants in Indikada Mukalana Forest Reserve in Sri Lanka.<em> Journal of Insect Biodiversity</em> 4 (12): 1–9. https://dx.doi.org/10.12976/jib/2016.4.12</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Engler, A. (1879) <em>In</em>: A. & C. De Candolle, <em>Monographiae Phanerogamarum</em> II. pp. 620–623.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ESRI (2017) <em>ArcGIS Desktop: Release 10.4</em>. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Graaf, A. & Arends, J.C. (1986) The occurrence of <em>Cryptocoryne</em> and <em>Lagenandra</em> (Araceae) in Sri Lanka. <em>Nordic Journal of Botany</em> 6: 757–764. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1986.tb00476.x</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hammer, Ø., Harper, D.A.T. & Ryan, P.D. (2001) PAST: Paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. <em>Palaeontologia Electronica</em> 4: 1–9.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019) Guidelines for Using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Version 14. Prepared by the Standards and petitions committee. Available from: https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/redlistguidelines (accessed 12 January 2021).</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">JSTOR Global Plants (2021) Available from: https://plants.jstor.org/ (accessed 15 February 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Linnaeus, C. von (1753) <em>Species Plantarum 2.</em> Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm, 1200 pp.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mace, G.M. (2004) The role of taxonomy in species conservation. <em>Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</em> 359 (1444): 711–719. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2003.1454</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Madola, I., Yakandawala, K., Yakandawala, D. & Karunaratne, S. (2021a) <em>Lagenandra wayambae</em> (Araceae), a new endemic species from a freshwater swamp forest of Sri Lanka. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 489 (2): 216–222. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.489.2.10</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Madola, I., Yakandawala, D., Yakandawala, K. & Karunaratne, S. (2021b) Two new species of <em>Lagenandra</em> (Araceae) from the wet zone of Sri Lanka. <em>Phytotaxa</em> 522 (3): 187–199. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.522.3.2</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nicolson, D.H. (1987) Araceae. <em>In</em>: Dassanayake, M.D. & Fosberg, F.R. (Eds.) <em>A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon</em> <em>Vol. VI</em>, Amerind Publishing Co, Pvt Ltd, New Delhi, pp. 75–85.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Premiumbuces (2021) Available from: https://www.premiumbuces.com/en/ (accessed 25 December 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sasikala, K., Vajravelu, E. & Daniel, P. (2019) <em>Fascicles of Flora of India, Fascicle 29 Araceae</em>. Botanical Survey of India. pp. 1–358 & Plate 1–33.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Schott, H.W. (1857) Cryptocorynenskizze. <em>Bonplandia</em> 5: 219–223.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Schott, H.W. (1859) Cryptocoryne Koenigii. <em>Bonplandia</em> 7: 80–82.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sivadasan, M. & Babu, C.M. (1995) A little known endemic and rare variety of <em>Lagenandra toxicaria</em> Dalzell (Araceae). <em>Rheedea</em> 5: 187–190. </span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sivadasan, M., Jaleel, V.A. & Thomas, B. (2001) <em>Lagenandra keralensis</em> (Araceae), a remarkable new species from India. <em>Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica</em> 42: 153–157.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Smithsonian, The National Museum of Natural History, Botany Collections (2021) Available from: https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/ botany/ (accessed 15 February 2021)</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The National Red List - 2020 Conservation Status of the Flora of Sri Lanka (2020) Sri Lanka: Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and the National Herbarium, Department of National Botanic Gardens, pp. 254.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thwaites, G.H.K. (1864) <em>Enumeratio Plantarum Zeylaniae</em>. Dulau & Co, London, pp. 334.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wijerathna, T., Tharanga, D. & Wijesinghe, M.R. (2017) New distribution record of the abandoned-web orb-weaver, <em>Parawixia dehaani</em> (Doleschall, 1859) (Araneae: Araneidae) from the wet zone of Sri Lanka. <em>University of Sindh Journal of Animal Science</em> 1 (1): 1–3.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yakandawala, D. (2012) Present status of fresh water aquatic flora in Sri Lanka.<em> In: </em>Weerakoon, D.K. & Wijesundara, S. (Eds.) <em>The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. </em>Ministry of Environment, Colombo, pp. 186–196.</span></span></span></p>
<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yakandawala, D., Yakandawala, K., Sathurusinghe, A. & Gunasekara, S. (2013) Is the blooming ornamental aquatic plant industry a threat to the biodiversity of Sri Lanka? <em>The Sri Lanka Forester</em> 35 (Special issue): 1–108. [New Series]</span></span></span></p>