A new Phrynium (Matantaceae) from Great Nicobar Island, India

Herbae erectae caespitosae 1.5—2.0 m altae; rhizoma suberectum 1—2 cm diametro. Folia multa apice rhizomatis spiratim aggregata; petioli usque ad 1 m longi basi vaginantes, sparsim pubescentes; laminae ellipticae oblongo-lanceolatae glabrae 18—35 cm longae, 8—15 cm latae, basi acutae vel cuneatae, apice breviter acuminatae, infra subvirides, nervis lateralibus multis parallelis, nervulis multis scalariformibus inter nervos subtiliter transverse reticulatis; costa basi incrassata gradatim angustata et a nervis lateralibus haud distincta. Pedunculus principalis terminalis usque ad 1.5 m altus ad apicem folio uno inflorescentia unaque, raro folium deest; folium pedunculare foliis primariis simile petiolo ad medium usque vaginante parce piloso, apicem versus pubescente. Inflorescentia laxe paniculata e spicis spiculisque constans, in axillam vaginae folii pedunculati, pedunculo ad 15 cm longo, bractea basi vaginante lineari-lanceolata puberula ad 10 cm longa; panicula puberula, 2—10-ramosa usque ad 15 cm longa et 10 cm lata; spicae 2—10, longitudine variantes, 3—8 cm longae usque ad 4 cm distantes e axillis bractearum principaliarum spiratim dispositae in rachibus principalibus; bracteae principaliae ovati-lanceolatae ± 2 cm longae, ± 1 cm latae, extus puberulae margine hirtae, cito ad medium usque, tandem basem versus in fibras multas secedentes; spiculae multae e axillis bractearum primariarum subspiraliter in spicis dispositae, usque ad 2 cm longae; bracteae primariac ovatae obtusae mucronatae ± 1.5 cm longae, ± 1 cm latae, extus puberulae margine hirtae bracteis principalibus similes. Flores albi in cymis parorum 1—3 vel plurorum; omnis par e axilla prophylli, flos unus paris omnis primo aperiens, ceterus invicem; prophyllum externum magnum dorsaliter 2-carinatum ovato-lanceolatum margine incurvum ± 14 mm longum et ± 5 mm latum, alis carinarum fimbriatis; prophylla interiora dorsaliter 3-carinata parva; pedicelli omnis paris basi connati ± 1 mm longi. Calycis lobi usque ad basim discreti, lineari-lanceolati extra hirti,± 1.2 cm longi, ± 2 mm lati. Corolla basi tubularis, tubo ± 7 mm longo lobis oblongis ovatis erectis obtusis ± 8 mm longis. Staminodia 4 in tubum connata tubum corollae adnata; lobi staminodiorum extemorum subaequales; lobus magnus obovatus obtusus marginibus recurvatis, ± 1 cm longus, ± 8 mm latus; lobus parvus subspathulatus recurvatus, ± 7 mm longus, ± 3 mm latus; staminodium interioris carnosum cucullatum, lobo laterali apicem styli includenti, ± 6 mm longum et ± 3 mm latum; staminodium interiorissimum cucullatum, staminodium extimum magnum omnino adnatum apicem stigmatis includens, infra stigma callo carnoso puberulo instructum, lobo ad laterem stigmatis auriculato. Stamen fertile 1-cellulare appendice subulata ± 1 mm longa uno latere instructum; filamenti segmentum librum ± 3 mm longum; anthera oblonga apiculata lutea ± 2 mm longa. Ovarium ±2 mm longum dense aureo villosum; stylus tubum staminalem adnatus ± 1 cm longus segmento libro cucullato ± 4 mm longo; stigma truncata irregulariter lobata. Fructus 3-lobatus sparsim breviter hirtus rubiginosus ± 9 mm longus, ± 7 mm latus; semina 3 oblonga subtrigona lurida ± 7 mm longa et ± 4 mm diametro arillis 2 lobatis albis lobis lineari-acuminatis ± 3 mm longis. Erect caespitose herbs, 1.5—2.0 m tall; rhizomes suberect, 1—2 cm thick. Leaves many, spirally crowded at apex of rhizome; petiole sheathing at base, up to 1 m long, sparsely pubescent; leaf-blade elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, acute to cuneate at base, shortly acuminate at apex, 18—35 cm long, 8—15 cm wide, glabrous, whitish green beneath; lateral nerves many, parallel, with many fine scalariform transversely reticulate nervules in between; midrib thickened towards base, gradually narrowed and indistinct from lateral nerves towards apex. Main peduncle terminal, up to 1.5 m tall, bearing one leaf and inflorescence at apex, rarely without leaf; peduncular leaf similar to primary leaves; petiole up to 15 cm long, sheathing at basal half, scattered hairy, pubescent towards apex. Inflorescence Inflorescence a lax panicle of spikes and spikelets, arising from axil of peduncular leafsheath with up to 15 cm long stalk, subtended by up to 10 cm long, linear-lanceolate, sheathing, puberulous bract at base; panicle up to 15 cm long, up to 10 cm wide, 2—10- branched, puberulous; spikes 2—10, of various length, 3—8 cm long, arranged at distances of up to 4 cm apart in axils of spirally arranged bracts on main rachis; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ± 2 cm long, ± 1 cm wide, puberulous outside, hairy at margins, soon splitting up in upper half into many fibres, later up to base; spikelets many, subspirally arranged on spikes in axils of primary bracts, up to 2 cm long; primary bracts ovate, obtuse, mucronate, ± 1.5 cm long, ± 1 cm wide, puberulous outside and along margins, similar to main bracts. Flowers white, in cymes of 1—3 or more pairs; each cymule (pair of flowers) in axil of a prophyll, one flower in each pair opening first, the other next; outer prophyll large, 2-keeled at back, ovate-lanceolate, ±14 mm long, ± 5 mm wide, incurved at margins, minutely fringed on wings of keels; inner prophylls 3-keeled at back, smaller; pedicels of each pair of flowers united at base, ± 1 mm long. Calyx-lobes free up to base, linear-lanceolate, ± 1.2 cm long, ± 2 mm wide, hairy outside. Corolla-tube ± 7 mm long; lobes oblong, ovate, obtuse, ± 8 mm long, erect. Staminodes 4. united into a tube and adnate to the corolla-tube; lobes of outer staminodes subequal; larger lobe obovate, obtuse, with recurved margins, ± 1 cm long, ± 8 mm wide; smaller lobe subspathulate, recurved, ± 7 mm long, ± 3 mm wide; fleshy inner staminode hood-shaped with a lateral lobe enclosing style apex, ± 6 mm long, ± 3 mm wide; innermost staminode hooded, entirely adnate to outer large staminode, enclosing lip of stigma, with a fleshy puberulous callus below stigma and an auricular lobe at side of stigma. Fertile stamen 1-celled, with a thin, subulate, ± 1 mm long appendage on one side; free portion of filament ± 3 mm long; anther ± 2 mm long, oblong, apiculate, yellow. Ovary ± 2 mm long, densely golden hairy outside; style adnate to staminodial tube, ± 1 cm long; free portion curved, hooded, ± 4 mm long; stigma irregularly lobed, truncate. Fruit 3-lobed, ± 9 mm long, ± 7 mm wide, sparsely short hairy, reddish-brown; seeds 3, oblong, subtrigonous, ± 7 mm long, ± 4 mm thick, dull brown; arils 2, lobed, white; lobes linear-acuminate, ± 3 mm long.