e-Flora of Thailand

Volume 7 > Part 3 > Year 2001 > Page 484 > Melastomataceae > Sonerila

2. Sonerila erecta Jackwfo-0001280639

Mal. Misc. 1: 7. 1820; Stapf in King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 69: 23. 1900; Ridl., Fl. Malay Penins. 1: 780. 1922. Fig. 43.


Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.



Synonyms & Citations :

Sonerila tenera Royle, Illustr. Bot. Himalaya 215, fig. 2, pl. 45. 1839; Guillaumin in Lecomte, Fl. Gén. I.-C. 2: 915, fig. 99 (capsule). 1921; Ridl., op. cit.: 781; Craib in Fl. Siam. Enum. 1: 695. 1931.
Sonerila tenera var. robustior Guillaumin, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 2: 329. 1913.
Sonerila epilobioides Stapf & King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 69: 22. 1900; Craib in Fl. Siam. Enum. 1: 690. 1931.
Sonerila erecta var. discolor Stapf & King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 69: 24. 1900.
Sonerila erecta var. flexuosa Stapf & King, J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 69: 24. 1900.
Sonerila nisbetiana Craib, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1915: 429. 1915; in Fl. Siam. Enum. 1: 693. 1931; Guillaumin in Lecomte, Fl. Gén. I.-C. 2: 916.


Description : An erect, usually much-branched herb, 5–50 cm tall, branchlets ± quadrangular, glandular-pilose or puberulous. Leaves distributed along the branchlets, those of a pair isomorphic, thinly membranous, elliptic-oblong, lanceolate, or linear, 0.6–3 x 0.4–2 cm, base acute, cuneate, or attenuate, apex acute or rounded, margin finely serrate or remotely coarsly ciliate, with 1(–2) pair(s) of lateral primary veins departing from the blade base, sparsely setose on the upper surface, more densely so below, or glabrous, petioles 0.2–0.4 cm long. Inflorescence a terminal cincinnus to 11 cm long, 3–7 flowered with the flowers arranged in two rows, peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm long, hairy. Hypanthium very slender, cylindrical, 3.5–6 mm long, sparsely glandular-setose; calyx lobes ovate-triangular, 1–1.5 mm long; pedicels 1–3 mm long. Petals ovate, 4–5(–7) mm long, pink. Stamens 3, anthers ca 2.5 mm long, yellow. Capsule cylindrical and slender, 6–11 mm long and ca 2.3 mm wide, obtusely ribbed, smooth, sometimes sparsely pilose.


Thailand : NORTHERN: Chiang Mai (Doi Suthep – type of Sonerila nisbetiana: Kerr 1549 -B BK K), Nan, Lampang, Phitsanulok; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; EASTERN: Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram; CENTRAL: Saraburi; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; PENINSULAR: Ranong, Satun (Terutao – type of S. epilobioides: Curtis 2114 -K).


Distribution : India, S China, Burma, Malay Peninsula (Penang – type) and Archipelago.


Ecology : Understory of deciduous or evergreen forests, locally abundant, from 100–1,300 m alt.


Notes: A fragile or wiry herb, variable in size and hairiness, but easily recognized by its slender cylindrical hypanthia and capsules.


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