J. Biodivers. Conservation 10(2): 190-197
2026
ISSN: 2457-0761 (online)
Sanjeet Kumar 1* and Rajeev Kumar Singh2
1Biodiversity and Conservation Laboratory, Ambika Prasad Research Foundation, Cuttack, Odisha, India
2Botanical Survey of India, Arid Zone Regional Centre, AIIMS Road, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
*E-mail: sanjeetaprf@gmail.com; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9538-397X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20711083
Article Details: Received: 2026-02-18 | Accepted: 2026-06-10 | Available online: 2026-06-16
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Abstract: The name Agalma griffithii Seem. is lectotypified based on the specimen Griffith 2064 (K000792991) preserved at K. Because the lectotype consists only of vegetative material and lacks the diagnostic floral characters necessary for the precise application of the name, the specimen Griffith 2698 (K000792992) is designated here as an epitype to ensure its unambiguous interpretation.
Keywords: Epitype, Heptapleurum elatum, Heptapleurum griffithii, Holotype, Lectotype
Introduction
The genus Heptapleurum Gaertn. (Araliaceae) comprises about 322 species distributed from tropical and subtropical Asia to Australia (Lowry & Plunkett, 2020; POWO, 2026). In India, the genus is represented by 29 species and one variety. Among these, H. agasthiyamalayanum (Manickam, Murugan, Sundaresan & Jothi) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett, H. bourdillonii (Gamble) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett, H. capitatum (Wight & Arn.) Seem., H. chandrasekharanii (Ramam. & Rajan) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett, H. clarkei Lowry & G.M.Plunkett, H. ellipticum var. obliquinervium (Gamble) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett, H. maduraiense (K.Ravik. & V.Lakshm.) G.M.Plunkett & Lowry, H. racemosum (Wight) Bedd. and H. rostratum (Wight) Bedd. are endemic to the southern Western Ghats. In the recent treatment of the genus for the Flora of India, H. bengalense (Gamble) Esser, H. clarkeanum (Craib) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett and H. ellipticum var. macrophyllum (C.B.Clarke) Lowry & G.M.Plunkett were treated as distinct taxa (Murugan et al., 2025). However, Esser (2021) considered H. clarkeanum and H. ellipticum var. macrophyllum conspecific with H. bengalense. Agalma griffithii was described by Seemann (1864) based on material collected by W. Griffith in Bhutan (Griffith 2064). No holotype was designated in the protologue, nor was any herbarium indicated. During the present study, two original specimens of Griffith 2064 were traced, one at K (K000792991) and the other at G (G00237113). Of the two original specimens, the specimen at K is selected as the lectotype of the name. Both specimens comprise only vegetative material and lack inflorescences and flowers, precluding the assessment of several diagnostic characters mentioned in the protologue. This suggests that the material examined by Seemann may have been more complete at the time of description. Because the lectotype is inadequate for the precise application of the name, an epitype is designated in accordance with Art. 9.9 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Turland et al., 2025). The specimen Griffith 2698 (K000792992), which bears well-preserved leaves, inflorescences and flowers and agrees with the current application of the name, is selected as the epitype.
Typification
Heptapleurum griffithii (Seem.) Kottaim., Arisdason & Murugan, Fl. India 11: 389. 2025.
≡ Agalma griffithii Seem., J. Bot. 2: 299. 1864. Heptapleurum elatum var. griffithii (Seem.) C.B.Clarke, Fl. Brit. India [J.D. Hooker] 2: 728. 1879. Schefflera elata var. griffithii (Seem.) Maheshw., Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 376. 1960.
Lectotype (designated here): Bhutan, s.d., W. Griffith 2064 (K000792991!, Figure 1); isotype G00237113! (Figure 2).
Epitype (designated here): Bhutan, s.d., W. Griffith 2698 (K000792992!, Figure 3).
= Hedera elata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 187. 1825. Heptapleurum elatum (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) C.B.Clarke, Fl. Brit. India [J.D. Hooker] 2: 728. 1879, nom. illeg., non (K.Koch ex Hook.f.) Hiern, Fl. Trop. Afr. [Oliver et al.] 3: 30. 1877. Agalma elatum (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Seem., J. Bot. 2: 298. 1864. Schefflera elata (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Harms, Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler & Prantl] III, 8: 38. 1894. Sciodaphyllum elatum (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Seem., J. Bot. 3: 267. 1865.
Holotype: Nepal, Narainhetty, 13 November 1802, F. Buchanan-Hamilton s.n. (BM000521699!, Figure 4).
= Schefflera bhutanica R.N.Banerjee, Bull. Bot. Surv. India 8: 100. 1966.
Holotype: Bhutan, 4000 ft., 27 November 1876, G. King’s collector s.n. (CAL0000010485!, Figure 5); isotype CAL0000010486!.
Notes: The lectotype and isolectotype of Agalma griffithii Seem. consist only of vegetative material and lack the floral characters necessary for accurate identification and application of the name. To ensure nomenclatural stability and facilitate its precise interpretation, the specimen Griffith 2698 (K000792992) is designated here as an epitype under Art. 9.9 of the ICN (Turland et al., 2025).
Distribution: Bhutan, China (Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and West Bengal), Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam.
Figure 1: Lectotype of Agalma griffithii Seem. (K000792991, © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
Figure 2: Isolectotype of Agalma griffithii Seem. (G00237113, © Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève, Switzerland)
Figure 3: Epitype of Agalma griffithii Seem. (K000792992, © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
Figure 4: Holotype of Hedera elata Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don (BM000521699, © The Natural History Museum, London)
Figure 5: Holotype of Schefflera bhutanica R.N.Banerjee (CAL0000010485, © Central National Herbarium, Howrah)
Acknowledgements
The authors express their gratitude to the curators of CAL, BM, K, and G for providing online images and information on the type specimens. The second author thanks the Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, and the Head of Office, Botanical Survey of India, Arid Zone Regional Centre, Jodhpur, for facilities and support.
References
Esser, H.-J. (2021). Schefflera (Araliaceae) in Thailand becomes Heptapleurum. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany) 49(1): 151–154. https://doi.org/10.20531/tfb.2021.49.1.19
Lowry II, P.P. and Plunkett, G.M. (2020). Resurrection of the genus Heptapleurum for the Asian clade of species previously included in Schefflera (Araliaceae). Novon 28(3): 143–170. https://doi.org/10.3417/2020612
Murugan, C., Arisdason, W. and Kottaimuthu, R. (2005). Heptapleurum Gaertn. In: Murugan, C., Arisdason, W., Manikandan R., Sujana, K.A., Murugesan, M. and Mao, A.A. (eds.), Flora of India, Vol. 11. Botanical survey of India, Kolkata. pp. 379–399.
POWO. (2026). Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Available from: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ (accessed 24 January 2026).
Seemann, B.C. (1864). Revision of the natural order Hederaceae. Journal of Botany, British and Foreign 2: 289–309.
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