Strobilanthes anisophylla T. Anderson 1865

Strobilanthes anisophylla (Wall. ex Hook.) T. Anderson (1865: 43).

Ruellia anisophylla Wall. ex Hooker (1826; published in late Jan). Lectotype (designated here): Plate No. 191 in Hooker (1826) Exotic Flora.

Ruellia persicifolia Lindley (1826; published 1 Feb). Lectotype (designated by Wood and Scotland, 2009): ‘Plant grown by Mr Colvill’s nursery from seed introduced by Mrs Fairlie, presumably from Calcutta’ unlabelled portion on top left of sheet labelled Ruellia anisophylla, annotated “1” and cross-referenced below to H. H. S. [Herbarium Horticultural Society] (CGE ex Herb. Lindley!),

Strobilanthes persicifolia (Lindl.) J.R.I. Wood (2009: 27).

Ruellia anisophylla Loddiges (March 1826: pl. 1070). Type: Pl .. 1070 in Botanical Cabinet, drawn from a cultivated plant grown from seeds from France.

Goldfussia anisophylla (Wall. ex Hook.) Nees (1832: 88).

Specimens of Strobilanthes anisophylla were cultivated in the Kolkata (Calcutta) Botanic Garden before 1826 and seeds were sent to Europe where it was cultivated in both France (Loddiges, 1826) and England (Hooker 1826, Lindley 1826). Colour plates of the three species were published in three different places within a few weeks of each other. Unfortunately Wood & Scotland (2009) failed to note that the publication of Ruellia anisophylla Hook. antedates that of R. persicifolia Lindl. by a few days according to the publication dates given by Stafleu & Cowan (1978). The combination Strobilanthes persicifolia is therefore unnecessary.

In his description of Ruellia anisophylla, Hooker stated that he “received this singular plant at our Botanic Garden (that is, in Glasgow, where Hooker was then working) from Mr Mackay, nurseryman of Islington, to whom it was sent from the Calcutta Botanic garden,” where it had been cultivated from plants collected by Wallich in Nepal. This indicates that the drawing was based on the cultivated plant but there is clearly an error about its native origin. Strobilanthes anisophylla is not known from Nepal and all the specimens in the Wallich herbarium are from Sylhet (Khasi Hills) and the Calcutta Botanic Garden. Examination of Hooker’s herbarium, now at K, reveals no suitable specimen which could be selected as a lectotype so the readily identifiable image in Hooker’s Exotic Flora is here selected as lectotype instead.

Strobilanthes anisophylla has been widely cultivated, but is only known as a native plant from Bhutan, the West Bengal Duars and Meghalaya. It seems most likely that cultivated plants originated from Meghalaya as neither Bhutan not the West Bengal Duars had been visited by botanists at the time of its introduction to cultivation. It should be noted that Strobilanthes isophylla is merely a form of S. anisophylla only known in cultivation.