A Revision of the Genus Machilus Nees (Lauraceae) in the Indo-Burmese Region

Abstract

A taxonomic revision of the genus Machilus Nees is presented for the Indo-Burmese region including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Twenty two species (one species with two varieties) are recognized, keyed out and treated with references, type citations, synonymy, flowering and fruiting periods, local names and uses, habitat, distribution and the specimens examined. Machilus globosa Das and Persea upendrae M.Gangop. are merged with Machilus declinata (Blume) de Kok, whereby the range of distribution of the species is extended to India. Machilus macrantha Nees and M. glaucescens (Nees) Wight, treated either as conspecific or distinct species by different authors, are recognized here as two distinct varieties of a single species, M. macrantha. A new combination, Machilus hedgei (M.Gangop. & A.Sarmah) Chakrab, P.P. Ghoshal, Anand Kumar & V.K. Rawat, based on Phoebe hedgei M.Gangop. & A.Sarmah is proposed. Eight accepted names (or their basionyms) and five synonyms have been lectotypified. Two species, M. arunachalensis (M.Gangop.) M.Gangop. and M. thunbergii Siebold & Zucc. are excluded from the treatment as doubtful or imperfectly known species