—233— Saurauia Willd., comprising of 300 species (Mabberley 2005), is distributed in tropical Asia and America (Cuong et al. 2007, Dressler and Bayer 2004, Soejarto 2004). Hooker (1874) and Paul (1993) described eight species from British India and India, respectively. While collecting the materials for fora of Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Giridih District, Jharkhand State, India between 2004 and 2006, the first author collected an interesting tree species of ca.10 m high, leafless in flowering during the month of March, on the hill top. A search of Indian herbaria and literature revealed that it belongs to the genus Saurauia Willd. (Actinidiaceae), but the characters do not match with any existing species. The specimens along with a description were sent to Prof. D. D. Soejarto, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, USA, for confrmation. His opinion confrms it as a new species, which is described and illustrated herein. The species is allied to S. cerea Dyer but differs in having a cymose inforescence with many-flowered fascicles, yellow flowers and 27–35 stamens in two rows. Saurauia parasnathensis V. Ranjan & S. C. Srivastava, sp. nov. [Figs. 1, 2] Specibus differt aliis Saurauia cerea Dyer petalis flavis, inflorescentiae cymosae multifloris fasciculis et staminibus 27–35 bistratus ornata. Type: INDIA: Jharkhand State, Giridih District, Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary, alt. ca.1200 m, 21 March 2005, Vinay Ranjan 37947A (holotype–CAL), 37947B (isotype– CAL). Trees up to 10 m high, branchlets brownish-black with ruptured bark and scars of inflorescence. Petiole 2.0–4.0 cm long, stout, rusty, pulvinus base, canaliculated. Lamina 22–25 cm long,13.5–18.5 cm wide, obovate, coriaceous, glabrous above, more or less unguiniculate hairs on mid vein and lateral veins beneath, obtuse apex, obliquely cuneate at base, sub-entire margin at base, broadly serrate towards apex, mid vein prominent depressed and forming a groove above, lateral veins 20–28(–30) in pairs, some A New Species of Saurauia (Actinidiaceae) from Jharkhand State, India Vinay ranjan and S. C. srivastava Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India Howrah–711103, INDIA E-mail: ranjanv_alld@rediffmail.com (Received on November 25, 2008) Saurauia parasnathensis V. Ranjan & S. C. Srivastava is described from India as new to science. This species is characterized by having cymose inforescence with many- fowered fascicles, yellow fowers and 27–35 stamens in two rows. Key words: Actinidiaceae, India, new species, Saurauia. J. Jpn. Bot. 84: 233–236 (2009)