BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA Nelumbo Vol 62 (2): (117-120) 2020 ISSN (Print) : 0976-5069 10.20324/nelumbo/v62/2020/155000 ISSN (Online) : 2455-376X A new variety of Amorphophallus konkanensis (Araceae) from Telangana, India J. Swamy* and L. Rasingam Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre, Kendriya Sadan, Hyderabad -500095, Telangana, India *Corresponding author: swamy.2706@gmail.com Hkkjr ds rsyaxkuk jkT; ls ,ekZsQksQSyl dks.kdkusfUll ¼,sjslh½ ds u;s izHksn dk vUos”k.k ts- Lokeh ,oa ,y- jkflaxe lkjka’k iz Lrq r 'kk s /k i= es a Hkkjr ds rs ya xkuk jkT; dh fdUukjklkuh oU; tho vHk;kj.; ls ,ek Z s Qk s QS yl dk s .kdkus fUll gs V~ V- ,l- vkj- ;kno ,oa ds - ,l- ikfVy ¼,s js lh½ dk s vUos f"kr ,oa of.k Z r fd;k x;k gS A ABSTRACT A new variety of Amorphophallus konkanensis Hett., S. R.Yadav & K. S. Patil (Araceae) is described and illustrated here from the Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary of Telangana state, India. Keywords: Eastern Ghats, Kinnerasani, Rhaphiophallus, Wildlife Sanctuary Submitted : 16.09.2002 Accepted : 05.12.2020 Date of Publication 30.12.2020 INTRODUCTION Te genus Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. (Araceae) is distributed in tropical Africa, Madagascar, tropical and subtropical Asia, the Malay Archipelago, Melanesia and Australasia with c. 200 species (Mayo & al., 1997; Jaleel & al., 2011). Few species of the genus are important sources of wild food for tribal communities of India and Southeast Asia. Te solitary petioles and the tubers are ofen cooked and eaten. In India, the genus is represented in three sections viz., Candarum Engl., Conophallus (Schott) Engl. and Rhaphiophallus (Schott) Engl. with 22 species and 4 varieties (Sasikala & al., 2019). While exploring the foristic diversity of Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana, the senior author has collected few Amorphophallus specimens with tubers. Te same has been introduced in the ofce garden of Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad for further studies. Te tubers produce the fowers during the month of May 2020. On critical examination of the specimens with relevant literature revealed that, the species is close to the Amorphophallus konkanensis Hett., S.R.Yadav & K.S.Patil, a species described from Konkan regions of Maharashtra (Hetterscheid & al. 1994) and widely reported from Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (Mujafar & al. 2012; Chorghe & al. 2017; Sasikala & al. 2019) but difers in the spathe characters. Hence, it has been described here as new variety under the Amorphophallus konkanensis. TAXONOMY Amorphophallus konkanensis Hett., S.R.Yadav & K.S.Patil var. kinnerasaniensis J. Swamy & Rasingam var. nov. (Figs. 1, 2) Type:- India, Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad (introduced from Banjara Beat, Regulagudem Section, Yanambailu Range, Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana, 17.82468° N, 80.66724° E, 211 m.s.l.), 22. 05. 2019 [inforescence], J. Swamy 009797 (Holotype BSID).