Sabdariffa furcata M. M. Hanes & R. L. Barrett 2025, comb. nov.

Sabdariffa furcata (Willd.) M.M.Hanes & R.L.Barrett, comb. nov. (Fig. 16 c, d.) Hibiscus furcatus Willd., Enum. Pl. 736 (1809); Hibiscus surattensis var. furcatus (Willd.) Hochr., Annuaire Cons. Jard. Bot. Genève 4: 112 (1900). Type citation: ‘Habitat in India orientali? ’ Type: cultivated in Berlin, origin probably India (holo: B -W 12880-01 0). Descriptions and illustrations Wilson (1999, pp. 56–57). Notes The morphological distinctiveness of the type specimen of H. furcatus Willd. from other Indian Sabdariffa taxa is readily apparent. This species has bifurcate epicalyx lobes, linear to subulate stipules, peduncles <5 cm long in fruit and stems that are relatively finely aculeate or aculeolate. Pradeep and Sivarajan (1991, p. 635) simply state that ‘Willdenow’s name pertains to a very different species as observed by Paul and Nayar (1980, p. 195, 1988, p. 123).’ Paul and Nayar (1980, p. 195) similarly simply state that H. furcatus and H. hispidissimus are distinct entities, without defining the application of H. furcatus Willd. This discussion is largely repeated by Paul and Nayar (1988, p. 123) under H. aculeatus but again, application of H. furcatus Willd. is not addressed. In the key to species in Paul and Nayar (1988) and Paul (1993), the specimen in question would key to S. hispidissima but is clearly a distinct species. Willdenow (1809, p. 736) places a question mark after the cited location ‘ India orientali? ’, indicating doubt over the origin of the material cultivated in Berlin. There is commonly confusion between ‘East India’ and ‘East Indies’ (Indonesia) but the specimen does not readily match any Malesian species either (see Borssum Waalkes 1966). Wilson (1999, p. 49) states that H. furcatus Willd. ‘occurs in India and Thailand’. Indeed, this name was used in a review of Thai Hibiscus (Phuphathanaphong et al. 1989, pp. 49, 54, fig. 4), however the application was confused there, with H. furcatus Roxb. and H. aculeatus Roxb. included as synonyms and the plant illustrated is S. hispidissima. Wilson (1999, pp. 56–57) provides the only description that applies to the type concept, considering this a rare species in India and Thailand, citing a small number of collections. While confusion abounds in the literature and in names applied to specimens in herbaria, we here accept that Wilson’s (1999) concept as the type of H. furcatus Willd. does not match any other species. Photographs that can be matched to the type collection have recently been identified on iNaturalist (observation numbers: 28993434; 64936961; 92749419; 149528955) therefore we can now record the species for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in India. Observations had previously been assigned to S. hispidissima, sometimes with doubt as this has a shrubby habit, quite distinct from the scrambling or climbing habit of S. hispidissima. Distribution Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, India and possibly also in Thailand.