The monotypic genus Rivina L. (family Petiveriaceae) with a recognised species Rivina humilis L. is a native of tropical and subtropical America [1, 2]. This species was introduced in Old World as ornamental plant, but escaped from cultivation and widely naturalised in many tropical and subtropical countries of Old World. Now it has become invasive weed in Australia, Indian subcontinent, tropical African countries and Southeast Asian countries. It is commonly known as blood berry, coralberry, ink berry, pigeon berry, rouge plant and turkey berry. A red dye is obtained from the fruits and is used for dyeing and as an ink. The leaves and fruits are edible and the plant is also used in various ethnomedicinal preparations [3].

Materials and Methods

Rivina humilis (Fig. 1) is a polymorphic [4] species and during the plant explorations between 2001 and 2021 under the project Biodiversity Characterisation at landscape level using remote sensing and GIS of National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation and flora of India, various regional floras projects of Botanical Survey of India, the authors examined this plant at several regions of the India including Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Mapping, characterisation of different vegetation in India, identification of disturbance zones based on landscape parameters, delineation of biologically rich areas, survey and documentation of the plant wealth in the country are the major objectives in these projects. Plant exploration sites were selected based on the multi-seasonal LISS-III satellite images. Random sampling, belt and line transect sampling and Whittaker plot sampling methods were used to collect the plant samples and phytosociological data. The collected plant specimens (India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, North Andaman, Diglipur, 13° 14′ 42″ N, 92° 58′ 26″ E, 167 m, 04.11.2001, C.S. Reddy BSID009396; India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, South Andaman, Wandoor, 11° 35′ 14″ N, 92° 36′ 56″ E, 122 m, 04.04.2017, C.S. Reddy BSID009397; India, Rajasthan, Udaipur, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, 24° 34′ 54.65″ N, 73° 42′ 39.47″ E, 575 m, 26.10.2008, Harikrishna & Ravi Kiran, BSID009398; India, Telangana, University College of women, Koti, Hyderabad, 17 22′ 54.50″ N, 78 29′ 12.56″ E, 491 m, 28.10.2021 Sushma & Ravi Kiran BSID009399 & BSID009400) were processed by standard herbarium methods and deposited at Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre Herbarium (BSID), Hyderabad. To designate the lectotypes for three names such as Rivina orientalis Moq., R. portulaccoides Nutt. and R. puberula Kunth., the guidelines of the Article 9.3, and recommendations 9A & 9C of the ICN [5] have been followed.

Fig. 1
figure 1

Rivina humilis L.—A Habit; B and C Inflorescence; D and E Infructescence

Full size image

Results and Conclusion

Critical observations of authors lead to record the several morphological variations in R. humilis, like habit herb to undershrub, height of the plant 15–120 cm, length of petiole 1–10 cm long, leaf size 3–15 × 1.5–8 cm, inflorescence 5–18 cm long, flowers white or pink tinged at apex, berries shiny to dull, scarlet red or orange or yellow or brownish red or pale greyish and seeds glabrous to variously hairy within the population in different geographic regions. Plants growing as an understory in the forests and gardens are producing the white flowers and plants growing at the edges of forests, gardens and near settlements in moderate to high sunlight are producing the pinkish flowers. All the morphological characters of R. andamanensis L.J. Singh & M.C. Naik come within the range of R. humilis L. Therefore, R. andamanensis L.J. Singh & M.C. Naik is treated here as a new synonym of R. humilis L. We observed that the fruits are eaten by birds and help in dispersal of seed to long distances. This species is spreading vigorously in many regions of India, because it is not grazed by animals and fruit set is also high.

Rivina humilis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 121. 1753.

Lectotype (designated by Wijnands in Bot. Commelins 172. 1983): Herb. George Clifford 35 (BM000557794, image!).

Rivina andamanensis L.J. Singh & M.C. Naik in J. Asia–Pacific Biodivers. 13: 484. 2020, syn. nov.

Holotype: India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Middle Andaman, Kalsi Forest, 23 December 2014, L.J. Singh & M.C. Naik 33619 (CAL!).

Rivina bengalensis S.C. Srivast. & T.K. Paul in Indian J. Forest. 26: 357. 2003.

Holotype: India, West Bengal, Howrah, Andul Road, 8 October 2001, T.K. Paul & S.C. Srivastava 28183A (CAL!).

Rivina humilis var. bracteata D. Maity, Sonia Mitra, Manasi Mandal & Maiti in Rheedea 24: 103. 2014.

Holotype: West Bengal, Kolkata, 24 April 2013, Maity 20105 (CUH).

Rivina humilis var. canescens L., Sp. Pl. 1: 122. 1753.

Lectotype (designated by Wijnands in Bot. Commelins 172. 1983): “Illustration of Amaranthus baccifer Circeae foliis" in C. Commelijn, Horti medici amstelodamensis rariorum tam…………..incisae 1: 127, t. 66.1697.

Rivina humilis var. glabra L., Sp. Pl. 1: 121. 1753.

Neotype (designated by Greuter, Fl. Rep. Cuba, Ser. A. Pl. Vasc. 6(3): 13. 2002): Herb. Linn. no. 163.2 (LINN-HL, image!).

Rivina laevis L., Mant. Pl. 41. 1767.

Lectotype (designated by E.S. Kellogg, Fl. Lesser Antilles 4: 193. 1988): Herb. Linn. no. 163.2 (LINN-HL, image!).

Rivina orientalis Moq., Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(2): 12. 1849.

Lectotype (designated here): India, without locality, 1832, Compagnie anglaise des Indes s.n. (P00798989, image!).

Syntype: Sri Lanka (Ceylon), without locality, s.d., Anon. s.n. (P00798988, image!).

Rivina portulaccoides Nutt., Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc. ser. 2, 5: 167. 1835.

Lectotype (designated here): United States of America, Arkansas, Verdigris River, s.d., T. Nuttall s.n. (PH00024664, image!).

Rivina puberula Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. [H.B.K.] 2: 184 1817.

Lectotype (designated here): Venezuela, Cumana, s.d., A.J.A. Bonpland s.n. (P00743923, image!); isolectotype P00670018, image!.

Notes: The specimens in Linnaeus’s possession before the publication of Species Plantarum were usually annotated by him with the Species Plantarum number of that species and the specimens after the publication of Species Plantarum (post-1753) were usually annotated by him with full binomial names [6]. One original specimen for the name Rivina humilis L. is traced at S (S09-36091), which is annotated by Linnaeus as “1 humilis”. The number 1 corresponds to the Species Plantarum number of this species. This specimen is also annotated by Linnaeus filius as “Rivina”.

Rivina orientalis was described by Moquin-Tandon (1849, l.c.) based on the specimens from India, Java and Sri Lanka. Two original specimens are extant at P for the name R. orientalis Moq., one from India (P00798989) and one from Sri Lanka (P00798988). The better preserved specimen P00798989 is designated here as the lectotype as it agrees well with the protologue. Only one original specimen is extant for the name R. portulaccoides Nutt. at PH (PH00024664) and is designated here as the lectotype. For the name R. puberula Kunth, two original specimens are traced at P (P00670018 and P00743923) and the better preserve P00743923 is designated here as the lectotype.