3. Paris L., Sp. Pl. 1: 367 (1753).
Taxon Description
Perennial herbs, with creeping thick rhizome bearing annular scars. Stems erect, simple, with basal scale. Leaves 4–12, in a terminal whorl of oblong, lanceolate, obovate-oblong or oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, petiolate or sessile leaves. Flower single, terminal, pedicellate. Number of floral parts inconsistent. Outer tepals 2–10, herbaceous, persistent, leafy, free and green, rarely white, ovate to lanceolate. Inner tepals usually same number as outer tepals, filiform. Stamens usually twice number of inner tepals, filaments narrow, flat, attached at base of tepals, anthers basifixed with two lateral thecae, connective sometimes prolonged as an apiculus. Ovary superior, oblong-globose, angled, truncate with thickened rim at apex, 1-loculed with parietal placentation, with many ovules, style short, thick, divided into stigmatic 4–7 lobes at apex. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds several to many with fleshy, red scarlet aril or sarcotesta.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide 27 species mainly from Europe and Temperate Asia (Christenhusz et al., 2017). Four species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1 a Ovary multilocular with axile placentation; fruit an indehiscent berry …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1. P. forrestii
b Ovary unilocular with parietal placentation; fruit a dehiscent capsule ….………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….. 2
2 a Leaves marked with white along the veins ………………………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………..… 2. P. marmorata
b Leaves not marked with white along the veins ……………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
3 a Leaves sessile or petiole < 3mm; anther with connective developed into a free part 3.5—6 mm long, seeds black, imperfectly enveloped with red aril …………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….. 3. P. thibetica
b Leaves petiolate, petiole > 3mm; anther connective inconspicuous < 3 mm; seeds white, enveloped with red sarcotesta ……..………… 4. P. polyphylla
1. Paris forrestii (Takht.) H. Li, Act. Bot. Yunnan. 6 (4):359 (1984).
Daiswa forrestii Takht., Brittonia 35:268 (1983).
Perennial herbs, stem green, purple or purplish black 15—60 cm tall. Leaves 4—7 in a terminal whorl, petiolate 2.5—7cm long, oblanceolate, oblong, oblong obovate or obovate; base subrounded to subcordate, apex acute or acuminate. Flower solitary, pedicel green or purple, 4.5—40 cm long erecting in flowering and bending in fruiting; sepals green, ovate, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1.5—5.0 cm X 0.6—2.0 cm; petals yellowish-green, filiform, ca. 0.1 mm X 4.5 –12.5 cm. Stamens 2 times petal number, arranged in two whorls; filaments greenish-yellow, 3—7 mm; anthers light yellow, 5—15 mm, dehiscing by a lateral slit; free portion of connective inconspicuous. Ovary green or red with axile placentation with 4—7 ridges. Style 1.5—5.5 mm, red, orange or purplish green with an enlarged base; stigmas 4—7, 4—13 mm long, usually revolute. Berry green or dark red at maturity, indehiscent. Seed numerous, white or yellow, ovoid, slightly enveloped by spongy aril.
Distribution: Nepal, Tibetan Plateau and Assam-Burma.
Altitudinal Range: ca. 600−3200 m.
Ecology: Evergreen (deciduous) broad-leaved and coniferous forests, bamboo thickets and Rhododendron scrubs.
Flowering: March−May. Fruiting: June−October.
The specimen of Paris forrestii is not available for examination, hence, its description of Paris forrestii is cited after “A Monograph of Paris (Melanthiaceae) Morphology, Biology, Systematics and Taxonomy, pp. 115—122, by Yunheng Ji (2021)”.
2. Paris marmorata Stearn, Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Bot. 2(3): 79, pl. 8, f. 11 (1956).
Paris polyphylla subsp. marmorata (Stearn) H.Hara; P. violacea sensu Noltie in Fl. Bhutan
3(1): 23 (1994), non H.Lév.
Perennial herbs, stem green or purple 5–20 cm tall, small, erect with 2–3 X 0.5–1cm thick, annulate rhizome. Leaves 4–8 in a terminal whorl, sessile to subsessile less than 3mm, oblong or lanceolate, 4–7cm X 1–2cm, adaxially green with white markings along the veins, abaxial surface dark purplish, base cuneate with acute apex. Flower solitary; pedicel green or purple, 1–2 cm, upto 10 cm in fruit. Outer tepals leafy, 2–4, adaxially green with white markings, abaxially light green, narrowly lanceolate, 2–3cm X 0.5–1cm, inner tepals shorter or slightly longer than outer tepals, green and slightly widened distally, green proximally, filiform-linear ca. 2cm. Stamens 2 times outer tepals, arranged in two whorls, 4–8 in numbers, 2–4 in each whorl, 4–5mm long, filaments short, 2–3 mm long, anthers 2–3 mm long, yellow, free portion of connective inconspicuous. Ovary green, subglobose, 4–7 ridges, unilocular with parietal placentation. Style conical 1—2 mm, stigma 4–7, short, curved, 1—2 mm long. Capsule globose, irregularly dehiscent at maturity, 4–7 ridges, 1–3 cm in diameter. Seeds white, subglobose, 3—4 mm in diameter, completely covered by the red sarcotesta.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau.
Altitudinal Range: 2800−3000 m.
Ecology: Forest floor of broad-leaved forest.
Flowering: June−August. Fruiting: August−November.
3. Paris thibetica Franch., Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 10: 184 (1888).
Paris polyphylla var. appendiculata H. Hara, Fl. E. Him. 410 (1966).
Perennial herbs, 25–55 cm tall with thickened rhizome 3–5cm X 0.8–1cm and slender roots. Stem 20–47 cm tall, 4–5(-10) mm at base. Leaves blade green, 7–12, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 8–12 X 1–4 cm; petiole usually very short almost sessile, less than 3 mm, base cuneate with acute apex. Flower solitary; pedicel 2–8 cm long, slightly elongated at fruiting. Outer tepals green, narrowly lanceolate, 4–7 X 2–3 cm. Inner tepals yellowish green, narrowly linear, filiform and equal in number of outer tepals, filiform, 3–7cm long. Stamen 2 times number of sepals, arranged in two whorls, stamen 15–20 mm, anthers 14–15 mm, with free portion of connectives 3.5–6mm often equalling or even exceeding the anthers. Ovary green, subglobose, unilocular with parietal placentation, inconspicuously 5-ribbed, 1.5–4cm in diameter. Style short, obsolete or less than 1mm, stigma lobes 4, 2–3mm long. Capsule subglobose, 1–1.5X1—1.3cm dehiscence irregularly. Seeds black, 4—5 X 3—4, imperfectly enveloped with aril.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma and E Asia.
Altitudinal Range: 3000−3500 m.
Ecology: Bamboo thickets and alpine Rhododendron thickets.
Flowering: June−August. Fruiting: August−November.
4. Paris polyphylla Sm., Cycl. 26: 2 (1813).
Paris polyphylla var. wallichii H. Hara; Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla Franch., sensu Noltie, Fl. Bhutan (1994).
सतुवा Satuwa (Nepali).
Perennial herbs, 13–80 (–105) cm tall with 5–10 X 1–2 cm thick, annulate rhizome with slender roots. Stem 10–75 cm tall, 3–5 mm (-1cm) diameter at base. Leaves 6–10 (7) in a terminal whorl, petiole 0.5–3 cm, variable, usually oblong, obovate oblong or oblanceolate, 4–20 X 1.5–7 cm, base rounded to cuneate, entire margin, acute apex. Flower solitary, pedicel usually purple, 0.5–5cm, up to 8 cm in fruit. Outer tepals leafy, 3–6, large, leaf-like, green or yellow-green, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 3–11 cm X 1–2.5 cm; inner tepals long, linear, usually yellow-green, longer than outer ones, filiform, 1.5–7cm long and 1–1.5 mm wide. Stamens 6–10 in number and 9–15mm long, filaments 2–9 mm, anther yellow 5–6 mm long, free portion of connective inconspicuous, less than 3 mm. Ovary purple, sub-globose, unilocular with parietal placentation, smooth or tuberculated with 4–7 longitudinal ridges. Style short, 1–2mm, base enlarged, purple to white, stigma lobes usually 4 and each lobe 2–4 mm. Capsule subglobose, 1—4 X 1–2 cm in diameter and dehiscence irregularly. Seeds white, 4—5 X 2—4 mm enveloped with red sarcotesta.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalaya, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma, E Asia and SE Asia.
Altitudinal Range: 1800−3500 m.
Ecology: Damp and shady places under Rhododendron, Acer, Abies, oak and conifer forests.
Flowering: June−August. Fruiting: August−November.
Paris polyphylla var. wallichii H. Hara, Fl. E. Him., 3rd Rep 134 (1975) was treated as a distinct variety by Hara in Enum. Fl. Pl. Nep. 76 (1978). Furthermore Paris polyphylla var. stenophylla Franch., Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 10: 97 (1888), occurs exclusively in E Asia. Both varieties were recognised by Noltie in Fl. Bhutan 3(1): 22–3 (1994) as the distinct varieties of Paris polypphylla. In extreme forms both are rather distinct, var. stenophylla in its more numerous, sessile, narrow leaflets, var. wallichii in its longer petioles and wider leaf blades, but variation in these characters may well be continuous with the typical variety. Anyway, we have treated both varieries: var. wallichii and var. stenophylla sensu Noltie as the synonyms of Paris polyphylla.
Whole plants are highly used in medicine. Paris polyphylla is listed under vulnerable category (V) by IUCN and CAMP.