Biogeographical distribution of meliolaceae members in India

Abstract

This paper gives an account of 533 taxa belonging to the meliolaceous genera: Amazonia (27), Appendiculella (8), Armatella (12), Asteridiella (60), Irenopsis (27), Meliola (397) and Prataprajella (2) known from India. Biogeographically, India has been classified into ten regions. Of these, the Trans Himalayan, Desert, Semi Arid and Coastal vegetations are apparently devoid of meliolaceous taxa. The Western Ghats is presently represented by 488 taxa (Amazonia 24, Appendiculella 5, Armatella 12, Asteridiella 54, Irenopsis 26, Meliola 365 and Prataprajella 2), and the Himalayan region 12 taxa (Amazonia 1, Appendiculella 1, Asteridiella 1 and Meliola 9). Deccan region 16 taxa (Amazonia 1, Appendiculella 1, Asteridiella 1 and Meliola 13), Gangetic plain with 39 taxa (Amazonia 1, Appendiculella 4, Armatella 1, Asteridiella 5, Irenopsis 1 and Meliola 27), northeastern India with 7 taxa (Amazonia 1, Meliola 6) and all the Islands represent three species (of the genus Meliola). Bio-geographically, most of the fungi are restricted in their distribution to a particular region, but there are a few which are common to Eastern and Western Ghats, Western Ghats and Himalayan region, Eastern Ghats and Himalayan regions and Western Ghats and the Islands.