Abstract
Thismia, a genus of mycoheterotrophic plants, is reported for the first time from mainland India, from Neryamangalam forests in Idukki district of Kerala, along with a new species, T. sahyadrica. Thismia sahyadrica, described and illustrated here, is unique within Thismia in having a mitre with a single opening; five perianth lobes are fused into a mitre-like structure, while the sixth one is free, forming a lateral single opening of the flower. Due to its unique morphological characteristics, the taxonomic placement of the new species remains obscure, although some root and flower characters suggest an affinity with species from the sections Glaziocharis, Sarcosiphon, Geomitra, and Scaphiophora. Ecological specificity and phytogeographical peculiarities of the new species are also discussed.
Highlights
Thismia Griff. is a genus of mycoheterotrophic plants of the family Thismiaceae with a total of over 60 species mainly distri buted in tropical America and Asia, with a few representatives in subtropical and temperate Asia, Australasia, and North America (Jonker 1938, Campbell 1968, Woodward et al 2007, Cowie & Liddle 2016)
During floristic exploration in the Idukki district of Kerala, which falls under the Anamalai phytogeographical region of the Western Ghats, we have collected a mycoheterotrophic species in the humus-rich soil in a patch of evergreen forest at medium elevation
Among the three subdivisions of southern Western Ghats (Nayar 1996), this location falls in the windward region of the Anamalai High Ranges, which is the central and broader (± 210 km) subdivision situated immediately south of the Palghat Gap
Summary
Thismia Griff. is a genus of mycoheterotrophic plants of the family Thismiaceae with a total of over 60 species mainly distri buted in tropical America and Asia, with a few representatives in subtropical and temperate Asia, Australasia, and North America (Jonker 1938, Campbell 1968, Woodward et al 2007, Cowie & Liddle 2016). During floristic exploration in the Idukki district of Kerala, which falls under the Anamalai phytogeographical region of the Western Ghats, we have collected a mycoheterotrophic species in the humus-rich soil in a patch of evergreen forest at medium elevation.
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