Flora Of India Research Articles

Lectotypifiction of Impatiens duclouxii Hook.f., a new addition to the flora of India from Arunachal Pradesh

This paper reports Impatiens duclouxii Hook.f. as a new addition for India from Arunachal Pradesh. In addition, the scientific name of the species is lectotypified here.

Lectotypification of the basionym and a synonym of Givotia moluccana (Euphorbiaceae) ensuring its unambiguous use

A second-step lectotype is designated for the Linnaean name Croton moluccanus ensuring its unambiguous use as Givotia moluccana (L.) Sreem., for a species treated in most of the Indian and Ceylonese Floras as Givotia rottleriformis Griff. ex Wight. A lectotype is also designated for the synonym G. rottleriformis as the earlier lectotypification of this name was not based on the original material used for describing the species.

Scientific History of Some Alien Plants In India: Origin, Implications And Culture

Indian subcontinent has a rich heritage of biodiversity because of its variable geo-climatic conditions. Several exotic plant species survived since ancient period and became an integral part of Indian flora. Nay, they now seem to be iconic plants and are being venerated. They are valued by the Indians for their esteem, culture and welfare. Select 20 exotic notable species are studied from the standpoint of their origin, distribution, culture and ancient Sanskrit literature. Diverse information about them is adduced from architecture, art, archaeological sites, etymology (philology), anthropology, ancient Sanskrit and religious scriptures. Some of them were once thought introduced by western rulers in the then India few centuries ago. This belief can be easily negated based on the present investigation. They appeared to have been brought in India during pre-Columbian period. They also appear to be indicators of Indian contacts with various parts of the Old World and interestingly even New World.

Notes on the occurrence of orchids Bulbophyllum medioximum, Herminium edgeworthii and H. macrophyllum (Orchidaceae) in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Bulbophyllum medioximum is reported as a new addition to the orchid flora of India along with two new records for the state of Arunachal Pradesh, namely, Herminium macrophyllum and H. edgeworthii. A detailed description supported by the photo plates and updated distribution ranges have been provided.

Second-step lectotypification of the Linnaean name Laurus cassia (Lauraceae) enabling its unambiguous use as Neolitsea cassia

During the course of revision of the genus Neolitsea (Bentham 1880: 161) Merrill (1906: 56), nom. cons. for the “Flora of India Project” currently under preparation in Botanical Survey of India, the author came across the name Laurus cassia Linnaeus (1753: 369) used by Kostermans (1952: 85, 1995: 164) as Neolitsea cassia (Linnaeus) Kostermans (1952: 85) and eventually followed in the Indian Floras (Mohanan & Henry 1994, Londhe 2001, Chakrabarty et al. 2010, Pal 2013). However, reference to literature reveals that another name based on the basionym Laurus cassia is also in use, viz., Cinnamomum cassia (L.) D. Don (1825: 67), treated as an accepted name, e.g., in Flora of China (Li et al., 2008).

Additions to the family Commelinaceae in flora of India

Commelina imberbis Ehrenb. ex Hassk., an African species, and Murdannia crocea subsp. crocea (Griff.) Faden, a Southeast Asian species, have been reported for the first time from India with their typification, descriptions, illustrations, color photographs, and notes on allied species.

Rediscovery of Sterculia striatiflora Mast. (Malvaceae) and its new record for the flora of India

Rediscovery of Sterculia striatiflora Mast. (Malvaceae) and its new record for the flora of India

Lectotypification of some Senegalia and Vachellia species (Mimosoideae, Leguminosae) from India

Subdivision of the former broadly circumscribed genus Acacia Miller (1754) (see Miller & Seigler, 2012 for overview) and the conservation of Acacia with a new type (McNeill & Turland, 2011) has led to many nomenclatural changes globally. As summarized by Maslin (2015) there are currently five genera recognized for taxa previously included in Acacia sens. lat. Of these, the pan-tropical genera Senegalia Rafinesque (1838: 119) and Vachellia Wight & Arnott (1834: 272) encompass the entire indigenous ‘Acacia’ flora of India, with several species of Acacia sens. str. introduced to the subcontinent.

Genus Symphysodontella M. Fleisch. (Pterobryaceae: Bryophyta) - new to the moss flora of the Eastern Ghats

Surveys carried out in the Kolli Hills of Eastern Ghats resulted in the discovery of 2 species of Symphysodontella M. Fleisch. namely S. cylindracea (Mont.) M. Fleisch. and S. involuta (Thwaites & Mitt.) M. Fleisch. of which the former is new to the moss flora of India whereas the latter is new to the moss flora of Eastern Ghats. Detailed descriptions with figures substantiated by photo plates and a key to distinguish the two species are provided. Incidentally, genus Symphysodontella is new to the moss flora of Eastern Ghats.

Two New Distributional Records for the Indian Flora

Two New Distributional Records for the Indian Flora

Identification of Bioactive Compounds from Selected Plectranthus Species by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy

Plectranthus (Linn) is a typical genus of the Indian flora. It had been used in the folk medicines for its several medicinal properties. Little previous phytochemical investigation has been conducted on three Plectranthus species used in traditional medicine. In this study, three species of Plectranthus, varying in growth type (small herbs, shrubs) and traditional usage were investigated for the presence of various biochemical compounds. In the present study, the three economically valuable Plectranthus species such as P. amboinicus (Spreng), P. coleoides (Benth) and P. vettiveroides (Jacob) were selected for phytochemical studies through Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy to identify the phytochemical constituents and functional groups of the compounds. Total 148 phytochemical constituents were identified. The commonly available compounds are Octa decanoic acid, Stigmasterol, Hexa decanoic acid and Ergosterol. The active phytochemical compounds were identified with Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy and their retention time, percentage of area, molecular weight and chemical formula with help of NIST08 and WILEY8 libraries. Accordingly 2-methoxy 4-ethyl 6-methyl phenol, Octa decanoic acid and Spathulenol were derived from P. amboinicus (Spreng), P. coleoides (Benth) and P. vettiveroides (Jacob) respectively. The functional groups are alkanes, amides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, Iso cynate, ketone, phenols, Chloro compounds, alcohols and alkyl compounds were identified through FT-IR analysis of the selected Plectranthus species.

Neotypification of Terminalia paniculata (Combretaceae)

While preparing a revised treatment of the family Combretaceae for “Flora of India Project,” our attention was drawn on Terminalia paniculata Roth (1821: 383) which was described on the basis of a specimen collected by Benjamin Heyne from peninsular India. The species is well documented in Indian Floras (e.g. Wight & Arnott 1834, Beddome 1869, Brandis 1874, Clarke 1878, Cooke 1903, Talbot 1911, Gamble 1919 and Chandrabose 1983). Gangopadhyay & Chakrabarty (1997) in their revision of the family Combretaceae of Indian subcontinent mentioned that the type of this species is not extant. The type material of T. paniculata housed in the Berlin herbarium (B; herbaria acronyms follow Thiers 2017) was presumably destroyed during the World War II. In the Kew herbarium (K), there is a collection by Benjamin Heyne (K000786096: image!) identified and listed in Wallich’s Numerical List as T. triopteris B.Heyne ex Wallich (1831: no. 3980B). This material contains two twigs, one flowering and the other fruiting and this appears to be a specimen not seen by Roth (1821) since he clearly mentioned in the protologue: “Fructum non vidi.” Thus, as per the provisions of the Code (Mc Neill et al., 2012), as there is no other extant original material (Article 9.7) traceable, a neotype (Articles 9.11 and 9.13) is designated here for T. paniculata from Peninsular India, where Benjamin Heyne made botanical explorations (Burkill, 1965). The neotype specimen is housed in the Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, India (CAL) and its duplicate in the Madras Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Southern Regional Centre, Coimbatore, India (MH).

Eleocharis yunnanensis Svenson (Cyperaceae) an Endemic Spikerush of China: A New Record for Indian Flora

Eleocharis yunnanensis Svenson (Cyperaceae) was collected from Shillong of Meghalaya and it is reported first time for Indian flora. The present paper provides a brief description, flowering and fruiting period, localities, habitat of E. yunnanensis.

Current Havoc of TB and its Alleviation by Green Pharmacy Discipline : Medical Biotechnology

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest diseases of humans, with a present worldwide annual mortality rate of over a million. Global resurgence of TB, and the emergence of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively-drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) in India call for the development of new anti-tubercular drugs to combat them. Medicinal plants from the rich heritage of Indian flora, a lesser-explored area as anti-TB green pharmacy till date, offer a hope for the development of alternative medicines, necessitating their potencies to be meticulously scanned and evaluated. For the effective control of MDR-strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a systematic screening of plants would be the first step in the development of a suitable phytodrug, which would also be economically viable in the medicinal plant trade. Use of such non-conventional anti-TB herbal medicines is expected to acquire brisk popularity, owing to the toxicity and overwhelming side-effects of anti-tubercular allopathic medicines. In the present review, a situation report on the on-going global efforts to discover and develop drugs from twelve selected medicinal plants have been discussed, which have ample potential as anti-TB agents, as identified from various sources in the corresponding literature reviewed.

Characterization of Tulbaghia violacea (Tulbaghieae, Allioideae, Amaryllidaceae) from India: a cytogenetic and molecular approach

Tulbaghia violacea, called ‘wild garlic’, is a native of Africa, though it is widely cultivated all over the world for its medicinal and horticultural importance. Absence of the genus from Indian floras and taxonomic surveys, as well as lack of proper molecular and cytogenetic characterizations, have instigated questions regarding origin and divergence of the Indian counterpart from its African relatives. In the present study, morphotaxonomical identification of Indian T. violacea was carried out, along with its karyomorphological characterization, 2C nuclear genome content determination, and analysis of ITS sequence. Mitotic study revealed that this species possessed 2n = 2x = 12 somatic chromosomes, two of which had secondary constrictions, whereas unstable meiotic chromosomal behavior was observed in flower buds, as reported earlier. 2C nuclear DNA content of T. violacea (44.51 ± 0.06 pg) was reported for the first time using flow cytometry, as was the ITS sequence data, from India.

Insect herbivory in Gondwana plants

Plant–insect interaction is dominant in the extant flora and it is estimated that more than one million species of insects directly or indirectly survive on plants. In comparison, such association is limited in extinct flora, mainly due to problem in identifying structural features associated with the insect wronged plant fossils. Concerted efforts and comparative structures observed in extant flora have unfolded the mystery of insect herbivory in fossil plants. The study has helped to understand the feeding pattern and evolutionary features of insects during different time intervals and provide significant evidence to comprehend the co–evolution of plant and insect in the geologic past. Herbivorous insect wings discovered from different Gondwana successions of India belong to families and genera of Homoptera, Heteroptera, Mecoptera, Coleoptera and Blattoidea. The remains of Coleoptera and Mecoptera in all probability represent the earliest record in fossil flora. Insect herbivory is well recognized in Indian flora in the form of insect galls, chewing and eaten marks of leaf margin, disfigurement of lamina, egg–like pouches, trailing marks, mining activity, etc. The available records demonstrate the presence of well-knit coalition of insect–plant interaction in Indian Gondwana successions.
 Diverse type of insect herbivory recovered in the Gondwana flora of India implies that insects used the plants for various purposes such as feeding, shelter and laying eggs for their development/ survival and the process has thus helped in the development and evolution of insects in consortium with plants.

Genus Schwetschkeopsis Broth. (Bryophyta): new addition to Central India

The present work explicates three species of genus Schwetschkeopsis Broth. belonging to family Myriniaceae Schimp., which have been encountered for the first time in central India at Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve. Previously, this genus was known to be distributed at Himalayan and South Indian bryogeographical regions of India with four valid species, of which none were reported from central India. The genus is important as it is the only genus of family Myriniaceae known from India out of the total seven known worldwide and this study highlights the extension of its range of distribution in the country. During the present study three taxa viz. Schwetschkeopsis fabronia (Schwaegr) Broth., Schwetschkeopsis formosana Nog., Schwetschkeopsis elongata (Dixon and P. Varde) P. Varde were identified from the Biosphere Reserve. S. fabronia was encountered as terrestrial moss growing on dry exposed rocks while S. formosana and S. elongata were epiphytic. The presence of three taxa of the important genus Schwetschkeopsis at central India accentuates the importance of the central Indian moss flora as out of four species present in India three occur in this zone.

Nomenclatural Notes on Rubus franchetianus (Rosaceae) and Two New Additions to Indian Rubus

In the present paper, the name Rubus franchetianus H. Lev. is proposed as the correct name for R. fragarioides Bertol. The rearrangement of varietal names under R. fragarioides Bertol. have also proposed here supplementing correct citation and detailed descriptions. R. franchetianus H. Lev. var. franchetianus and R. franchetianus var. pubescens (Franch.) Chand. Gupta & S. S. Dash are recorded for the first time for Indian flora.

Montanoa hibiscifolia (Asteraceae): a new record for India from the Nilgiris, Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India

Montanoa hibiscifolia Benth. (Asteraceae), a naturalized exotic weed in the Western Ghats of India, is reported as an addition to the flora of India. A taxonomic treatment and ecological notes are provided. This species spreads very vigorously in the forests of neighboring areas; it could pose a severe threat to the indigenous plants. Hence, it is suggested that a close observation should be initiated to monitor its invasiveness in the wild.

Carex panduranganii, a new name for Carex nilagirica Viji, Pandur., Deepu & G.C. Tucker (Cyperaceae)

Carex Linnaeus (1753: 972) is one of the largest genera of angiosperms with more than 2000 species in the world (Reznicek 1990, Goetghebeur 1998). In India, Karthikeyan et al. (1989) and Prasad & Singh (2002) reported 160 species, 1 subspecies and 29 varieties. Recently, Viji et al. (2016) recorded a new species from Tamil Nadu which is new to the Indian flora, namely Carex nilagirica Viji, Pandur., Deepu & G.C. Tucker (2016: 1). However, there is another Carex nilagirica published by Hochst ex Steudel (1855: 207), which is currently treated as a heterotypic synonym of Carex filicina Nees (1834: 123). As a result, and under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (McNeill et al. 2012), the name Carex nilagirica Viji, Pandur., Deepu & G.C. Tucker is illegitimate, as it is a later homonym of Carex nilagirica Hochst ex. Steud. (Art. 53.1). Therefore, a new name Carex panduranganii is proposed as a replacement name for Carex nilagirica Viji, Pandur., Deepu & G.C. Tucker.