Flora Of India Research Articles

Bulbophyllum dickasonii Seidenf. (Orchidaceae): a new record for India with a complete morphological description

Bulbophyllum dickasonii Seidenf. is reported for the first time from Manipur as an addition to the orchid flora of India. Morphological features of leaves and anther cap which are lacking in the original description are described, and colour photographs are provided.

Soil and Sub Aerial Blue Green algae (Cyanoprokaryotes) of Burdwan, West Bengal, India

During the systematic and ecological investigations on the soil and sub aerial algae of a village locality of Burdwan the authors have encountered 22 taxa of bluegreen algae. Fourteen members are non-heterocystous and remaining eight are heterocystous forms. All the forms were recorded on wet soil or on the sides of drains or irrigation canals. Forms like Porphyrosiphon notarissi Kutz. ex Gomont, Microcoleus paludosus Gomont ex Gomont, Microcoleus sociatus West et West, Aphanocapsa roseana de Bary, Aphanocapsa biformis A. Br., Aphanothece naegeli Wartm, Phormidium subincrustatum Fritsch et Rich, Phormidium ambiguum Gomont, Oscillatoria subbrevis Schmidle have been found as dominant enduring representatives among the non-heterocystous forms, while Nostoc commune Vaucher, Aulosira fertilissima Ghosh var. tenuis Rao, C.B, Scytonema stuposum (Kutz.) Bornet ex Born. et Flah. are dominant forms among heterocystous taxa although heterocystous forms are found more prone to water stress. Porphyrosiphon notarissi, Phormidium subincrustatum, Nostoc commune, Aulosira fertilissima & Scytonema stuposum are among the most common inhabitants of Indian soil flora as evident in this study and from literature survey and need to be utilized properly for all utilitarian perspectives. Since summer is unfavourable for most blue green algae and rainy season for the favourable of many more species the distribution pattern was check after rainy season and before the arrival of summer to note the period of species richness, nature of algal community that can survive more period of time in Indian soils. The above mentioned data also indicate that November-December is the period of most species richness and occurrence of the taxa mentioned above could be supported by Indian soils for their growth and survival.

Indigenous knowledge on health care in high altitude Indian central Himalaya

Constrain by a rigours environment which has fostered physical and social isolation for ages, the Indigenous communities have developed their traditional mode of living. The genre de vie of the isolated communities haves been marginally modified by exogenous force and have a systematic relationship with ecological condition and the resource base of the enclaves of their concentration. Encounter to disease troughs traditional practices are found throughout the world in different societies and culture since time immemorial. “Traditional medicine refers to health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being” (WHO, 2003). Indigenous plant-based medicines are often favored as they are inexpensive, culturally familiar and readily available. Traditional healer seems to be more accessible than conventional health care services in many rural areas. Number of traditional health practitioners regards the Himalaya as store house of various medicinal herbs. The rich and diversified flora of India provides a most valuable storehouse of medicinal plants. In Uttarakhand majority of traditional health care practitioners are herbal healers (vaidyas); they are easily accessible in the rural area and are useful to the community in absence of modern health services. In the Pauri District of Uttarakhand 60 traditional herbal healers (vaidya) were practicing in the rural area (Kala, 2004). These vaidyas used about 156 medicinal plant species for preparing 243 formulations to treat 73 ailments. He also found that this traditional practice, mainly acquired from generations is declining and lesser number of young people are choosing this profession. “The social aspects of traditional health practices in Central Himalaya found that females were the real custodians of the indigenous knowledge system as 52% of them have the knowledge on thirty practices against that of 26% for males. This indigenous knowledge system of medicine existing as a super structure, effectively serves the people of the region. Further, the indigenous practices being easily administrable and cheaper relieve the practitioners from time and financial hardship ” (Samal et al., 2004). Recognizing the present escalating demand for herbal medicines, and also in order to reduce the possibility of bio-piracy and to protect the rights of traditional herbal healers, there is an urgent need to document the various uses of plant species(Udgaonkar, 2002).

Fumariaceae in North East India: New Species and Records in <i>Corydalis</i> and <i>Dactylicapnos</i>

A synopsis for the NE Indian species of the genera Corydalis DC. and Dactylicapnos Wall. is presented. Corydalis arcuata (Arunachal Pradesh, Tibet), C. biflora (Sikkim) and C. stenophylla (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim) are described as new species. Six species, namely Corydalis auricilla Liden, C. davidii Franch. (s.l.), C. diffusa Liden, C. inopinata Prain, C. pterygopetala Hand.-Mazz. and C. tangutica Peshkova (s.l.) are reported as new to India. Another seven species of Corydalis and five species of Dactylicapnos were either overlooked in Flora of India or became known to the Indian flora after its publication: C. cashmeriana subsp. longicalcarata (D.G. Long) Liden, C. ecristata (Prain) D.G. Long, C. jigmei C.E.C. Fisch. & Kaul, C. khasiana Liden, C. pseudojuncea Ludlow & Steam, C. rubrisepala Liden, C. uranoscopa Liden and Dactylicapnos burmanica (K.R. Stern) Liden, D. cordata Liden, D. lichiangensis (Fedde) Hand.-Mazz., D. odontocarpa Liden, and D. platycarpa Liden. Two species of Corydalis, namely, C. chaerophylla DC, and C. gouldii Liden, are reported as new to the Flora of China area (Xizang: Yadong [Tibet: Chumbi].

Desmids from South Sikkim, India

During the systemic investigations on the desmid biodiversity of Eastern Himalaya the authors visited various regions of Namchi, South Sikkim, India and recorded 12 taxa belonging to the 6 genera viz. Desmidium C. Agardhex Ralfs, Hyalotheca Ehrenberg ex Ralfs, Micrasterias C. Agardhex Ralfs, Pleurotaenium Nageli, Spondylosium Brebisson ex Kutzing and Staurastrum Meyen ex Ralfs. Three taxa Pleurotaenium ehrenbergii (Brebisson) de Bary var. crenulatum (Ehrenberg) Krieger f. crenulatum , Staurastrum botanense Playfair var. botanense and Micrasterias alata Wall have been recorded as new to Indian flora. The remaining taxa are new record for Sikkim&Eastern Himalaya.

Cyperus surinamensis Rottb. (Cyperaceae): A new record for India

Cyperus surinamensis Rottb. (Cyperaceae), an adventive species, is reported here as a new record to the flora of India from Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka. A detailed description, illustration and distribution of the species is provided.

Three new records of Pertusaria (Lichenized Ascomycota) from India

The paper reports 3 species, viz., Pertusaria endoxantha Vain., Pertusaria hartmannii Müll. Arg. and Pertusaria thiospoda Knight. as new records for Indian lichen flora. These are briefly described to facilitate their identification.

Exploring compositional diversity in the essential oils of 34 Ocimum taxa from Indian flora

To explore diversity in the morphological features, essential oil yield, and chemical composition of Ocimum taxa growing in foot and mid-hills of northern India; 34 populations representing five Ocimum species were collected and investigated. Essential oil yield (%v/w) was found to vary from 0.10 to 0.74% in different populations. Analyses of the essential oils by GC/FID and GC/MS and the subsequent classification by statistical analysis resulted in seven clusters with significant variations in their terpenoid compositions (cluster I: methyl chavicol/linalool; cluster II: eugenol/(Z)-β-ocimene/β-elemene/(E)-caryophyllene; cluster III: camphor/limonene; cluster IV: eugenol/(E)-caryophyllene/β-bisabolene/β-elemene/methyl chavicol/1,8-cineole; cluster V: linalool; cluster VI: methyl eugenol/(E)-caryophyllene/β-elemene; and cluster VII: citral/nerol/geraniol type). Comparison of present results with earlier reports revealed the existence of four new chemotypes in Ocimum taxa from this region.

A New Record to the Invasive Alien Flora of India: Azolla cristata

We report here for the first time, the occurrence of Azolla cristata Kaulf. from India. Azolla cristata was collected from Wular lake, the largest freshwater lake in Kashmir, India. Azolla cristata Kaulf. is alien to the Indian flora and invasive in Kashmir. With the help of diagnostic elements observed under light and scanning electron microscopes, the identity of the species was ascertained. All the characters typical of Azolla cristata were present in the samples collected from multiple locations of Wular lake.

Neottia Chandrae Raskoti, et al. (Orchidaceae): A New Addition to the Orchid Flora of India

Neottia chandrae Raskoti et al. described from Nepal is reported as an addition to the orchid flora of India from the Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand. A detailed description, ecology, phenology, distribution and photo-plate for the species is provided.

Photosynthetic Diversity in Indian Grass Flora

Plants following C3 and C4 pathways of photosynthesis respond differently to environmental variables such as temperature and precipitation. The C3 and C4 plants therefore, comprise specific groups which can help predict species response to climatic changes. Grasses alone account for nearly half of the known C4 species and half of the grass species are estimated to follow C4 photosynthesis. Indian grass flora has about 250 genera and 1,250 odd species, 55 % of which are of C4 type. The C4 tribe Andropogoneae, exclusively of NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) sub-type, alone represents 50 % of the Indian C4 grasses. NADP-ME grasses exhibit high moisture affinity and constitute more than three-fourth of the Indian C4 grasses. The greater representation of NADP-ME species in the Indian grass flora could be attributed to the onset of Indian monsoons during the late Miocene, when the main adaptive radiation in grasses took place, the world over.

Hedyotis trimenii Deb and Dutta (Rubiaceae) - A New Distributional Record for India

Hedyotis trimenii Deb and Dutta is reported for first time to the flora of India. It deals with a short description, distribution, specimens examined and other relevant notes of this interesting taxon.

Three Additions to the Angiosperm Flora of India

Three taxa (Blumea milnei Seem-Asteraceae and Strobilanthes viscosa var. viscosa; S. viscosa var. digitalis-Acanthaceae) are distributional records for India from the Southern Western Ghats, India. A short description with illustrations and relevant notes is provided here for further collection and identification in field.

<I>Ptilidium pulcherrimum</I> (G. Weber) Vainio (Hepaticae:Ptilidiaceae) - An Addition to Indian Bryoflora

The genus Ptilidium Nees was recorded for the first time from India by Mitten (1861), who described two species, viz. Ptilidium ciliare (L.) Hampe, and P. trichophyllum Mitt. [now treated under a separate genus as Blepharostoma trichophyllum (L.) Dumort.] based on the specimens collected by Sir J.D. Hooker from Sikkim. In the present state of our knowledge the genus is represented world over by three species, viz. P. ciliare (L.) Hampe, P. pulcherrimum (G. Weber) Vainio and P. californicum (Austin) Pearson (Stotler & Crandall-Stotler, 2005), of which only P. ciliare was known from India (Mitten, 1861; Chopra, 1943; Parihar & al., 1994; Singh & al., 2008). In a recent exploration in North Sikkim, some interesting corticolous specimens of the genus were collected with undifferentiated stem cells, 3-4(-5)-lobed leaves with the dorsal lobe 6, 10 cells wide at base and the dorsal sinus descending up to 2/3, 4/5 of leaf length, hence distinct from P. ciliare. A subsequent literature review (Macvicar, 1926; Schuster 1966; Paton, 1999) revealed it to be Ptilidium pulcherrimum (G. Weber) Vainio, earlier known from China, Japan, Europe and North America. The same has been described and illustrated here to facilitate its easy identification in Indian flora.

The management of alien species in India

Alien species, after becoming locally dominant, invade natural communities and become Invasive Alien Species (IAS). The impacts of exotic plants on community structure and ecosystem processes are poorly understood in India. A total 173 species in 117 genera are invasive alien plants, representing 1 % of the Indian flora. The agricultural economy in India is vulnerable to threat from exotic pests/ diseases. In India, 116 alien insect species mainly belong to the order Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Over 300 alien fish species including 291 ornamental species, 31 aquaculture species and 2 larvicidal fishes are recorded. Examining the ecology and genetic make-up of the IAS is important for developing management strategies. Monitoring of invasion can be done through species inventory, phyto-sociological methods, mapping using ground-based methods, and remotely-sensed images. The Government of India in 2003 has approved the notification of a new plant quarantine order harmonizing India’s regulatory framework with the International plant protection convention and internationally accepted standards and the tenets of the SPS agreement of the World Trade Organization. Community based approaches, for alien species management, can best be complemented with biological control. Brief description of alien species and their present management strategies in India are discussed in this communication along with a note on strengthening the said strategy. Key words: Anthropogenic activities, threat to biodiversity, prevention, detection, eradication.

The World According to Cosmas Indicopleustes – Concepts and Illustrations of an Alexandrian Merchant and Monk

In a first step, this article examines the facts and speculations about Cosmas Indicopleustes as a person. His most striking features are the great wealth of information he gathered on his far-reaching voyages as a merchant in early Byzantine times and the strong Nestorian tendencies of his Christian faith. These two constants are the intellectual framework of his Christian Topography, whose aim, structure and manuscript tradition are explained in the second section. The third part deals with the nature and background of Cosmas’ peculiar cosmological model, which he based on theoretical and biblical considerations. The forth part concentrates on Cosmas’ description of far eastern trade connections, as well as on his interest in the flora and fauna of India and Africa. Here, Cosmas largely drew on personal experience.The article presents both original passages from the Christian Topography and examples of the unique illustrations displayed in the old manuscripts.

Vicia Lathyroides L. (Fabaceae) - A New Record for the Flora of India

The present paper put on record Vicia lathyroides L. (Fabaceae) a species new to the flora of India. The species was collected from Jammu region, Jammu and Kashmir State in 2010. Since it has not been reported earlier from this region therefore, recorded an addition to the flora of India.

Contribution to our knowledge of Coleochaetales (Charophyta) of West Bengal, India

During the taxonomic investigations on the freshwater filamentous green algae of West Bengal, India the author recorded a number of green algae belonging to the order Coleochaetales. A total of 13 members of the genera Chaetosphaeridium Klebahn and Coleochaete De Brebisson have been recorded. Out of the two taxa recorded for Chaetosphaeridium, one i.e. C. gemmatum Thompson has been recorded for the first time since its original publication by Thompson (1969), while another, C. globosum (Nordstedt) Klebahn, is an addition to West Bengal’s algal flora. Eleven taxa of the genus Coleochaete De Brebisson have been recorded. C. andreae Szymanska and C. sampsonii Transeau are first records since their original publications. C. disjuncta Tiffany is being recorded for the first time outside its original locality (Puerto Rico). C. pulvinata A. Braun is the first record for West Bengal, while C. andreae Szymanska, C. disjuncta Tiffany and C. sampsonii Transeau are additions to the Indian flora.

Addition to the genus Medinilla (Melastomataceae) from Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve

Medinilla speciosa (Reinw. ex Blume) Blume collected from the Campbell Bay National Park, Great Nicobar Island is reported here as a new record to the angiosperm flora of India. Brief description, illustration and photographs are provided.

A new variety and a new record of Corydalis DC. (Fumariaceae) from Western Himalaya, India

A new variety, Corydalis vaginans Royle var. jadagangensis Pusalkar & D.K. Singh, is described and illustrated from the Western Himalaya, along with the report of Corydalis govaniana Wall. var. swatensis (Kitam.) Jafri, as a new record for Indian Flora.