An overlooked new variety of Tritaxis glabella from India with a note on the consequent new synonyms of Croton lawianus (Euphorbiaceae)

In connection with the taxonomic revision of the family Euphorbiaceae in India, an overlooked new variety,Tritaxis glabella (Thwaites) R.Y. Yu & Welzen var. praetervisa Chakrab. & G.Krishna, endemic to India, has been described which was going so far under misapplied names representing Croton lawianus Nimmo. Consequently, three new synonyms have been added to the latter name

Notes on the nomenclature and typification of eight names in Bignoniaceae

Lectotype is designated for two names, Bignonia xylocarpa Roxb., Radermachera tonkinensis Dop and second-step lectotype is also designated for six names, Radermachera corymbosa Steenis, R. elegans Steenis, R. pentandra Hemsl., R. pierrei Dop, R. poilanei Dop and Stereospermum seemannii Rolfe

Correction to: An overlooked new variety of Tritaxis glabella from India with a note on the consequent new synonyms of Croton lawianus (Euphorbiaceae)

An overlooked new variety of Tritaxis glabella from India with a note on the consequent new synonyms of Croton lawianus (Euphorbiaceae)

A revision of the genus Dehaasia (Lauraceae) in the Indo-Burmese region

A taxonomic revision of the genus Dehaasia Blume is presented for the Indo-Burmese region. Four species are recognized, keyed out and treated with references, type citations, synonymy, flowering and fruiting periods, local names and use, habitat, distribution and the specimens examined. Dehassia rangamattiensis is synonymized under D. kurzii. The report of D. firma from the Andaman Islands is based on a misidentified specimen of D. kurzii. The names Dictyodaphne candolleana (basionym of D. candolleana), D. kurzii, D. rangamattiensis and Laurus incrassata (basionym of D. incrassata) are lectotypified. In addition, lectotypification of Cryptocarya cuneata (basionym of D. cuneata), native to Malesia, is appended because the species has often been mistaken for D. candolleana

Revisiting the typification of Hemicyclia porteri (Putranjivaceae), the basionym of Drypetes porteri

Hemicyclia porteri Gamble, the basionym of Drypetes porteri (Gamble) Pax & K. Hoffm. was lectotypified three times by different authors differently. This paper unambiguously elucidates the precise designation of lectotype for the name, and also emphasizes the need of exerting utmost care while designating a lectotype

Taxonomic notes on Indian Terminalia (Combretaceae)

The species Terminalia kanchii Dhabe, T. manii King, T. maoi Dhabe and T. shankarraoi Dhabe were identified to be conspecific with T. citrina (Gaertn.) Roxb. and therefore reduced to synonyms of the latter. Terminalia procera Roxb., treated recently as a synonym of T. catappa L. is reinstated here as a distinct species, and for the name, a lectotype and an epitype have been designated and T. copelandii Elmer is considered as its synonym. Terminalia tomentosa (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn., which has recently been recognized as a distinct species, is treated as a synonym of T. elliptica Willd. Terminaila sharmae M.Gangop. & Chakrab. is merged with Elaeocarpus rugosus Roxb. ex G. Don of the Elaeocarpaceae, and a lectotype has been designated for the latter name. Terminalia vermae M.Gangop. & Chakrab. is maintained as a distinct species

Limited Access to Iodized Salt among the Poor and Disadvantaged in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, India

Iodine deficiency is endemic in West Bengal as evident from earlier studies. This community-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in North 24 Parganas district during August-November 2005 to assess the consumption of adequately-iodized salt and to ascertain the various factors that influence access to iodized salt. In total, 506 households selected using the multi-stage cluster-sampling technique and all 79 retail shops from where the study households buy salt were surveyed. The iodine content of salt was tested by spot iodine-testing kits. Seventy-three percent of the households consumed salt with adequate iodine content (≥15 ppm). Consumption of adequately-iodized salt was lower among rural residents [prevalence ratio (PR): 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-0.9], Muslims (PR: 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-0.9), and households with monthly per-capita income of ≤US$ 10 (PR: 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8). Those who heard and were aware of the risk of iodine-deficiency disorders and of the benefit of iodized salt were more likely to use appropriate salt (PR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3). Those who were aware of the ban on non-iodized salt were more likely to consume adequately-iodized salt (PR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.01-1.3). The iodine content was higher in salt sold in sealed packets (PR: 2.9, 95% CI 1.8-4.8) and stored on shelves (PR: 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.0). Seventy-two percent of the salt samples from the retail shops had the iodine content of ≥15 ppm. The findings indicate that elimination of iodine deficiency will require targeting the vulnerable and poor population

Limited access to iodized salt among the poor and disadvantaged in north 24 parganas District of West Bengal, India

Iodine deficiency is endemic in West Bengal as evident from earlier studies. This community-based, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in North 24 Parganas district during August-November 2005 to assess the consumption of adequately-iodized salt and to ascertain the various factors that influence access to iodized salt. In total, 506 households selected using the multi-stage cluster-sampling technique and all 79 retail shops from where the study households buy salt were surveyed. The iodine content of salt was tested by spot iodine-testing kits. Seventy-three percent of the households consumed salt with adequate iodine content ( 6515 ppm). Consumption of adequately-iodized salt was lower among rural residents [prevalence ratio (PR): 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-0.9], Muslims (PR: 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-0.9), and households with monthly per-capita income of 64US$ 10 (PR: 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8). Those who heard and were aware of the risk of iodine-deficiency disorders and of the benefit of iodized salt were more likely to use appropriate salt (PR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3). Those who were aware of the ban on non-iodized salt were more likely to consume adequately-iodized salt (PR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.01-1.3). The iodine content was higher in salt sold in sealed packets (PR: 2.9, 95% CI 1.8-4.8) and stored on shelves (PR: 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-2.0). Seventy-two percent of the salt samples from the retail shops had the iodine content of 6515 ppm. The findings indicate that elimination of iodine deficiency will require targeting the vulnerable and poor population

Psychotria nilgherensis (Rubiaceae), a new combination replacing P. elongata.

The genus Grumilea was established by Gaertner (1788: 138, t. 28, f. 2) on the basis of a single species, G. nigra Gaertner from Sri Lanka. The genus was subsequently recognized and treated by a number of authors such as Candolle (1830: 495), Wight & Arnott (1834: 432), Miquel (1857: 295) and Thwaites (1859: 147). However, Bentham & Hooker (1873: 123) combined Grumilea with Psychotria Linnaeus (1759: 929, 1364), nom. cons., a delimitation that was accepted by later workers (e.g., Mabberley 2008: 377). Hooker (1880: 161) treated Grumilea as a Section of Psychotria. Wight (1845: 16, t. 1036) described a species, Grumilea elongata from Tamil Nadu, India which was transferred to Psychotria by Hooker as Psychotria elongata (Wight) Hooker (1880: 163). This name was used in most of the subsequent floristic treatments (e.g., Trimen 1894; Brandis 1906; Gamble 1921; Fyson 1932; Sebastine & Vivekananthan 1967; Matthew & Rani 1983; Swaminathan 1987; Mohanan & Henry 1994). Sohmer (1977: 381), realizing that the name P. elongata is a later homonym of two names published by Bentham (1853: 32) and Beddome (1872: t. 17), applied a new name, P. fosbergii Sohmer which was accepted and used by Deb & Gangopadhyay (1989: 70, f. 29) in their revision of the genus Psychotria. Unfortunately, they overlooked the fact that this name is also a later homonym of P. fosbergii Steyermark (1972: 630). Later, Kiehn published the replacement name P. sohmeri Kiehn (1986: 215) and this was used as the correct name by Sohmer (1987: 339). Two years later, Suresh proposed another replacement name, P. glandulosa Suresh (1988: 229). As this is a later replacement name, it is superfluous and illegitimate. Unfortunately, all these authors overlooked the fact that Kuntze (1891: 957) published the name Uragoga nilgherensis replacing Grumilea elongata which, if transferred to Psychotria, becomes the earliest valid replacement name for the Wight’s species. Hence the necessary new combination is proposed below