Notes on the distribution of some angiosperms from Maharashtra, India

An occurrence of three species, that are reported in Maharashtra flora based on Cooke’s report in ‘The Flora of the presidency of Bombay’, has been confirmed based on herbarium specimens deposited in the herbarium of Agharkar Research Institute, Pune in recent years

Capparis grandis Linnaeus

Capparis grandis Linnaeus f. (1781: 263). Fig. 2 Lectotype (designated here, (perhaps neotype)):— INDIA, s. loc., s. d. König s.n. C10009043 (C) image!; Syntype: C10009041, C10009042 (C, image!), and BM013824965 (BM, image!). Distribution: — INDIA, CAMBODIA, CHINA, LAOS, MYANMAR, PAKISTAN (Maurya et al. 2020). Notes: — Jacobs (1965) studied the genus Capparis and cited ‘Type: Koenig (n.v.), Ceylon’ for the name Capparis grandis L.f. While tracing the type specimens of Capparis grandis we found that Koenig’s collections were housed at BR, C, GM, LE, LINN, MO, and UPS (https://kiki.huh.harvard.edu/databases/botanist_search.php?id=28251). After a thorough search of these herbaria, we could locate four specimens (C10009041, C10009042, C10009043, and C10009044) of C. grandis at C and one at BM. Out of these, C10009041 and C10009042 do not have any collection number or locality information, but have an annotation slip “KOENIG HERBARIUM, Recorded in the catalogue of the Koenig collection”. Further, C10009043 (designated here as lectotype (perhaps, neotype)) has the annotation ‘ K ’ (abbreviation for Johann Gerhard Koenig), and “ Capparis grandis, Ind. Orient. ” by Koenig. These sheets (C10009041, C10009042, and C10009043) have another annotation “ Capparis grandis Linn. f., 20/11/1986 ” by K. Chayamarit. The specimen C10009044 also indicates “ Capparis grandis L. det. Ove Paulsen 1919 Ex hb. Morck 1918.” but the collector’s information is uncertain (leg. Koenig? Klein? Rottler?). An annotation on the same indicates “ Capparis maxima, 1106, Roxb. Stipul. spinos rarioribus. Ind. Orient”. The annotation by Chayamarit indicates it again as “ Capparis grandis Linn. f. (20/11/1986)”. The only specimen we could locate at BM herbarium (BM013824965- designated here as Syntype) has annotations of Dr. Heyne and Jacobs as “ Capparis grandis Koenig, Capparis maxima Roth. Nov. sp. Ind. Or.” and “ Capparidaceae, revised by M. Jacobs, 1961, Capparis grandis L.f.”. As none of the specimens were designated as a “Type or Holotype ” for C. grandis L.f., we designate the lectotype and syntype for the same as per Art. 9.3, and 9.4 of ICN (Turland et al. 2018). Capparis grandis was first described in 1781 by Linnaeus f., and in protologue he mentioned the location as “ habitat in Zeylona ” and type as König’s collection. Linnaeus f. was either correct or incorrect in citing “Zeylona” (= Ceylon = Sri Lanka), since this species occurs both in India and Sri Lanka and Koenig collected it from both countries, the protologue info may be correct or incorrect (L. f. might have loosely used the term “Zeylona” to refer to India or India and Sri Lanka). We believe the Indian elements could be the original materials as the geographical names in 18 th century were loosely used by European Botanists (Pers. Comm. Dr. K.N. Gandhi, 18/10/2020).Published as part of Maurya, Satish, Datar, Mandar N. & Choudhary, Ritesh Kumar, 2021, Lectotypification of four names in the genus Capparis (Capparaceae), pp. 125-132 in Phytotaxa 500 (2) on pages 126-128, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.500.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/542450

Capparis diversifolia Wight & Arnott K 1834

Capparis diversifolia Wight & Arnott (1834: 27). Fig. 1 Lectotype (first step designated by Jacobs 1965):— INDIA, s.loc., s. d. Wight & Arnott 952, K000247306 (K, image!) and K000247307 (K, image!). Second-step lectotype, designated here K000247306 (K, image!); Isolectotypes K 000247307 (K, image!), G00237950 (G, image!), E00174093 (E, image!). Distribution:— INDIA and SRI LANKA (Sundararaghavan 1993, Maurya et al. 2020). Notes:— While searching for the type specimen of Capparis diversifolia, we came across three specimens, two deposited at K, and one at G. The G specimen (G00237950) has annotations of De Candolle as “Herb. Wight. Propr. 952, Capparis diversifolia W. & A., Prod. by R.Wight and Arn. pg. 27, Peninsula Ind. Orientalis, 1836”, and two labels indicating “HERBIER DE CANDOLLE”, and “TYPUS”. Further, a determinavit by Jacobs (1960) indicating “Isotype of Capparis diversifolia W. & A.”. Whereas the two specimens housed at K (K000247306 and K000247307) have Wight & Arnott’s annotation, collection number ‘ 952 ’ and species number ‘ 95 ’ in “ Prodromus Florae Peninsulae Indiae Orientalis ” without mention of any locality. Further, a determinavit slip by Jacobs (1961) indicated both of them as ‘Type’ and the same is cited as holotype in his treatment (Jacobs 1965). Much later, Noltie (2005) indicated a specimen (WC952, image!) housed in E as syntype bearing annotations by Wight & Arnott as “Herb. Wight. Propr. n 952, Capparis heterophylla W & A, Peninsula Ind. orientalis” and by Jacobs as “ Capparis diversifolia W. & A., Type, in Blumea 12:448 (1965) ” and stated that “a specimen ex herb. Arnott with HWP label annotated by Arnott Capparis heterophylla W&A [WC] n. 952. Contemplating all, the citation of ‘Holotype’ by Jacobs (1965) has to be considered the first step lectotype of C. diversifolia as per Art. 9.17, and a correctable error following Art. 9.10 (Turland et al. 2018). Hence, we designate K000247306 here as a second-step lectotype for C. diversifolia.Published as part of Maurya, Satish, Datar, Mandar N. & Choudhary, Ritesh Kumar, 2021, Lectotypification of four names in the genus Capparis (Capparaceae), pp. 125-132 in Phytotaxa 500 (2) on page 125, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.500.2.5, http://zenodo.org/record/542450

Extended distribution of endemic Travancore Murainagrass Ischaemum travancorense Stapf ex C.E.C. Fisch. (Poaceae) to central India

Ischaemum travancorense Stapf ex C.E.C. Fisch., an endemic species, earlier known only from the Western Ghats of Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa is reported here for the first time from central India. </div

Extended distribution of endemic Travancore Murainagrass Ischaemum travancorense Stapf ex C.E.C. Fisch. (Poaceae) to central India

Ischaemum travancorense Stapf ex C.E.C. Fisch., an endemic species, earlier known only from the Western Ghats of Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa is reported here for the first time from central India. </div

<i><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Mangal; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:HI; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">In vitro </span></i><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:HI;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic" lang="EN-GB">flowering and<i> </i><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Mangal;mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:HI;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold" lang="EN-GB">fruiting of critically endangered plant <i>Ceropegia rollae </i>Hemadri</span></span>

112-115<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:mangal;="" mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-GB">Ceropegia rollae Hemadri (Family: Apocynaceae) is critically endangered, rare and endemic species of Northern Western Ghats and is added in Red Data Book and IUCN list. The aim of the present study was to develop efficient in vitro micropropagation protocol to conserve the taxa C. rollae. The surface sterilised nodal shoot explants were used for the establishment of culture. The maximum percentage of shoot proliferation (100%) and mean shoot length (3.97±0.46) was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 3 mg L-1 BAP. The highest number of roots per shoot (<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-GB">7.40±0.28) was favoured by MS medium supplemented with IBA, while NAA showed floral promotion. Various sucrose concentrations (1-21%) were applied to study the frequency of flowering morphology. The maximum % of floral bud induction (91.67± 8.33) and number of floral buds per explant (7.33±0.96) were obtained on MS medium supplemented with 6% sucrose and NAA. In vitro follicle was also observed, which may be the result of self-pollination<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">. This is a first report of in vitro follicle in case of C. rollae.</span

Understanding evolution in Poales: Insights from Eriocaulaceae plastome.

In this study, we report the plastome of Eriocaulon decemflorum (Eriocaulaceae) and make an effort to understand the genome evolution, structural rearrangements and gene content of the order Poales by comparing it with other available plastomes. The size of complete E. decemflorum plastome is 151,671 bp with an LSC (81,477bp), SSC (17,180bp) and a pair of IRs (26,507 bp). The plastome exhibits GC content of 35.8% and 134 protein-coding genes with 19 genes duplicated in the IR region. The Eriocaulaceae plastome is characterized by the presence of accD, ycf1 and ycf2 genes and presence of introns in clpP and rpoC1 genes which have been lost in the Graminid plastomes. Phylogenomic analysis based on 81 protein-coding genes placed Eriocaulaceae sister to Mayacaceae. The present study enhances our understanding of the evolution of Poales by analyzing the plastome data from the order

Restoring India's Terrestrial Ecosystems: Needs, Challenges, and Policy Recommendations

&lt;p&gt;This document is&nbsp;a product&nbsp;of the preparatory phase project of the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being which was catalysed and supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. It is the outcome of a series of stakeholder consultation meetings on ecological restoration of terrestrial landscapes and climate change in India. The insights from these meetings have been used to develop this document which highlights the challenges and best-practices in the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, can serve as a guide for successful restoration of landscapes across different biomes of the Indian subcontinent, and help achieve India&rsquo;s commitments to the Bonn Challenge and the goals set by India for biodiversity conservation, land restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation.&lt;/p&gt