New plant records for the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India

 

S.P. Gaikwad 1, R.D. Gore 2, K.U. Garad 3 & S.D. Randive4

 

1,2,3,4 Department of Botany, Walchand College of Arts & Science, Solapur, Maharashtra 413006, India

1 sayajiraog@gmail.com, 2 ramdgore@gmail.com (corresponding author), 3 garadku@gmail.com, 4 sonali_dream1@rediffmail.com

 

 

 

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3435.5878-86  

 

Editor: Aparna Watve, Pune, India.   Date of publication: 26 June 2014 (online & print)

 

Manuscript details: Ms # o3435 | Received 12 December 2012 | Final received 30 May 2014 | Finally accepted 04 June 2014

 

Citation: Gaikwad, S.P., R.D. Gore, K.U. Garad & S.D. Randive (2014).New plant records for the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 6(6): 5878–5886; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3435.5878-86

 

Copyright: © Gaikwad et al. 2014. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.

 

Funding: Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission, Govt. of Maharashtra.

 

Competing Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Acknowledgements: Authors are grateful to the Principal, Walchand College of Arts & Science, Solapur for providing available research facilities; to Director, Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle, Pune and to Blatter Herbarium, Mumbai for providing herbarium facilities and to RGSTC Govt. of Maharashtra for financial assistance.

 

 

 

  For images -- click here 


 

Marathwadaregion comprising eight districts namely Aurangabad, Beed,Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani (7005’–7805’N & 1705’–2005’E), forms a part of the vast Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra State of India.  The plant wealth of the Marathwada region is known through publications of several researchers (Naik 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1979, 1998a,b; Almeida 1998, 2001, 2003; Singh & Karthikeyan2000, 2001; Gaikwad et al. 2012a,b).  Cooke (1958a,b,c,Repr. ed.) in his ‘Flora of the Presidency of Bombay’ had not included Marathwada region, as it was under Hyderabad State.

The climate of the Marathwadaregion supports rich tropical dry deciduous forests and scrub vegetation.  During recent floristic exploration, 10 taxa of flowering plants were recorded which are new to the Marathwada region.

 

Enumeration

Acacia concurrens Pedley, Contr. Queensland Herb. 15: 9. 1974. (Mimosaceae) (Images 1,2)

Specimen examined: RDG 499 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 13.xi.2011, near Ter-Dhoki, Osmanabad District, Maharashtra.

Specimens compared: KUG 380 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 24.xii.2010, Dhamangaon, SolapurDistrict, Maharashtra.

Evergreen, glabrous tree.  Branchlets 3-angled, stout, brown, scurfy.  Phyllodes lanceolate, oblique, narrowly elliptic, 10–17 cm long.  Spike in pair, axillary.  Flowers 5-merous, yellow. Pods linear, coiled, up to 6cm long.  Seeds longitudinal.

Flowering and Fruiting: November–February

Localities: Ter-Dhoki (18019’56.70”E & 7609’19.50”E, Elevation 677m) in OsmanabadDistrict.

Note: Acacia concurrens can be distinguished by its 3-angled branches, paired spikes and linear, coiled pods.

 

Acacia horrida (L.) Willd. Sp. Pl. 4: 1082. 1806. Mimosa horrida L. Sp. Pl. 521. 1753. (Mimosaceae) (Images 3,4)

Specimen examined: RDG 638 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 15.vii.2011, Naigaon PT, Beed District, Maharashtra.

Specimens compared: 1286 (BSI, Pune), 03.i.1903,  Jeur to Wangi road, Solapur District, Maharashtra, coll. R.K.Bhide; 3935 (BSI, Pune), .vii.1926, Gokak, Belgaum District, Karnataka, coll. W.A. Talbot; 129766 (BSI, Pune)  17.ii.1975, Anantpur,Badami tehsil, Karnataka, coll. N.P. Singh; 1242559 (BSI, Pune), 17.i.1976, Tulsagiri, Bagalkot District, Karnataka, coll. N.P. Singh; KUG 507 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 28.vi.2011, Malewadi, Solapur District, Maharashtra.

Shrubs or small trees.Leaves 2- pinnate; main rachis pubescent; leaflets 6–15 pairs.  Stipular spines paired, unequal;large one conical, hollow inside. Flowers in spikes, white, yellow at maturity. Pods flat, dark brown, 2–5 seeded.

Flowering and Fruiting: June–February.

Localities: Naigaon, PT (18053’39.15”N & 75035’9.14”E; elevation 736m) in BeedDistrict.

Note: Acaciahorrida (L.) Willd. is easily recognized in the field by its large and hollow spines.

 

Acacia tomentosa Willd., Sp. Pl. 4: 1087. 1806 (Mimosaceae) (Images 5,6)

Specimen examined: RDG 591 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 08.v.2011, Ramling Wildlife Sanctuary, Osmanabad District, Maharashtra.

Specimen compared: 1292 (BLAT), Jeur,Solapur District, Maharashtra, coll. R.K. Bhide.

Trees; bark greyish-black with large lenticels; young parts tomentose.  Leaves crowded on axillary branches, 2-pinnate; leaflets 20–30 pairs. Flowers in globose heads, greenish- white. Pods 10–15 cm long, ligulate-flat, pubescent; seeds 5–10.

Flowering and Fruiting: December–May

Localities: Ramling Wildlife Sanctuary (18018’9.65”N & 75055’2.23”E; elevation 615m) in Osmanabad District.

Note: Acaciatomentosa Willd. is easily recognized in the field by its ligulate, flat straw-coloured pods.

 

Crotalaria vestita Baker in Hook, f. Fl. Brit. India 2: 67. 1876 (Fabaceae) (Images 7,8)

Specimen examined: RDG 1015 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 26.x.2012, Gad-devdari, Osmanabad District, Maharashtra.

Specimens compared: 108609 (BSI, Pune), 01.v.1966, way to Ramghat,Chaukul, SindhudurgDistrict, Maharashtra, coll. B.G. Kulkarni; 108871 (BSI, Pune), 16.ix.1966, Markandey hills top, Nasik District, Maharashtra, coll. R.D. Pataskar; 118120 (BSI, Pune), 26.ix.1966, Shivneri Fort-Junnar, Pune district, Maharashtra, coll. K. Hemadri; 166460 (BSI, Pune), 26.xi.1983, Shivgaon Ghat, Satara District, Maharashtra, coll. S.D. Deshpande.

Erect or procumbent herbs, Leaves simple, equal sided at base.  Stipule absent.  Flowers yellow, 2–5 crowded, in leaf opposed or terminal racemes; bracts foliaceous, ovate-lanceolate.  Corolla not exerted. Pods oblong, glabrous; seeds 15–33.

Flowering and Fruiting: September–December

Localities: Gad-devdari (18015’46.32”N & 75059’27.30”E; elevation 651m) in OsmanabadDistrict.

Note: Crotalariavestita Baker is endemic to Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra (Ansari 2008).

 

Orthosiphon thymiflorus (Roth.) Sleesen in Reinwardtia 5: 42. 1959. Ocimum thymiflorum Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp. 269. 1821. (Lamiaceae) (Image 9,10)

Specimen examined: RDG 961 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 28.vii.2012, Sautada, BeedDistrict, Maharashtra.

Specimen compared: 4783 (RPRC, Bhubaneswar), 23.iii.1994, Barbara RF, PuriDistrict, Orissa coll. S.C. Jena.

Perennial glabrous herbs, base woody, stem and branches quadrangular.  Leaves broadly ovate or ovate elliptic, glabrousabove, glandular nigro-punctate beneath, serrate.  Flowers in whorled racemes.  Corolla tube much longer than calyx; stamens included. Nutlets tuberculate.

Flowering and Fruiting: July–October

Localities: Sautada (18047’34.80”N & 75020’54.36”E; elevation 636m) in BeedDistrict.

 

Pseudarthria viscida (L.) Wight & Arn. Prodr. 209. 1834. Hedysarum viscidum L. Sp. Pl. 747. 1753.  (Fabaceae) (Images 11,12)

Specimen examined: RDG 186 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 20.vii.2010, Papnas, OsmanabadDistrict, Maharashtra.

Specimen compared: 522 (BNHS), Savantwadi, SindhudurgDistrict, Maharashtra, coll. M.R. Almeida.

Perennial, viscidly pubescent herbs. Leaves trifoliate, stipulate. Flowers pink-purple, in terminal or axillary racemes; stamens diadalphous.  Pods indehiscent, flat, not distinctly jointed, hooked hairy, 2–6 seeded

Flowering and Fruiting: August–December

Localities: Papnas (1809’22.20”N & 7603’4.26”E; elevation 631m) in OsmanabadDistrict.

Note: Frequent along stream banks in deciduous forests.

 

Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.,Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., ser. 2, 24(2): 10, 210. 1935. Dolichos montanus Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 2: 440. 1790. var. montana (Fabaceae) (Images 13,14)

Specimen examined: RDG 725 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 11.ix.2011, near Pandhar-Apsinga, OsmanabadDistrict, Maharashtra.

Robust climbers. Leaf ovate, 7–15x5–12 cm, pubescent.  Flowers in 15–30 cm long racemes; bracts linear-lanceolate, shorter than bracteoles.  Calyx 7–8 mm long, hairy. Stamens diadalphous.  Corolla yellow with a purple spot.  Style not bearded. Pods elliptic, 2.5–4.5 cm, constricted between seeds, flattened, densely brownish hairy.

Flowering and Fruiting: August–October

Locality: Near Pandhar, Apsinga (1804’8.40”N & 7602’0.00”E; elevation 509m) in Osmanabad District.

Note: This species is found in this region with a large climber without tuberous roots and purple flowers.  It is frequent on bushes, riverbank and field bunds.

 

Striga asiatica (L.) Kuntz. Rev. Gen 2: 466. 1891. Buchnera asiatica L. Sp. Pl. 630. 1753. Striga lutea Lour. Fl. Cochinch. 22. 1790. var. lutea (Lour.) Almeida Fl. Maharashtra 3b: 418. 2001. (Scrophulariaceae) (Images 15,16)

Specimen examined: RDG 728 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 18.ix.2011, Apsinga, OsmanabadDistrict, Maharashtra.

Specimens compared: 16700 (FRLHT, Bangalore), 18.vi.1995, KulasekaramRange, Kanyakumari District, Kerala, coll. S.P. Surramani; 27.vi.1875, Rambai, East Java, Indonesia, C.E.O. Kuntze 5307, (NYBG) (barcode NY0013069).

Scabrous herbs; stem 4-angled, strigosewith prickly hairs. Leaves sessile, 2–4 cm long, linear, acute at apex.  Flowers axillary, yellow; calyx 10 ribbed, secondary ribs ending at sinus, as long as corolla tube. Seeds cuneate-oblong, minute.

Flowering and Fruiting: August–October

Localities: Apsinga (1802’36.36”N & 7602’41.46”E; elevation 643m) in OsmanabadDistrict.

 

Terminalia muelleri Benth. Fl. Austral. 2: 500. 1864.(Combretaceae) (Images 17, 18)

Specimen examined: RDG 979 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 17.viii.2012, Beed Town, Maharashtra.

Medium sized tree.  Leaves alternate, crowded into pseudo whorls at apices of branchlets. Inflorescences axillary, simple, long, slender spikes, 15–20 cm, numerous fragrant flowered.  Calyx 5-lobed, glabrous, white with red tinge.  Fruits glabrous; pericarp woody, rigid.

Flowering and Fruiting: August–November

Localities: Beed Town.

Note: Terminalia muelleri Benth. is similar to T. catappa but differs in having small globular-ellipsoid fruits of about 1.5–2x0.8–1.5 cm.

 

Utricularia scandens Benj. in Linnaea 20: 309. 1847. (Lentibulariaceae) (Images 19, 20)

Specimen examined: RDG 393 (Walchand College, Herbarium), 17.x.2010, Ramling Wildlife Sanctuary, Osmanabad District, Maharashtra.

Specimen compared: 133536 (BSI, Pune), 27.ii.1971, Katejhariplot, Chandrapur District, Maharashtra, coll. B.N. Wadhwa.

Tiny, annual herbs.Racemes 10–20 cm long, twining, rarely erect in smaller one, 1–9 flowered with sterile bracts present in between fertile ones.  Flowers yellow.  Capsules compressed, dehisced margins thickened; fruiting pedicel erect.  Seeds ovoid to ellipsoid.

Flowering and Fruiting: August–November

Localities: Ramling Wildlife Sanctuary (18017’23.64”N & 75057’24.54”E; elevation 654m) in Osmanabad District.

Note: Utricularia scandens Benj.is easily recognized in the field by its twining racemes, yellow flowers and presence of sterile bracts in between fertile ones (Janarthanam & Henry 1991).  Earlier workers could not locate this species probably due to its small size and rare occurrence in the Marathwada region.

 

References

 

Almeida, M.R. (1998). Flora of Maharashtra - Volume 2. Blatter Herbarium, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, 47, 119, 202, 209pp.

Almeida, M.R. (2001). Flora of Maharashtra - Volume 3b. Blatter Herbarium, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, 418pp.

Almeida, M.R. (2003). Flora of Maharashtra - Volume 4a. Blatter Herbarium, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, 172pp.

Ansari, A.A. (2008). Crotolaria L. in India, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun, 208pp.

Cooke, T.C. (1958a reprint edition). Flora of the Presidency of Bombay Presidency - Volume 1. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 313, 366, 475, 478pp.

Cooke, T.C. (1958b reprint edition). Flora of the Presidency of Bombay Presidency - Volume 2. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 375, 524pp.

Cooke, T.C. (1958c reprint edition). Flora of the Presidency of Bombay Presidency - Volume 3. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, 649pp.

Gaikwad, S.P., R.D. Gore & K.U. Garad (2012a). Additions to the flora of Marathwadaregion of Maharashtra, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(4): 2515–2523; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2835.2515–23

Gaikwad, S.P., R.D. Gore & K.U. Garad (2012b). Additions to the flora of Marathwadaregion of Maharashtra, India, pp. 136–144. In: Bhale, U.N. & V.S. Savant (eds.). Plant Science for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development. Daya Publishing House, New Delhi, xii+263pp.

Janarthanam, M.K. & A.N. Henry (1991). Bladderworts of India. Botanical survey of India, Kolkata, 144pp.

Naik, V.N. (1966). A new Crotalaria species from Osmanabad District. Indian Forestry 92(12): 790–791.

Naik, V.N. (1967). Amaranthus polygonoides L. from Osmanabad District, a new record for India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 64(1): 134–135.

Naik, V.N. (1969). An artificial key to theLeguminosae of OsmanabadDistrict. Marathwada University Journal of Science 8(1): 15–19.

Naik, V.N. (1970). A census of Crotalariaspecies in Osmanabad District. Marathwada University Journal of Science 9: 15–18.

Naik, V.N. (1979). Flora of Osmanabad. Venus publishers, Aurangabad, 464pp.

Naik, V.N. (1998a). Flora of Marathwada - Volume 1. Amrut Prakashan, Aurangabad, 602pp.

Naik, V.N. (1998b). Flora of Marathwada - Volume 2. Amrut Prakashan, Aurangabad, 603–1182pp.

Singh, N.P. & S. Karthikeyan (eds.) (2000). Flora of Maharashtra (Dicotyledons), Volume 1 - Series 2. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, 1080pp.

Singh, N.P. & S. Karthikeyan (eds.) (2001). Flora of Maharashtra (Dicotyledons), Volume 2. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, 898pp.