Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 May 2018 | 10(6): 11822–11826

 

 

New pteridophytic records from Mizoram, northeastern India

 

Sachin Sharma 1, Amit Kumar 2,Bhupendra Singh Kholia3 & Surendra Singh Bargali4

 

1,3 Botanical Survey of India, Northern Regional Centre, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248195, India

2 Wildlife Instituteof India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand248002, India

4 DSB Campus, KumaunUniversity, Nainital - KaladungiRoad, Nainital, Uttarakhand263001, India

1 sachinbsi2012@yahoo.co.in (corresponding author),  2 amit_ndbr@wii.gov.in, 3 bskholia_bsi@yahoo.co.in, 4 surendrakiran@rediffmail.com

 

 

 

doi: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3691.10.6.11822-11826 

 

Editor: Anonymity requested. Date of publication: 26 May 2018 (online & print)

 

Manuscript details: Ms# 3691 | Received 24 July 2017 | Final received 07 December 2017 | Finally accepted 20 April 2018

 

Citation: Sharma, S., A. Kumar, B.S. Kholia & S.S. Bargali (2018). New pteridophyticrecords from Mizoram, northeastern India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(6): 11822–11826; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3691.10.6.11822-11826

 

Copyright: © Sharma et al. 2018. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTTallows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.

 

Funding: No fundinghas been received as the present workis a part of Ph.D research of the first author.

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to Dr. Ramesh Kumar, Scientist-C, Botanical Survey of India and

forest officials of Murlen National Park, Mizoram for necessary support.

 

 

The northeastern region of India, well known for its rich biological diversity, constitutes a transitional zone between the Indian, Indo–Malayan and Sino–Himalayan biogeographicalzones (Rao 1994).  The region supports a wide vegetation range and has been extensively explored in terms of pteridophyticflora since the British rule. Several publications such as Deb (1981), Baishya& Rao (1982), Jamir& Rao (1988), Kachrooet al. (1989), Vasudeva et al. (1990), Bir et al. (1989, 1990, 1991), Borthakuret al. (2000), Singh & Panigrahi (2005), and Kholia (2010, 2011, 2014) deal with ferns and fern–allies of this region.

Mizoram, one of the northeastern Indian states falls under northeast Hills (9B; Rodgers et al. 2000) and the Indo–Burma Biodiversity Hotspot (Conservation International, 2011).  The total geographical area of this hilly state is ca. 21,081km2, which shares international boundaries with Myanmar and Bangladesh.  Due to biogeographic, physiognomic and climatic perspectives, the region has ideal habitats for the growth of tropical vegetation.  Unlike higher plants, pteridophytic flora had received less attention and there were sporadic reports in the past, viz.: Gage (1901), Fischer (1938), Deb & Dutta (1987), Chandra & Chandra (1983).  The studies on this group, however, has accelerated recently due to explorations on different protected areas of Mizoram (Barbhuiya & Singh 2013; Benniamin 2011, 2012; Sharma et al. 2013, 2017; Vanlalpeka & Laha2014; Verma et al. 2014).

During field explorations conducted by one of the authors (SS), four interesting species of pteridophyteswere collected in Murlen National Park, Mizoram (2012–2015).  Upon detailed study of different morphological characters, scrutiny of literature and comparison of species with previously housed herbarium specimens at ASSAM and CAL revealed that these species were hitherto unknown from Mizoram.  Therefore, the present communication reports these species as new records to the flora of Mizoram State.  The plant specimens were processed and prepared following standard herbarium methods (Jain & Rao1977) and deposited in the herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong(ASSAM).

 

Taxonomic treatment and description

1. Lycopodium casuarinoides

Spring Mono. Lycop. I: 94, 1842; Clarke, Trans. Linn. Soc. II. Bot. 1. 593, 1880;Bak. Handb. Fern Allies 24, 1887; Nessel, Barlappgewachse371, 1939.

Lepidotis casuarinoides (Spring) Rothmaler, Feddes Repert. Sp. Nov. 54: 67, 1944.

Lithophyte, erect when young, hanging on maturity, aerial stem light green when young become straminaceous on age, densely covered by microphylls or leaves; sterile branches ca. 3mm wide, fertile branches ca. 1mm wide, ultimate sterile branchletsspreading, 5–15 cm long, ultimate fertile branchlets2.5–15 cm long; vegetative leaves dimorphic on sterile branches, adnate, free apex of the sterile leaves hyaline, 2–3 mm long, free apex of fertile leaves 1mm long or less.  Strobili 8–18 mm long, Sporophylls broadly ovate, acuminate or caudate.

Specimen examined: BSI, ERC 133494 (ASSAM), 20.ix.2014, Tualpui core, MurlenNational Park, Mizoram, India, 1,350m, coll. SachinSharma (Image 1 & 2).

Fertile period: August–December

Threat status: Not evaluated in IUCN Red List.  Chandra et al. (2008) mention this species as ‘rare’.

Habitat: Scandenton rocky slopes, edges and boulders between 1200–1500 m elevation.

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram (present record)), Bhutan, China, Japan, Malay Islands, Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, Philippines, and Taiwan.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Pichisermollodes crenatopinnata

(C.B. Clarke) Fraser-Jenk. Indian Fern J. 26(1 & 2): 122, 2010.

Selliguea crenatopinnata (C.B. Clarke) S.G.Lu, Hovenkamp & M.G.Gilbert, Fl. China 2–3: 782, 2013.

Polypodium crenatopinnatum C.B. Clarke, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 25(165–169): 99, pl. 42. 1888. Pichisermollia crenatopinnata(C.B. Clarke) Fraser-Jenk.,Taxon. Revis. Indian Subcontinental Pteridophytes 52, 2008.

Terrestrial, rhizome thin, creeping, densely clothed with small, lanceolate, scales; stipes 5–12 cm long, slender, glabrous; fronds elongate–deltoid, 8–25 cm long, pinnatifidclose to the rachis, glabrous, lobes 4–5 pairs, 1.5– 5 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide, apex acute, margin undulate–crenate, costa distinct, costule inconspicuous; sorione row in between the main veins and in one row on either side of midrib, small, brown.

Specimen examined: BSI, ERC 131483 (ASSAM), 17.ix.2014, Ngur forest, MurlenNational Park, Mizoram, India, 1,485m, coll. SachinSharma (Image 3 & 4).

Fertile period: August–November

Threat status: Not evaluated in IUCN Red List.  Chandra et al. (2008) mention this species as ‘rare’.

Habitat: Grows on calcareous sandy slopes between 1400–1600 m elevation.

Distribution: India (Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram (present record) and Nagaland), China.

 

 

 

 

3. Belvisia henryi

(Hieron. ex C.Chr.) Raymond, Mém.Jard. Bot. Montréal 55: 32, 1962. Hymenolepis henryi Hieron. ex C.Chr., Dansk Bot. Arkiv 6(3): 67, f. 1d, 1929.

Macroplethus henryi (Hieron. ex C.Chr.)Tagawa, Act. Phytotax. Geobot. 11(3): 234, 1942.

Rhizome short–creeping, scaly at apex, scales ovate–oblong–lanceolate, 0.22–0.44 × 0.06–0.12 linear, 4–15 × 0.1–0.3 cm. sori linear, in two rows along the rachis, but in well developed forms seems completely covering the spike, margins curved; spores hyaline, brown. Stipes0.5–2 cm long; lamina 7–27 × 1.5–5 cm, tufted, lanceolate or elongate, simple, subcoriaceousand brattle, base gradually narrowed or sometimes irregularly truncate, margins entire to undulate, apex acuminate-caudate forming a narrow fertile spike.

Specimen examined: BSI, ERC 128498 (ASSAM), 13.ix.2014, Vapar forest, Murlen National Park, Mizoram, India, 1,260m, coll. Sachin Sharma (Image 5 & 6).

Fertile period: September–April

Threat status: Not evaluated in IUCN Red List.  Chandra et al. (2008) mention this species as ‘near threatened’.

Habitat: Epiphyte on broad-leaved trees like Elaeocarpus sp. and Engelhardtia spicatain dense and moist forests.

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram (present record), Sikkim and West Bengal), Bhutan, China (Yunnan), and Nepal.

 

 

 

 

4. Acystopteris tenuisecta

(Blume) Tagawa, Act. Phytotax. Geobot. 7(2): 73, 1938.

Aspidium tenuisectum Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 170, 1828.

Athyrium tenuisectum (Blume) T.Moore, Index Fil. (Moore) 188, 1860.

Cystopteris tenuisecta (Blume) Mett., Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. 1(8): 241, 1864. Acystopteris tenuisecta (Blume)Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 11(2): 52, 1941. Cornopteris tenuisecta (Blume) Tardieu, Amer. Fern J. 48(1): 32, 1958.

Rhizome creeping, densely scaly scales light-brown, 0.2–0.6 cm long, 0.17–0.5 cm broad, ovate-lanceolate, entire; stipes16–45 cm long, stramineous, scaly, scales as on rhizome, rachis stramineous, scaly; lamina tripinnate, 18–55 × 12–32 cm, deltate, herbaceous, sparsely hairy; pinnae 10–20 pairs, 12–25 × 2–9 cm, triangular lanceolate; pinnules 9–20 pairs, 2–4 × 0.8 – 2 cm, lanceolate, asymmetrical, alternate, sub sessile or sessile; costae and costules stramineous, scaly and hairy, Sori indusiate.

Specimen examined: BSI, ERC 128164 (ASSAM), 15.i.2013, Near Bear lodge, Murlen National Park, Mizoram, India, 1,427m, coll. Sachin Sharma (Image 7 & 8).

Fertile period: November–April.

Threat status: Not evaluated in IUCN Red List.

Habitat: Grows along streams.

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Meghalaya, Mizoram (present record), Sikkim and Uttarakhand), Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam.

 

 

 

 

References

 

Baishya, A.K. & R.R. Rao (1982). Ferns and fern allies of Meghalaya State, India. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur, India, 161pp.

Barbhuiya, H.A. & S.K. Singh (2013). New and noteworthy additions to the fern flora of Mizoram, India. NeBIO 4(1): 26–30.

Benniamin, A. (2011). Studies on the genus Dryopteris Adans (Pteridophyta-Aspidiaceae Sensu. Lato) from Mizoram, north-east India. Indian Journal of Forestry 34: 345–352.

Benniamin, A. (2012). The diversity of ferns and fern-allies of MurlenNational Park, Mizoram, north east India. Indian Fern Journal 29: 1–12.

Bir, S.S., S.M. Vasudeva & P. Kachroo (1989). Pteridophytic flora of North-Eastern India - I (Families: Huperziaceae-Sinopteridaceae). Indian Fern Journal 6: 30–55.

Bir, S.S., S.M. Vasudeva & P. Kachroo (1990). Pteridophytic flora of North-Eastern India - IV (Families: Davalliaceae–Salviniaceae). Indian Fern Journal 7: 219–226.

Bir, S.S., S.M. Vasudeva, P. Kachroo & Y. Singh (1991). Pteridophytic flora of North-Eastern India - V ecological, distributional and phytogeographicaccount. Indian Fern Journal 8: 98–139.

Borthakur, S.K., P. Deka & K.K. Nath (2000). Illustrated Manual of Ferns of Assam. Bishen Singh MahendraPal Singh, Dehradun, 468pp.

Chandra, P. & S. Chandra (1983). Contribution to the ferns of Mizoram. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 80: 461–465.

Chandra, S., C.R. Fraser-Jenkins, A. Kumari& A. Srivastava (2008). A summary of the status of threatened pteridophytes of India. Taiwania 53(2): 170–209.

Conservation International (2011). Hotspots. Arlington, VA: Conservation International, http://www.conservation.org/where/priority_areas/hotspots/Pages/hotspots_main.aspx, accessed 8 June 2016.

Deb, D.B. (1981). The Flora of Tripura State - Vol. 1. Today & Tomorrow’s Printers and Publishers, New Delhi, 509pp.

Deb, D.B. & R.M. Dutta (1987). A contribution to the flora of Mizoram. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 10: 21–61.

Fischer, C.E.C. (1938). The flora of Lushai hills. Records of the Botanical Survey of India 12: 75–161.

Gage, A.T. (1901). A botanical tour in the south Lushai Hills. Records of the Botanical Survey of India 1: 331–369.

Jain, S.K. & R.R. Rao (1977). A Handbook of Field and Herbarium Methods.Today & Tomorrow’s Printers & Publishers, New Delhi, India, 150pp.

Jamir, N.S. & R.R. Rao (1988). The Ferns of Nagaland. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun, 426pp.

Kachroo, P., S.S. Bir & S.M. Vasudeva (1989). Pteridophytic flora of North-Eastern India - II (Families: Cryptogrammaceae-Thelypteridaceae). Indian Fern Journal 6: 78–99.

Kholia, B.S. (2010). Ferns and Fern-allies of Sikkim, A Pictorial Handbook 1. Department of Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management, Government of Sikkim, Gangtokand Botanical Survey of India, 207pp.

Kholia, B.S. (2011). Pteridophytic wealth of Sikkim Himalaya, pp. 35–68. In: Arrawatia, M.L., & S. Tambe(eds.). Biodiversity of Sikkim Ferns. Sikkim Biodiversity Board, Gangtok.

Kholia, B.S. (2014). Ferns and Fern-allies of Sikkim, A Pictorial Handbook 2. Department of Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management, Government of Sikkim, Gangtokand Botanical Survey of India, 291pp.

Rao, R.R. (1994). Biodiversity in India: Floristic Aspects. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India, 371pp.

Sharma, S., R. Kumar, S.K. Singh & H.A. Barbhuiya(2013). Four new additions to the pteridophytic flora of Mizoram. NeBIO 4(1): 10–13.

Sharma, S., B. S. Kholia, R. Kumar & A. Kumar (2017). Pteridophytic diversity in human-inhabited buffer zone of MurlenNational Park, Mizoram, India. Check List 13(2): 1–8; http://doi.org/10.15560/13.2.2081

Singh, S. & G. Panigrahi (2005). Ferns and fern allies of Arunachal Pradesh, Vol. 1 & II. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India, 881pp.

Vanlalpeka, R. & R. Laha (2014). Ferns of AizawlDistrict, Mizoram, India. The Indian Forester 140(11): 1114–1117.

Vasudeva, S.M., S.S. Bir & P. Kachroo (1990). Pteridophytic flora of North-Eastern India - III (Families: Aspleniaceae–Oleandraceae). Indian Fern Journal 7: 66–85.

Verma, D., S.K. Singh, B.S. Kholia, B.K. Sinha& S. Pandey (2014). Pteridophytes of Khawnglung Wildlife Sanctuary, Mizoram, India. Indian Journal of Forestry37(2): 219–234.