Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2021 | 13(14): 20258–20260
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7598.13.14.20258-20260
#7598 | Received 29 July 2021 | Final
received 25 October 2021 | Finally accepted 20 November 2021
Extended distribution of two
endemic epiphytes from the Western Ghats
to the Deccan Plateau
Sonali Vishnu Deore
1, Mangala Dala Sonawane
2 & Sharad Suresh Kambale
3
1 Department of Botany, MVP Samaj’s, Karmveer Shantaram Bapu Kondaji Wavare (KSKW) College,
CIDCO, Nashik, Maharashtra, India.
1,2 PG Department of Botany and
Research Centre, MVP Samaj’s, KRT Arts, BH Commerce
& AM Science (KTHM) College, Nashik, Maharashtra, India.
3 Department of Botany, MVP Samaj’s, Art’s, Commerce & Science College, Tryambakeshwar,
Nashik, Maharashtra 422212, India.
1 sonalishinde2889@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 dr.mdsonawane@yahoo.co.in, 3 sharad@mvptryambakcollege.ac.in
Editor: Mandar Nilkanth
Datar, MACS-Agharkar Research
Institute, Pune, India. Date of publication: 26
December 2021 (online & print)
Citation: Deore, S.V., M.D. Sonawane & S.S. Kambale (2021). Extended distribution
of two endemic epiphytes from the Western Ghats to the Deccan Plateau. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(14): 20258–20260. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7598.13.14.20258-20260
Copyright: © Deore et al. 2021. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Self-funded.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: The authors thank the principals
of their respective colleges for necessary facilities. Authors thank Dr. C. Sudhakar Reddy for providing the map of the Western
Ghats.
Abstract: Extended distribution of two
endemic epiphytes, viz., Hoya wightii Hook.f. (Apocynaceae) and Bulbophyllum fimbriatum Rchb.f.
(Orchidaceae) from Western Ghats to Deccan Plateau is
reported during field explorations undertaken to document the flora of Kalwan tehsil. The presence of these two species in the
Deccan plateau indicates the need of further explorations to document the
diversity and endemism of strict endemics of Western Ghats in Deccan plateau.
Keywords: India, Kalwan
tehsil, new distribution records, northern Western Ghats, rare plants.
Forests are categorized according
to the plant species present in a particular area, which in turn depends upon
the environmental conditions prevalent in that area. Similarly, the plant
species occurring in a particular area are important in deciding the type of
forest present in that area. Forest in Kalwan tehsil
has been shown to fall in moist tropical and dry tropical by Lakshminarasimhan & Sharma (1991). From the available
literature it is evident that much focus has been given on Markanday
hill top and Saptashrungi Fort while remaining area
of Kalwan tehsil has been scarcely mentioned in the
previous works. Therefore, explorations carried out to study the floristic
wealth of less explored areas of Kalwan tehsil from
ethno-botanical perspective. During these explorations, two epiphytes, viz., Hoya
wightii Hook.f. (Apocynaceae) and Bulbophyllum
fimbriatum Rchb.f. (Orchidaceae)
were observed. These species were supposedly endemic to Western Ghats (Pande et al. 2010; Singh et al. 2015) and never been
reported from Deccan Plateau. After analysis it is found that, these species
have extended their distribution to the Deccan plateau (Figure 1). Their
description is provided, the map is given and notes on distribution are also
provided.
Material and Methods
Field trips were carried out to
explore floristic wealth and record the ethno-botanically important plants of Kalwan tehsil. Plants were photographed, collected, and
herbarium specimens were prepared as per Jain & Rao (1971). Plants were
identified by using local floras (Sharma et al. 1996; Singh et al. 2001). The
map is as per Rodgers & Panwar (1988).
Study area
Kalwan tehsil is located in the northwestern part of Nashik District in Maharashtra state
of India, between 20°29′25″N Latitude and 74°01′35″E Longitude. It is bordered
by Dang district of Gujarat state towards west, Baglan
tehsil Nashik district towards the north, Deola
towards east and Chandwad and Dindori
tehsils towards the south.
Results
Hoya wightii Hook.f. Fl. Brit. India 4: 59 (1883)
(Image 1A)
Epiphytic pendulous climbers.
Stems smooth, cylindrical with adventitious roots at regular intervals. Leaves
opposite, petiolate, elliptic lanceolate, acuminate at apex, narrow at base.
Flowers in lateral umbellate cymes. Corolla cream coloured, rotate; petals
united in the lower halves, slightly pubescent within. Staminal corona purple.
Follicles linear to cylindrical.
Phenology: Flowering and Fruiting:
May–January.
Notes: Found growing on Mangifera indica L.
and Ficus racemosa
L.
Specimens examined: SVD-270620211, 27.vi.2021,
India, Maharashtra, Nashik district, Kalwan tehsil, Koswan, coll. S.V. Deore &
M.D. Sonawane (Western Circle, BSI, Pune),
Image 2.
Distribution: Goa, Karnataka, Kerala,
Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. The present record is the northern-most
distribution of this species from Deccan Plateau.
Bulbophyllum fimbriatum (Lindl)
Rchb.f. Ann. Bot.
Syst. (Walpers)
6(2): 260 (1861)
(Image 1B)
Rhizome stout, pseudobulbs
sub-globose, about 1.5 to 2 cm long. Leaves altering with flowering, up to 5–12
× 2 cm. Flowers greenish-yellow, lateral sepals much longer than the dorsal
ones, lip spathulate, fleshy, re-curved. Capsules green, ob-pyriform,
1 × 0.5 cm.
Phenology: Flowering and Fruiting.
February–March.
Specimens examined: SVD-280320211, 28.iii.2021,
India, Maharashtra, Nashik district, Kalwan tehsil, Umbardhe, coll. S.V. Deore &
M.D. Sonawane (Western Circle, BSI, Pune), Image 3.
Notes: Found growing on Mangifera indica L.
Distribution: Kiruthika et al. (2018) reported this
species from Gadalur (Tamil Nadu). In Maharashtra it
has been reported (Sharma et al. 1996) from Pune Satara
and Sindhudurg districts. It has not been reported from Nashik district (Lakshminarasimhan & Sharma 1991; Yadav & Dhanke 2010) previously. It was strictly endemic to Western
Ghats (Singh & Singh (2015) and now extended its distribution to Deccan
Plateau.
For
figure & images - - click here
References
Jain, S.K.
& R.R. Rao (1977). A Handbook of Field and Herbarium Methods. Today & Tomorrow’s Printers
& Publishers, 157 pp.
Kiruthika, K., M. Sulaiman,
P.B. Harathi & R. Gopalan (2018). Revelatory notes on Bulbophyllum fimbriatum - An Endemic orchid
of Western Ghats, India. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 42:
65–69.
Lakshminarasimhan, P. & B.D. Sharma (1991). Flora of Nasik District. Botanical Survey of India, 644
pp.
Pande, S., N. Sant, V. Vishwasrao & M.N. Datar
(2010). Wild
Orchids of Northern Western Ghats: Including Maharashtra, Goa and Belgaum.
Ela Foundation.
Rodgers, W.A.
& H.S. Panwar (1988). Planning a Wildlife Protected Area Network in India. Wildlife
Institute of India, Dehradun.
Sharma, B.D.,
S. Karthikeyan & N.P. Singh (1996). Flora of Maharashtra
Monocotyledons. Botanical
Survey of India, 792 pp.
Singh, J.J.
& P. Singh (2015). Threatened orchids of Maharashtra - a preliminary assessment based on
IUCN regional guidelines and conservation prioritization. Journal of Orchid
Society of India 29: 1–14.
Singh, N.P.,
P. Lakshminarasimhan, S. Karthikeyan & P.V.
Prasanna (2001). Flora of Maharashtra State Dicotyledones, Vol. 2 Botanical Survey of India,
1080 pp.
Singh, P., K.
Karthigeyan, P. Lakshminarasimhan
& S.S. Dash (2015). Endemic vascular plants of India. Botanical Survey of
India.
Yadav, S.
& P.V. Dhanke (2010). A Checklist of Plants of
Nashik District. Nashik Forest Circle, Nashik, 143 pp.