Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 March 2022 | 14(3): 20786–20791
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7790.14.3.20786-20791
#7790 | Received 15 December 2021 | Final
received 20 March 2022 | Finally accepted 22 March 2022
Addition of three new angiospermic taxa to the flora of Bangladesh
M. Ashrafuzzaman
1, M. Khairul Alam
2 & A.K.M. Golam Sarwar 3
1,3 Laboratory of Plant Systematics,
Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202,
Bangladesh.
2 Bangladesh Forest Research
Institute, GPO Box No 273, Chattogram 4000,
Bangladesh.
1 ashrafcbot@bau.edu.bd, 2 khairulalam1952@gmail.com,
3 drsarwar@bau.edu.bd (corresponding author)
Editor: Anonymity
requested. Date of
publication: 26 March 2022 (online & print)
Citation: Ashrafuzzaman,
M., M.K. Alam & A.K.M.G. Sarwar (2022). Addition of three new angiospermic taxa to the flora of Bangladesh. Journal of Threatened Taxa 14(3): 20786–20791. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7790.14.3.20786-20791
Copyright: © Ashrafuzzaman
et al. 2022. 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: None.
Competing interests: The authors
declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: The present and previous
Curators, who have enriched the collection and curated the plant genetic
resources of this Botanical Garden, are thankfully acknowledged.
Abstract: During updating the plant holding
database of the botanical garden, Bangladesh Agricultural University, the
authors identified three species of the family Commelinaceae
namely, Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson, Murdannia
gigantea (Vahl) G.Brückn., and Tradescantia
sillamontana Matuda
as new records to the flora of Bangladesh. This paper provides a comprehensive
description and colour photographs of these species from Bangladesh.
Keywords: Callisia
fragrans, Commelinaceae,
dayflower, Murdannia gigantea,
new records, Tradescantia sillamontana.
The dayflower or spiderwort
family Commelinaceae is widely distributed throughout
tropical and subtropical regions comprising 41 genera and 731 species (Christenhusz & Byng 2016) and is characterized by
several features including a distinct closed leaf sheath, a succulent leaf
blade, deliquescent three-merous flowers with distinct
petals and sepals and a lack of nectaries (Cronquist
1981). The members of this family are important for their valuable ornamentals
such as dayflower, spiderwort, moses-in-the-bulrushes,
and wandering Jew; young shoots and leaves as vegetables, as well as for their
medicinal uses as a laxative, to treat inflammation of the eyes, fractured
bones, burns, arthritis, skin & oncological diseases, tuberculosis &
asthma, among others (Alam 2007; Tan et al. 2014).
Khan & Alam (1977) reported 28 species under 13
genera of the Commelinaceae from Bangladesh. After
some nomenclatural changes, later the family was exemplified from the country
by 10 genera and 27 species (Alam 2007). Recently, Alam & Uddin (2018) recorded 23 species under 10 genera
of Commelinaceae from the greater Chittagong and the
Chittagong Hill Tracts. All these reports include taxa both from wild and
cultivated states.
The Botanical Garden of Bangladesh
Agricultural University (BAUBG) is located on the western bank of the old
Brahmaputra River between 24.433°N and 90.263°E. Since its inception in 1963,
the BAUBG has been involved in the collection and conservation of plant genetic
resources from both local and international sources. With a land area of about
10 ha, approximately 1,150 plant species under 327 genera and 215 families are
being conserved here over a period of time for the study by students,
academicians, and researchers (Sarwar 2019). The garden’s collections were
primarily acquired through field / forest exploration; however, some species
were acquired through exchange programmes and/or from commercial nurseries.
Although BAUBG collection is enriched day by day and the database is well-managed,
some of the plant collections have been lost due to different natural
calamities, diseases, insect predation, and theft. These necessitate initiating
a new programme to update the plant holding database of the BAUBG (Sarwar 2019;
Ashrafuzzaman & Sarwar 2021; Ashrafuzzaman
et al. 2021).
This article includes taxonomic
descriptions of the species, including the most recent nomenclature and the
most frequently used synonyms, as well as information on flowering and fruiting
time, ecology, mode of propagation, uses, global distribution, and conservation
status.
Methods
A detailed survey on the plant
genetic resources growing and conserved throughout BAUBG has been carried out
through frequent visits. During these visits, fresh flowering samples were collected;
herbarium specimens were prepared as vouchers by drying the fresh samples
following standard procedure (Anonymous 1996). The dried specimens were mounted
on the herbarium sheet and preserved in Prof. Arshad
Ali Herbarium at the botanical garden, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh
Agricultural University (AAHBAU). The collected fresh (or dried) specimens were
identified in the field or by comparing with herbarium specimens or pertinent
published literature. While updating the list of the family Commelinaceae,
the authors came across a few interesting specimens which, after critical
examination and with help of web resources and type specimens, were identified
as Callisia fragrans
(Lindl.) Woodson, Murdannia
gigantea (Vahl) G.Brückn., and Tradescantia
sillamontana Matuda. A
comprehensive description and colour photographs are provided for easy
identification of the species. The botanical names were updated following
WFO–The World flora online <http://www.worldfloraonline.org> (older
http://www.theplantlist.org) and Plants of the world online
<https://powo.science.kew.org/>.
Results and
Discussion
While updating the list of Commelinaceae species conserved at BAUBG, we identified
three new species to the flora of Bangladesh: Callisia
fragrans (Lindl.)
Woodson, Murdannia gigantea
(Vahl) G.Brückn. and Tradescantia sillamontana Matuda.
These species and even the genus Callisia were not included in any previous reports
of the country (Khan & Alam 1977; Alam 2007). There is no mention of the species in the
recent floristic accounts that covered the major floristic areas of the country
(Hossain & Hossain 2014; Rahman 2017; Rahman et al. 2015, 2017; Alam & Uddin 2018; Haque et
al. 2018; Harun-Ur-Rashid et al. 2018; Khan et al. 2021; Uddin et al. 2021).
Three species of Commelinaceae recorded as new to the flora of Bangladesh
are described below.
Callisia fragrans (Lindl.)
Woodson, Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 29: 154 (1942).
Spironema fragrans Lindley, Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 26:
t. 47 (TYPE), misc. 26 (1840). Rectanthera fragrans (Lindl.) O.Deg., Fl. Hawaiiensis [Degener] Fam. 62 (1932); Spironema
orthandrum Lindb., Acta
Soc. Sci. Fenn. 10: 127. t. 4. (1871) (Image 1).
Common names: Basket plant, false bromeliad,
octopus plant, inch plant, purple succulent, sweet-scented spiral thread.
A perennial, robust,
stoloniferous, herb, ascending, to 1 m. Leaves in clusters from long stems,
spirally arranged, oblong to lanceolate-oblong, 15–30 x 2.5–5 cm, glabrous, glossy green, tend to become reddish-purple in
strong light, distal leaf blades much narrower than sheaths when sheaths
opened, flattened, apex acuminate, glabrous.
Inflorescences terminal panicles to 30 cm or longer, flowers emerging on
slender peduncles. Flowers fragrant, subsessile;
bract papery, 10–15 mm long; sepals 3, whitish-transparent, membranous,
lanceolate, 5–6 mm; petals three, white, short-lived, lanceolate, 6 mm;
stamens six, long-exserted, connectives white, broad,
flag-like; filaments glabrous; ovary 3-locular,
stigma penicillate. Fruit a capsule, 3-locular; seeds two per locule, exarillate, uniseriate, hilum punctiform to linear, embryotega
dorsal to lateral.
Flowering & fruiting:
February to June.
Chromosome number: 2n= 18
(Nandikar et al. 2010).
Ecology: Common cultivated
ornamental. Often becomes open perennial drought-resistant colonies on the
ground.
Mode of propagation: Can be
easily propagated through stem cuttings.
Uses: A common ornamental
indoor plant. It is traditionally used to treat burns, arthritis, skin and oncological
diseases, tuberculosis, and asthma (Chernenko et al. 2007). It has a rich
folkloric reputation as an antiviral and antimicrobial plant.
Especially in eastern Europe, its leaves are used for the treatment of various
skin diseases, burns, and joint disorders (Yarmolinsky
et al. 2010).
Distribution: Endemic to Mexico,
and is a popular pot plant cultivated throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Introduced into Dominican Republic, Florida, Hawaii, Jamaica, Leeward Is.,
Louisiana, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles, Norfolk Is., Puerto Rico, Taiwan,
Venezuelan Antilles, and Windward Is. In Bangladesh, it is so far recorded in
cultivation only.
Conservation status: Callisia fragrans
is currently known only in cultivation state, hence no threat has been assessed
and is considered as Least Concern.
The species can be easily
identified by spirally arranged clustered leaves, terminal panicle with white
fragrance flowers.
Representing specimens examined:
Mymensingh, Botanical Garden, Bangladesh Agricultural University, cultivated,
19.vi.21. Ashrafuzzaman & Sarwar (AAHBAU)
Murdannia gigantea (Vahl) G.Brückn., Nat. Pflanzenfam.,
ed. 2 15a: 173 (1930). Faden, Revis. Handb. Fl. Ceylon 14: 147
(2000); Nandikar & Gurav,
Phytodiversity 2(1): 72 (2015). Commelina
gigantea Vahl, Enum. Pl. 2: 177 (1805–06). Type: India, Röttler (lectotype Herb. Vahl C)
cited by Faden (2000).
Aneilema giganteum (Vahl)
R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. 271 (1810); Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 379 (1892). Aneilema ensifolium Wight, Icon.
Pl. Ind. Orient. 6: 30, t. 2074 (1853). TYPE: India, Courtallum,
Herb. Wight s.n. (SYNTYPES: K). (Image 2).
A tufted, erect, perennial herb;
roots thickened but not tuberous. Stem 25–60 cm high, glabrous,
or puberulous, with long internodes. Rosette leaves
linear, 25–60 × 0.5–1 cm, apex acuminate to finely acuminate, base narrowed,
sheath 1–7 (–8) cm long; flowering shoots terminal in the rosette, erect, 1 m
tall, leafy with long internodes, leaves on flowering shoot gradually reduced.
Inflorescences terminal with many-flowered cincinni;
bracteoles. 5 mm long. Flowers many, pedicellate; pedicel erect, 6 mm long, glabrous; sepals elliptic, 5–8 mm long; petals ovate to
obovate, pale lavender to blue; stamens 2, filaments bearded, anthers
ellipsoid; staminodes 4, filaments sparsely bearded, antherodes
trilobed, yellow; ovary green, ovoid. Fruit a capsule, ellipsoid ovoid, 0.6–10
× 5–6 mm, brown, glabrous; seeds 2 per locule, uniseriate, ovoid
ellipsoid in outline, 2.5–4 × 2–2.5 mm, rugose with warts and ridges in lines
radiating from embryotega, the whole surface finely
granular.
Flowering & fruiting: May to
August.
Chromosome number: 2n= 22 (Rao et
al. 1960); 44 (Kammathy & Rao 1961)
Ecology: Seepage areas on rock
outcrops and secondary forest, full sun to part shade; 0–200 m (Faden 2000).
Mode of propagation: Vegetative
propagation through plant division.
Uses: Planted as an ornamental in
many parts of the world.
Distribution: Native range is
Madagascar, tropical Asia to northern Australia, cultivated in India, Sri
Lanka, Singapore, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Thailand, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, China,
Australia and Madagascar. In Bangladesh, it is so far recorded in cultivation
only.
Conservation status: Murdannia gigantea is
currently known only in cultivation state; hence no threat has been assessed
and is considered as Least Concern.
The species can easily
differentiate with tall flowering shoot terminal in the rosette with leafy
internodes; broad leaves.
Representing specimens examined:
Mymensingh, Botanical Garden, Bangladesh Agricultural University, cultivated,
19.vi.21. Ashrafuzzaman & Sarwar s.n. (AAHBAU)
Note: One herbarium (specimen)
collection is recorded by Silva, F.W.de & W. Gomez (G-DC-357361/1) from
Sylhet - Mont. Sillet/Sylhet Division stored in
Geneva Herbarium – De Candolle’s Prodromus (G-DC)
<https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1144569612>.
C.B. Clarke’s note of 25 August 1896 on “Wallich
Catalogue: Sylhet, Pundua and Khasia
Hills” indicate that Wallich distinguished between ‘Sillet’, i.e., the old (and present) Zilla,
and the ‘Mont. Sillet’ or ‘Mont. Sillet
vicinae’, by which he indicated Khasia
https://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/5029 seen on 01 July 2021.
Tradescantia sillamontana Matuda, Bol. Soc. Bot. México 18: 1
Fig. 1 (1955). TYPE: Mexico, Nuevo Leon (White & Chatters 30 [MICH, GH,
MEXU]) (Hunt 2020).
Tradescantia
pexata H.E.Moore Jr., Baileya 8: 100 (1960). TYPE: H.E. Moore Jr. 7750, July 1959
(in flower); 7750 bis, 23 February 1960 (vegetative)
(BH) (Moore, Jr. 1960) (Image 3).
Common name: White Velvet, White
Gossamer lant, Hairy Wandering Jaw, Cobweb Spiderwort
A tuberous, xerophytic, evergreen
perennial herb, 30–40 cm tall. Stem erect to trailing, rooting on the soil
surface. Leaves spirally alternate, distichous, fleshy, elliptic-ovate to
broadly ovate-lanceolate, 3–7 x 2.0–2.5 cm, upper surface silvery green, turning
bright purplish-red under high light conditions, covered with a dense layer of
silvery hairs, undersurface reddish-purple.
Inflorescence terminal and usually solitary, often cluster of flowers enclosed
by leaf-like bracts. Flowers c. 2 cm across, bright magenta to pink deep
rosy-pink, sepals three, more or less transparent forming calyx tube, elliptic
to broadly elliptic, petals three, sessile or clawed, equal, free to connate,
stamens six, arranged in two series, equal, filaments epipetalous, hairless,
ovary glabrous or pubescent, locules
2-ovulate, style straight at anthesis and post-anthesis. Fruit a capsule, subglobose to globose, loculicidal, 3-valved, seeds exarillate, 1–2 per locule.
Flowering & fruiting:
June–August.
Chromosome number: Tetraploids,
2n= 24 (Chinnappa 1976).
Ecology: Almost succulent and
nearly xerophytic in nature.
Mode of propagation: Can be easily propagated through
stem cuttings.
Uses: Grown as indoor pot plants.
It can also be grown as a ground cover.
Distribution: Native to Mexico,
Italy, USA, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, South Korea, Norway, Chinese Taipei,
South Africa, Belgium, Greece, Nicaragua, El Salvador, India. In Bangladesh, it
is so far recorded in cultivation only.
Conservation status: Tradescantia sillamontana is
currently known only in cultivation state; hence no threat has been assessed
and is considered as Least Concern.
Easy to recognize by its
distinctive feature being the leaf surface covered with dense layer of silvery
hairs.
Representing specimens examined: Mymensingh,
Botanical Garden, Bangladesh Agricultural University, cultivated, 19.vi.21. Ashrafuzzaman & Sarwar (AAHBAU)
References
Alam, M.K. (2007). Commelinaceae
R. Brown, pp. 142‒162. In: Siddiqui, K.U., M.A. Islam, Z.U. Ahmed, Z.N.T.
Begum, M.A. Hassan, M. Khondker, M. M. Rahman, S.M.H.
Kabir, M. Ahmad, A.T.A. Ahmed, A.K.A. Rahman & E.U. Haque
(eds). Encyclopedia
of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol. 11. Angiosperms: Monocotyledons (Agavaceae‒Najadaceae). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh,
Dhaka.
Alam, M.K. & S.N. Uddin (2018). Commelinaceae,
pp. 352–370. In: Uddin, S.N. & M.A. Hassan (eds.). Vascular Flora of
Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Vol. 1. Bangladesh National
Herbarium, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of
the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
Anonymous (1996). Techniques and Procedures for
Collecting, Preserving, Processing, and Storing Botanical Specimens. Research Branch, British Columbia
Ministry of Forest, Victoria, B.C. Work Paper 18/1996.
Ashrafuzzaman, M. & A.K.M.G. Sarwar
(2021). Species
diversity of Sterculiaceae at Bangladesh Agricultural
University Botanical Garden and their ethnobotanical uses. Asian Journal of
Research in Botany 5: 1‒8.
Ashrafuzzaman, M., M.M. Khatun, N.A. Tunazzina & A.K.M.G. Sarwar (2021). Conservation of minor fruit
genetic resources at the Botanical Garden, Bangladesh Agricultural University. International
Journal of Minor Fruits Medicinal & Aromatic Plants 7: 1–18. https://doi.org/10.53552/ijmfmap.2021.v07i01.001
Chernenko,
T.V., N.T. Ul’chenko, A.I. Glushenkova
& D. Redzhepov (2007). Chemical investigation of Callisia fragrans. Chemistry
of Natural Compounds 43: 253–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10600-007-0098-x
Chinnappa, C.C. (1976). Cytology of Tradescantia
sillamonta. Caryologia
29: 363‒367. https://doi.org/10.1080/00087114.1976.10796511
Christenhusz, M.J.M. & J.W. Byng (2016). The number of known plants
species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa
261(3): 201–217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1
Cronquist, A.
(1981). An
Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants. New York: Columbia
University Press.
Faden, R.B. (2000). Commelinaceae,
pp. 116‒196. In: Dassanayake, M.D. & W.D. Clayton
(eds). Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon
Vol. 14. Oxford and IBH Publishing, New Delhi.
Haque, A.K.M.K., S.A. Khan, S.N. Uddin
& S.S. Shetu (2018). An annotated checklist of the angiospermic flora of Rajkandi
Reserve Forest of Moulvibazar, Bangladesh. Bangladesh
Journal of Plant Taxonomy 25(2): 187‒207. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v25i2.39525
Harun-Ur-Rashid,
M., S. Islam & S.B. Kashem (2018). Floristic diversity (Magnoliids
and Eudicots) of Baraiyadhala National Park,
Chittagong, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 25(2):
273‒288. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v25i2.39532
Hossain, M.K.
& M.A. Hosain (2014). Biodiversity of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary: Flora. Arannayk
Foundation & Bangladesh Forest Department, Dhaka, Bangladesh, v +175pp.
Hunt, D.R.
(2020). Tradescantia Commelinaceae,
pp. 1183‒1187. In: Eggli, U. & R. Nyffeler (eds.). Illustrated Handbook of Succulent
Plants. Monocotyledons. 2nd ed., Springer-Verlag GmbH, Germany.
Kammathy, R.V. & R.S. Rao (1961). Notes on Indian Commelinaceae. 3: Cytological observations. Bulletin of
the Botanical Servey of India 3: 393‒394.
Khan, M.S.
& M.K. Alam (1977). Commelinaceae,
pp. 13‒41. In: Khan, M.S. (ed.). Flora of Bangladesh. Fasc. No. 4.
Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka.
Khan, S.A.,
S. Sultana, G.M. Hossain, S.S. Shetu & M.A. Rahim
(2021). Floristic
composition of Jahangirnagar University campus - A semi-natural area of
Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 28(1): 27‒60. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v28i1.54207
Moore, H.E.
Jr. (1960). Tradescantia pexata
(Commelinaceae), a New Species. Baileya
8: 98‒101.
Nandikar, M.D., M. Lekhak
& R.V. Gurav (2010). Karyotype analysis of a new
cytotype of Callisia fragrans
(Lindl.) Woodson (Commelinaceae).
Nucleus 53(3): 95–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13237-011-0019-z
Rahman, M.A.
(2017). Plant
diversity in Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary of
Chittagong and its conservation management. Journal of Biodiversity
Conservation & Bioresources Management 3(2): 43‒56.
Rahman, M.R.,
M.K. Hossain, M.A. Hossain & M.S. Haque (2017). Floristic composition of
Madhupur National Park (MNP), Tangail, Bangladesh. Bangladesh Agriculture
7(10): 27‒45.
Rahman, M.S.,
G.M. Hossain, S.A. Khan & S.N. Uddin (2015). An annotated checklist of the
vascular plants of Sundarban Mangrove Forest of
Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 22(1): 17–41. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v22i1.23862
Rao, R.S., G.
Panigrahi & R.V. Kammathy
(1960).
Cytotaxonomic studies on Indian Commelinaceae. Proceedings
of Indian Science Congress 1960, 366 pp. (Abst.).
Sarwar,
A.K.M. Golam (2019). Plant Biodiversity and Conservation of Higher Plants in Bangladesh:
Present Status and Future Prospects, pp. 259‒288. In: Sangeetha, J., D. Thangadurai, H.C. Goh & S. Islam (eds.). Biodiversity
and Conservation: Characterization and Utilization of Plants, Microbes and
Natural Resources for Sustainable Development and Ecosystem Management. AAP/CRC,
Florida, USA.
Tan, J.B.L., W.J. Yap, S.Y. Tan,
Y.Y. Lim & S.M. Lee (2014). Antioxidant content, antioxidant activity, and
antibacterial activity of five plants from the Commelinaceae
family. Antioxidants 3: 758‒769. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox3040758
Uddin, M.Z.,
A. Shomrat, M.S. Hasan, M.R. Khan, A.R. Fahad &
M. Al-Amin (2021). Evaluation of plant species diversity in the road dividers of Dhaka
city. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 28(1): 141‒154. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v28i1.54214
Yarmolinsky, L., M. Zaccai,
S. Ben-Shabat & M. Huleihel
(2010). Anti-Herpetic
activity of Callissia fragrans
and Simmondsia chinensis
leaf extracts in vitro. The Open Virology Journal 4(1): 57–62. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874357901004010057