Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2024 | 16(12): 26301–26305
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893
(Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9115.16.12.26301-26305
#9115 | Received 24 April 2024 | Final
received 28 November 2024 | Finally accepted 05 December 2024
New record of Sapria himalayana
Griff. (Rafflesiaceae) from Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Anisha Mandal 1,
Aman Bishwakarma 2, Dibi
Soma Monpa 3, Kabir Pradhan 4, Karma
Wangdi Monpa 5 &
Rohit Rai 6
1,2,4,6 Centre for
Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012,
India.
3,5 Eaglenest
Wildlife Sanctuary, Shergaon Forest Division, Rupa,
Arunachal Pradesh 790003, India.
1
anishamandal@IIsc.ac.in (corresponding author), 2 bkaman653@gmail.com,
3 monpadibisoma@gmail.com 4 kp317815@gmail.com,
5 monpakarmawangdi@gmail.com,
6 rairohit1667@gmail.com
Editor: K. Haridasan,
Palakkad, Kerala, India. Date of publication: 26 December 2024
(online & print)
Citation: Mandal, A., A. Bishwakarma, D.S. Monpa ,
K. Pradhan , K.W. Monpa & R. Rai (2024). New record of Sapria
himalayana Griff. (Rafflesiaceae)
from Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh,
India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 16(12):
26301–26305. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9115.16.12.26301-26305
Copyright: © Mandal et al. 2024. 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: Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We thank Dr. Umesh Srinivasan for his continued assistance and
guidance, and Dr. R. Ganesan for his suggestions in
species identification. We thank the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and
the Shergaon Forest Division for their support of
this project and for providing us with permits. We wish to acknowledge complete
gratitude to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Science and Engineering
Research Board (SERB) for finance assistance.
Abstract: The eastern Himalayan
region is renowned for its exceptional and abundant floral and faunal
biodiversity, harbouring numerous endemic plant
species. Among them, Sapria himalayana Griffith, an endoparasitic,
rare, and endangered plant, was first discovered in the Mishmi Hills of
Arunachal Pradesh in 1836. Despite its discovery nearly two centuries ago, the
species remains poorly understood. While some recent studies have begun to explore
the genetics and demography of this species, there is still a significant
knowledge gap in the understanding of the life history patterns of this
parasitic plant. Here, a new record has been added to the distribution of Sapria himalayana
from Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. Around 21 flowers were
scattered on the forest floor, spanning various developmental stages from buds
to flower maturation, including desiccated flowers. The bud emerges from the
roots of Tetrastigma sp. (host plant). One of
the primary challenges in conducting extensive research on the intriguing
Himalayan Sapria is its infrequent and unpredictable
flowering patterns. Therefore, understanding these aspects (flowering phenology
and enigmatic traits) is crucial for further research and preserving this rare
species and its hosts in the face of ongoing habitat loss. Conducting an annual
plant survey in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary can
help identify patterns to unravel these mysteries.
Keywords: Distribution,
endangered, endoparasitic, flowering phenology, host
plant, Himalayan region, Tetrastigma sp.
Sapria himalayana Griffith., (Rafflesiaceae) is a rare and endangered flowering plant (Nayar & Sastry 1987). All three genera of the Rafflesiaceae family are endoparasites, thriving within
their grapevine (Vitaceae) hosts (Nikolov et al. 2014). Sapria
and its two sister clades, Rhizanthes and Rafflesia, have lost the genes required for
photosynthesis and rely entirely on obligate host species for sustenance (Osathanunkul 2019). Unusually, these parasitic angiosperms
do not have an external vegetative body, only the solitary flower bud, which
emerges from the host’s roots and matures to a unisexual flower for brief
periods to complete the life cycle. The hosts of S. himalayana
include various Tetrastigma vines (T. obovatum, T. cruciatum, T. laoticum, T. bracteolatum, and
T. serrulatum) recorded from Thailand and
northeastern India (Elliott 1990; Arunachalam et al. 2004).
The genus Sapria has four species (Dorji
et al. 2022). Among them, only S. himlayana
has a wide distribution, and the other three species, S. poilanei
Gagnep., S. ram Bänziger
& B. Hansen., and S. myanmarensis (Tanaka et
al. 2019) are endemic and have small ranges. S. poilanei is endemic to Cambodia, S. ram is
endemic to Thailand, and the recently discovered S. myanmarensis
is endemic to Myanmar (Bänziger et al. 2000; Holden
2010; Tanaka et al. 2019). The Himalayan Sapria was
first described by the British botanist William Griffith in 1844, which was
discovered by him in 1836 from the Mishmi Hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India (Griffith
1844; Dorji et al. 2022). After its discovery, it has
been reported only a few times from other regions of northeastern India (Borah
& Ghosh 2018; Ahmad et al. 2020; Devi et al. 2022; Singh et al. 2022; Syiemiong et al. 2022). Its distribution range includes
Bhutan, northeastern India, Tibet, south-central China, Myanmar, Thailand, and
Vietnam (Dorji et al. 2022). The flower of S.
himalayana is unique and exceptionally
beautiful. It is velvety and has 10 distinct perigone lobes. The flower emits a
putrid odour. Previous studies have reported that the
release of the foul odour attracts insect pollinators
that pollinate the dioecious flower (Bänziger 2004;
Davis et al. 2008). Very few studies have documented fruiting; fruits
are black, 3.1---–5 cm long, with a low fruiting rate (Bänziger
2004). The seeds are blackish-brown and 0.6–0.65 mm long, and rodents perform
seed dispersal (Bänziger 2004; Borah &
Ghosh 2018).
Even though it was
discovered almost two centuries ago, the comprehensive knowledge of Himalayan Sapria is still lacking. Here, a new record of Sapria himalayana
from Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh is documented (Image 1).
A previous study from 1938 documents the flower’s presence from the same
district in Aka Hills, near Rupa (Bor 1938; Dorji et al. 2022). That was the second-ever recorded
instance of this wildflower. Following an 85-year interval, another record is
now documented in this region. Eaglenest Wildlife
Sanctuary (WS) is located in the West Kameng District
of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Being a part of the Eastern Himalaya Global
Biodiversity Hotspot, Eaglenest WS harbours diverse plant species. The WS covers an area of
217 km2 with an elevation gradient ranging 500–3,300 m. Annual
precipitation ranges from roughly 1,500 mm to over 3,000 mm (Mohan & Athreya 2011). The elevation gradient shapes diverse
forest ecosystems, transitioning from tropical wet evergreen forest at lower
elevations (below 1,000 m) to broadleaved subtropical (between 800–2,000 m),
temperate forest at higher elevations (between 1,800–2,800 m), and above 2,800
m, temperate coniferous forest. The elevation gradient hosts various plant
species, contributing significantly to the region’s rich floral biodiversity.
The critically endangered Gymnocladus assamicus and valuable medicinal plants like Paris polyphyla are found at higher altitudes. The dominant
woody trees at lower elevations include Magnolia hodgsonii,
Ficus spp., Canarium
resiniferum, Pinus roxburghi,
Castanopis hystrix,
Gynocardia odorata, etc.
Additionally, the understorey is dominated by Elatostema platyphyllum,
Strobilanthes hamiltoniana,
Trivalvaria sp., and Achyrospermum wallichianum.
In December 2023,
five globose buds were encountered on the forest floor while walking along a
trail in the primary forest. Following this initial observation, a systematic
investigation was undertaken at the exact site on the next day. Each individual
blooming flower was counted and the dimensions were
measured (diameter and height) of flowers and buds. Each floral development
stage was documented, including fresh buds, aborted flower buds, mature fresh
flowers, and decaying flowers.
Accurate geographical
coordinates and elevation data were captured using a GPS tracking device for
precise locational mapping. Given that the species is IUNC Endangered, the
exact coordinates of this record are not shared. Host plants associated with
the parasitic flowers were photographed for later taxonomic identification.
Subsequent identification of both the parasitic flower and its host plants was
carried out using scientific literature and botanical resources.
The S. himalayana individuals were discovered near the Sessni camp of Eaglenest WS.
Around 21 individuals spanning various developmental stages were observed, from
bud emergence to flower maturation, including naturally decaying buds and
decaying flowers (Image 2–5). The buds cluster in groups of three or five,
scattered across the forest floor. Most flowers grew on gentle slopes, but some
were found on level ground. A nearby water stream may fulfil the specific
habitat requirements of this species. The flowers of S. himalayana
are vibrant red, with sulphur-yellow dots on their
perigone lobes. Most of the flowers have 10 perigone lobes in count. An
individual S. himalayana flower with 12
perigone lobes (Image 6) is also recorded, contrasting with past published
literature indicating the flower typically exhibits 10 perigone lobes. The
flower was roughly 20 cm (Image 7) in diameter and about 12 cm tall. A mature
bud was 12 cm wide (Image 8). The flower emits putrid smells that can be
detectable from a few meters away. The vegetative parts of S. himalayana grow inside the host’s lianas of Tetrastigma spp. (Image 9) of Vitaceae.
During the reproductive phase, the protocorm emerges from the hosts’ roots and
then matures into a flower—the flower blooms in the winter, from November to
February.
Eaglenest WS faces significant environmental challenges,
including climate change and the spread of invasive plants at lower elevations.
In this context, Sapria himlayana
is a poorly understood taxon and highly sensitive to environmental factors. The
plant has a naturally high bud mortality rate (Osathanunkul
2019). Extensive research on the fascinating Himalayan Sapria
has been challenging because of its infrequent, unpredictable, and secretive
flowering patterns. The study underscores the urgent need for comprehensive
research into the elusive flowering phenology and enigmatic traits of S. himalayana to inform practical conservation efforts. In
order to establish patterns and solve these mysteries, an annual plant survey
is proposed in the Eaglenest WS. Apart from the West Kameng of Arunachal Pradesh, Namdapha
National Park of Changlang District is this plant’s
most extensively documented habitat (Arunachalam et al. 2004; Borah &
Ghosh, 2018). Recent observations also indicate its presence in other parts of
Arunachal Pradesh, including the evergreen forests of the East Siang District
and the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary in the Lower Dibang Valley District (Ahmad et al. 2020; Taram et al. 2020).
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