Evaluation of Horticultural Potential and Standardization of Cultivation Practices in the Less Exploited Wild Species, Gymnostachyum febrifugum (Acanthaceae), Endemic to Southern India

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-153
Author(s):  
R. Rajvikraman ◽  
G. Thulasidas ◽  
N. Mohanan ◽  
V. Chitra

More than 70% of the ornamental plant species grown in Indian gardens are of exotic origin, which directly or indirectly affect the existence of indigenous vegetation of the country. In the exploration to find out the possibilities of the still to be exploited indigenous species in gardens, Gymnostachyum febrifugum Benth. a herbaceous plant endemic to southern Western Ghats of India, is systematically evaluated here for its aesthetic potential. Very poor percentage of seed germination was found the major cultivation constrain. The highly condensed stem restricts vegetative propagation also. A successful vegetative propagation method using single noded stem sections and node splits with single axillary buds is developed. Being vegetative propagation means, it also helps to retain the selected desirable qualities uniformly through generations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 219-230
Author(s):  
Surya Narayanan ◽  
Pratyush P. Mohapatra ◽  
Amirtha Balan ◽  
Sandeep Das ◽  
David J. Gower

We reassess the taxonomy of the Indian endemic snake Xylophis captaini and describe a new species of Xylophis based on a type series of three specimens from the southernmost part of mainland India. Xylophis deepakisp. nov. is most similar phenotypically to X. captaini, with which it was previously confused. The new species differs from X. captaini by having a broader, more regular and ventrally extensive off-white collar, more ventral scales (117–125 versus 102–113), and by lack of flounces on the body and proximal lobes of the hemipenis. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S DNA sequences strongly indicates that the new species is most closely related to X. captaini, differing from it by an uncorrected pairwise genetic distance of 4.2%. A revised key to the species of Xylophis is provided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 18953-18955
Author(s):  
Perumal Murugan ◽  
Vellingiri Ravichandran ◽  
Chidambaram Murugan

Ophiorrhiza incarnata C.E.C.Fisch. (Rubiaceae), a threatened plant species of southern Western Ghats is rediscovered from the adjacent area of the type locality after lapse of eight decades.  Its distribution and conservation status are discussed.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3510 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANIL ZACHARIAH ◽  
ROBIN KURIAN ABRAHAM ◽  
SANDEEP DAS ◽  
K. C. JAYAN ◽  
RONALD ALTIG

Novel and significant data on the breeding biology and tadpole morphology of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis expands ourunderstanding of this unusual frog and clarifies some data in other reports. Nonpigmented eggs are laid in arrays or clumpsin small shaded rocky pools in the bedrock of torrential streams, as they are charged by early monsoon rains. The suctorialtadpole adapted to rheophilic habitats, has a strongly depressed body, dorsal eyes, complete marginal papillae, a labialtooth row formula of 2/3 or 2/3(1), and a medial vent with unusual flaps subtending the vent and limb buds. Tadpoles meta-morphose in about 100 days. Additional site records and issues relating to the conservation of this frog and its habitat in the southern Western Ghats of India are discussed.


Zootaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3964 (5) ◽  
pp. 569
Author(s):  
PRADEEP M. SANKARAN ◽  
JOBI J. MALAMEL ◽  
MATHEW M. JOSEPH ◽  
POTHALIL A. SEBASTIAN

Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 212 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
K. M. PRABHU KUMAR ◽  
M. OMALSREE ◽  
M. SABU ◽  
P. SUNOJKUMAR ◽  
BINU THOMAS ◽  
...  

A new species of Striga from Tamil Nadu parts of Western Ghats of India is described and illustrated as Striga kamalii sp. nov. The new species shows similarity with S. densiflora in having a densely hispid stem, linear leaves, bracts longer than calyx, and oblong fruit shorter than calyx lobes, but differs in the 10-ribbed calyx, the glandular hairs on calyx and corolla tube, and the obovate-rounded petals. A detailed description, with data on distribution and parasitism together with relevant taxonomic notes and colour photographs are provided.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1735-1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anbu Aravazhi Arunkumar ◽  
Arunachalam Manimekalan

Abstract. The Western Ghats of India is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight “hotspots” of biological diversity in the world. It is also referred to as the “Great Escarpment of India”. This paper provides information on the diversity of freshwater fish fauna of six river systems of the southern Western Ghats. The study area has been identified geographically using a GPS, and the respective topographic map has been digitized using ArcGIS software. The fish fauna were collected from various streams and rivers using cast nets, dip nets, gill nets and drag nets. Among the 31 georeferenced sites sampled from the rivers of the southern Western Ghats, a total of 64 species, belonging to 6 orders, 14 families and 31 genera, were recorded. Among them, the order Cypriniformes was dominant, with 3 families, 18 genera and 49 species (76.6 %). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were performed to express the contribution of the variables and their influence on the species diversity. Interestingly, of the 31 sites, Thunakadavu stream, Gulithuraipatti, Athirapally, Naduthotam, Nadathittu, Mullaithodu, Thonanthikla, Noolpuzha and Sinnaru exhibited high variation in species diversity. Nearly 15 species were found to be threatened in the Western Ghats. Garra periyarensis and Cirrhinus cirrhosus are known to be vulnerable and Hemibagrus punctatus is critically endangered because of various anthropogenic activities. The study clearly indicates that certain timely measures have to be taken immediately to protect the fish fauna in the southern Western Ghats (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.882214).


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-319
Author(s):  
Amit Sayyed ◽  
Abhijit Nale ◽  
Kiran Ahire ◽  
Mahesh Bandgar ◽  
Hrushikesh Awale ◽  
...  

Check List ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anand Padhye ◽  
Sheetal Shelke ◽  
Neelesh Dahanukar

Distribution of butterfly species along the latitudinal and habitat gradients of the Western Ghats was studied. The Western Ghats was divided into 14 latitude zones and the species diversity in each latitude zone, along with habitats of their occurrence, were studied using the data from literature survey for the entire Western Ghats as well as data from personal observations in the areas between 14°N to 20°N latitudes. Out of 334 species recorded from the Western Ghats, 58 species were found in all latitudinal zones, while 5 species were reported in only one latitudinal zone. Further, southern Western Ghats consisted of more number of species and more number of genera as compared to northern Western Ghats. Latitudinal zones between 10°N to 12°N had most of the Western Ghats endemic species. Habitat wise distribution of species revealed three significant clusters grossly separated by the level of human disturbance. Evergreen forest habitats supported maximum number of species endemic to the Western Ghats.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4808 (1) ◽  
pp. 196-200
Author(s):  
PRADEEP M. SANKARAN ◽  
JOHN T.D. CALEB ◽  
POTHALIL A. SEBASTIAN

The spider genus Glenognatha Simon, 1887 (Tetragnathidae) currently has 34 nominal species distributed in Afrotropical region, Indo-Malaya, Nearctic, Neotropics, Oceania and Palearctic regions (Cabra-García & Brescovit 2016; World Spider Catalog 2020). It has one representative in India: Glenognatha dentata (Zhu & Wen, 1978) (World Spider Catalog 2020). The genus Pachygnatha Sundevall, 1823 currently comprises 46 nominal species distributed in Africa, Holarctic, South and South-East Asia (World Spider Catalog 2020). Biswas and Roy (2004) recorded this genus in India, while they described Pachygnatha silentvalliensis Biswas & Roy, 2004. The species is known from its original verbal description only since the genitalic illustrations were apparently not published along with the description (Biswas & Roy 2004), thus leaving its identity obscured. To redescribe and illustrate this species, we examined its type material and found that Biswas and Roy (2004) had misidentified the species and in fact it belongs to Tylorida Simon, 1894. In this paper, we describe a new Glenognatha species from the southern Western Ghats of India, transfer Dyschiriognatha ganeshi Bodkhe, Manthen & Tanikawa, 2014 to Glenognatha and synonymise P. silentvalliensis with Tylorida marmorea (Pocock, 1901). 


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