A Note on the Rediscovery of Jasminum Andamanicum Balakr. and N.g. Nair: An Endangered Endemic Species

2 Pages·1994·1.1 MB·English

by  Sam P Mathew

162 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURALHIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 91 (1994)
the first report of the naturalising of the weed in Acknowledgement
India.
It is imperative that steps are taken to We are grateful to Dr A.K. Bandyopadhyay,
eradicate the weed at the earliest. It may other- Director, Central Agricultural Research Institute,
wise pose a threat to the native flora of the Port Blair for permission to travel and for con-
islands owing to its allelopathic effects. stant encouragement.
Parthenium hysterophorus L., Sp. PI.
988. 1753; Voight, Hort. Sub. Calcutt. 62. December 23, 1992 P. MOHANRAJ1
1845; Rao, in J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 54: 218. T. V. R. S. SHARMA2
1956. M. K. VASUDEVA RAO3
Voucher specimens of the plant: South an- K. VEENA KUMARI4
daman: Neil Island: Sharma and Prashanth 101, 1,2,4CentralAgriculturalResearch
dated 20-10-1988: deposited in the Herbarium of Institute, PortBlair 744 101, Andamans.
the Botanical Survey of India, Andaman and 3Botanical Survey ofIndia, Andaman
NicobarCircle, PortBlair (PBL). andNicobar Circle, Port Blair 744 102, Andamans.
R EFERENCES
Auld, B.A., J. Hosking & R.E. McFadyen (1982/83): King, L.J. (1966): Weeds of the World: Biology and
Analysisofthespreadoftigerpearandparthenium control. Wiley Eastern Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
weedin Australia.Australian Weeds 2(2): 56-60. Saldanha, C.J. (1987): Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
Basu, P. (1987): An introductorybotanical note on Neil An Environmental impact assessment. Centre for
Island in Andamans. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 9(1): 179- taxonomic studies, St. Joseph’s College, Ban-
182. galore.
A NOTE ON THE REDISCOVERY OF JASMINUMANDAMANICUM BALAKR.
34. —
AND N.G. NAIR AN ENDANGERED ENDEMIC SPECIES
The genu$ Jasminum is a fairly well repre- the edges of the forests at Shoalbay. This area is
sented member of the family Oleaceae. Nin—e not included in the National Park area of the hill
species of this genus occur in the Andaman ranges. There is every possibility ofextinction of
Nicobar islands of which three species are en- this endangered endemic species ifproperprotec-
demic. Jasminum andamanicum Balakr. and N.G. tive measures for conservation are not taken.
Nair was originally described by Balakrishnan Being an interesting re-discovery, a brief
and Nair from the old collections of Dr King’s description is given below on the basis of the
Collector (1894) and Parkinson (1915) at CAL recent collection:
and PBL. These specimens were known to have Jasminum andamanicum Balakr. and N.G.
been collected from the Middle Andamans and Nair in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 21: 215. 1979.
South Andamans. After Parkinson’s collection Scandant climbing shrubs, woody at base,
(1915) it had never been collected again. pale greyish or creamy white with fissured bark,
During the floristic survey of Mount Harriet young branchlets greenish, smooth. Leaves tri-
hill ranges, we collected this interesting wild or- foliolate, opposite, dark green above, compara-
namental endemic Jasminum. The area from tively pale green beneath; leaflets 3-10 x 2-6 cm,
which the species has been collected supports a lateral nerves 5-8 pairs, petiole c. 3 cm long,
semi-evergreen type of forest. Mount Harriet terminal petiolules 0.9-2.2 cm long, lateral
mm
hills, the highest peak of South Andamans is rich petiolules c. 4-9 long. Inflorescence in
in plant diversity. About 46.7 sq. km ofthese hill paniculatecymes up to 12 cmlong, erect, densely
ranges have been declared as a National Park. J. matted with white wooly pubescence. Flowers
andamanicum is found growing sparsely along white with pleasant smell, calyx pale whitish.
MISCELLANEOUSNOTES 163
corolla milky white, stamens bright lemon yel- Ecology: Very rare in the edge of the inland
lowish. semi-evergreen forests.
Specimens examined: South Andamans, Mount
HarrietHills, Shoalbay 19, 14/12/1991, S.P.Mathew November 25, 1992 SAM P. MATHEW
20778 (CAL, PBL) & North Bay Hill Jungle SUSAN ABRAHAM
5/1/1894, Dr King’s collector s.n. acc. no. 286073, Department ofBotany,
28074, 286075 & 286076 (PBL).MiddleAndamans University ofKerala, Kariyavattom,
17/121915 C.E. Parkinson 787 (CAL,PBL). Trivandrum, Kerala.
—
35. JATROPHA TANJORENSIS ELLIS ET SAROJA A NEW RECORD FOR
ANDHRA PRADESH
Duringthefloristic survey ofEuphorbiaceae Jatropha tanjorensis Ellis & Saroja in J.
in Andhra Pradesh we collected Jatropha tan- Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 58: 834. 1961; Dehgan &
jorensisEllis& SarojafromWankidiinAdilabad WebsterinUniv.Calif. Publ. 74: 64. 1979; Mathew,
district. Afterperusalofliteratureandspecimens Mat. FI. Tamil Nadu camatic 336. 1981.
deposited in local and National herbaria it has Distribution: Along the road sides of the
been confirmed that our collection of Jatropha Wankidi forest area in Adilabad district in Andhra
tanjorensis forms a new record for the State of Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh. It was first reported as a new FI. & Fr.: August - December.
species from Kollemendu in Vedaranyam forest Specimens examined: Adilabad, Wankidi
in Tanjore district ofTamil Nadu in South India forest, RS.P. Babu & D.A. Moulali 11801.
by Ellis and Saroja (1961, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Wethank theauthoritiesofCALHerbariumfor
Soc. 58: 834-836.). Since our collection forms a confirming the identity ofthe specimen.
subsequent collection and since it was not
reportedearlierfromAndhra Pradesh, the up-to- November 3, 1992 P.S.P. BABU
date nomenclature, citation, distribution and D.A. MOULALI
phenologicaldataisprovided. Thespecimencol- T. PULLAIAH
lected is deposited in the Department ofBotany, Department ofBotany,
Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur515 003,
Andhra Pradesh. A.P.
36. REDISCOVERY OF CALANTHE WHITEANA KING & PANTLING—
A VERY RARE INDIAN ORCHID ENDEMIC TO CHUNGTHANG VALLEY OF SIKKIM
(With ten text-figures)
During an extensive floristic exploration of Lateronmanyworkerstriedtofindthisspeciesinits
floristically rich Chungthang valley of North naturalhabitatbutallattemptsprovedfutileandlead
Sikkim in June 1991, I came across a very rare totheconclusionthatitmightperhapsbeextinct. As
plant of Calanthe R. Br. of family Orchidaceae. the specimens have been hitherto collected from
On critical examination of the fresh specimens, Chungthangvalleyat 1830m altitude,nooneknows
it was identified Calanthe whiteana which was the specific type locality ofthis orchidspecies. Sub-
otherwise thought to be extinct or of very rare sequentto King &Pantling’sreportin 1898, thereis
occurrence (U.C. Pradhan 1979). King and Pan- no report on its collection from nature. The present
ning while describing the plant in 1898, stated collection from Bop R.F. of Chungthang valley is
the status of the species to be rare and com- afteralapseofmorethanahundredyearsandisvery
mented that "This is yet a little known plant". interesting.