Hybanthus Enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell - An Addition To the Weed Flora of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

2005·0.58 MB·

by  V M Radhakrishnan

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
alternative to the few marine and estuarine species in association with Perna viridis and Modiolus sp. attached to
mariculture. Whileworkingontheaquacultureprospectsand rocks amid weeds, algae, barnacles and polychaete worm
seed resources ofGreen Mussel Perna viridis Linnaeus, an tubes. It is probablethatthe mussel accidentally reached this
abundant species on both the west and east coasts ofIndia, place, and established itself, as evident from the small
the authors came across a new mussel Perna indica in population and isolated location. This finding is significant
Amadalli, about 18 km south of Karwar in Karnataka. in view ofits food value and culture prospects.
(Photographic evidence given-Eds). TheauthorsacknowledgewithgratitudeShriS.C. Mitra,
Perna indica Kuriakose and Nair 1976 is popularly Officer-in-Charge, Molluscan Section, Zoological Surveyof
knownas BrownMussel. Ithasarestricteddistributionalong India, Kolkata; Dr. P. Parameshwaran Pillai,OfTicer-in-Charge
the southwest coast of India from Cape Camorin to and Dr. M.K. Anil, Scientist, Marine Fisheries Division
Tiruchendur. Important centres where dense populations are CMFRI,Vizhinjamforconfirmingtheidentification.
found include Cape Camorin, Colachal, Muttom, Poovar,
Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Varakala and Quilon. The present December 18,2002 V.N. NAYAK
discovery extends its distribution northwards into the R. DURGA
Karnataka coast. The specimens were collected from the DepartmentofMarineBiology,
intertidal rocky shore to shallow water up to 5-8 m depth Karnataka University PostGraduate Centre,
towards leeward as well as seaward sides, attached to large Kodibag,Karwar581 303,Karnataka,
expanse of rocky bed. Abundant seeds could be seen in India.
REFERENCES
Kuriakose, P.S. & N.B. Nair (1976): The genus Perna along the coast oflndia with description ofa new species Perna indica. Aquatic Biol
1: 25-36.
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HYBANTHUS ENNEASPERMUS MUELL AN ADDITION TO THE WEED
32. (L.) F.
FLORA OF ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS
The genus Hybanthus Jacq. has about 150 species wastelands and wet, open fields.
distributed fromtropical to sub-tropical regionsofthe world Specimen examined: India. Andaman and Nicobar
(Mabberley 1998). In India, it is representedby two species, Islands,NorthAndaman, FieldsnearKalpongBotanicGarden,
namelyH. enneaspermus(L.)F. Muell. andH. travancoricus 16.xi.2001.V.M. Radhakrishnan, 18725(PBL).
(Bedd.) Melch. (Banerjee and Pramanik 1993).
H. enneaspermus, acommonweed in India,hasbeencollected ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
forthe first time from Andamans. It forms an addition to the
flora ofAndaman and Nicobar Islands and a new generic WearethankfultoDr. M. Sanjappa, Director,Botanical
record for the Islands. Survey oflndia, Kolkata forproviding facilities and Dr. P.V.
For description see the references in the following Sreekumar,Scientist‘SD’,BotanicalSurveyoflndia.PortBlair,
citations: for encouragement.
Hybanthusenneaspermus(L.) F. Muell. Fragm. Phyt.
Austr. 10:81. 1976; Banerjee& Pramanik inSharmaetal. FI. January22,2003 V.M. RADHAKRISHNAN
India2: 343. 1993; Wadhwa& Weerasooriyain Dassanayake R. SUMATHI
etal. Rev. Hand. FI.Ceylon 10:419. 1996. Violaenneasperma J. JAYANTHI
L.Sp.PI.2:937. 1753. Botanical SurveyofIndia,
Horticulture Road, Haddo Post,
&
FI. Fr.: SeptembertoJanuary. PortBlair744 102,
Ecology: Grows as weed near irrigation canals in Andaman andNicobar, India.
REFERENCES
Banerjee, S.P. & B.B. Pramanik (1993): Violaceae. Pp. 343-344hr. Floraoflndia 2. Botanical Survey oflndia, Calcutta.
Mabberley, D.J. (1998): The Plant- Book(2ndedn). Cambridge University Press,Cambridge.
Wadhwa, B.M. & Weera Sooriya(1996): Violaceae. Pp. 419-421. In: Revised Handbook ofthe FloraofCeylon. 10. Oxford & IBH Publishing
Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
132 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 102 (1), Jan-Apr 2005