Mrattia Fraxinea Sm. (Marattiaceae)-An Endangered Fern-A New Record to the Eastern Ghats of Peninsular India

2 Pages·1996·0.21 MB·English

by  Viswanathan, M B

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS : BULL.BOT.SURV.1NDI.A VOL.38 (1-4) 1996
MRATTIA FRAXINE4 SM. (MARATIIACEAEl- AN ENDANGERED FERN
A NEW REEORD TO THE EASTERN GHATS OF PENINSULAR INDIA
During the botanical survey work of the Kollihills free, up to margin ;r achis and rachules hairy ; stalk
+
MPCA (Medicinal Plants Conservation Area) of 5 x 2 mm.S ori submarginal on each vein, ellipsoid ;
Salem District in Tamil Nadu of Peninsular India, an sporangia in 2 rows, fused adjacently.
interesting fern species, Marattia fraxinea Sm. of
Local name : Nandukutti in Tamil.
Marattiaceae was collected. On scrutiny of the
*
literature on distribution of the species reveals that Habitat :R are along stream bank at 1,135 m.
this species is reported to have distributed in the
Distrib. : India : Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Southern Western Ghats Region (Bedd., 1863 &
1883 ; Nayar & Kaur, 1974 ; Dixit, 1984 ; Dixit & Ecology :T his species is collected on the laterite
Vohra, 1984 ; Manickam, 1986 ; Manickam & loamy soil in the shola of semi-evergreen forest
Irudayaraj, 1992) and is stated to be a rare and type and is associated with herbaceous ferns of
endangered species (Bir, 1987). The present record Egenolfa appendiculata (Willd.) J. Sm., Christella
in the Kollihills forms a new distributional record to dentata (Forsk.) Brownsey & Germy , Tectaria
the Eastern Ghats Region of Peninsular India. polymorpha (Wall. ex Hook.) Copel., Adiantum
Marattia fraxinea Sm., PI. Ic. in ed. 2. t. 48. 1790 ; incisum Forsk., Pteris firrunculata Nair & Ghosh
and angiosperms of herbaceous species of
Bedd., Ferns South. India 27. t. 79. 1863 &
Fimbristylis ovata (Burm.f.) Kern, tree species of
Handb. Ferns Brit. India 460. t. 286. 1883 ;P ichi-
Ficus nervosa Heyne ex Roth, Phoebe wightii
Sermolli in Webbia 23 : 329-35 1. 1969 ;N ayar &
Kaur, Comp. Bedd. Handb. 104. 1974 ; Dixit, Meissner, Diospyros ovalifolia Wight, and
Census of Indian Pteridophytes 26. 1984 & Memecylon species and epiphytic species of Procris
Vohra, Dict. Pteridophytes India 28. 1984 ; crenata Robinson, and Vanda tessellata (Roxb.)
Manickam, Ferns Fl. Palani Hills 16. 1986 ; Bir in Hook. ex G. Don.
Indian Fern J, 4 : 100. 1987 ; Manickam &
Notes : This species is not noticed anywhere
Irudayaraj, Pteridophyte Fl. Western Ghats 57.
except in the recorded site in the Kollihills.
1992.
* Specimens examined :T amil Nadu : Kanyakumari
Shrubs, high. Rhizomes erect, massive, fleshy ;
Dist.: Way to Mahendragiri top,
leaf bases spiral ; stipular flaps 2, flabellate ; hairs *
1,300 m, 12.9.1969, B.V. Shetty 32364. Madurai
and scales flesh-red, thin, soft, appressed. Stipes *
dist. :P arnbar Forest, 1,750 m, 16.9.1968, D.B. Deb
hairy and scaly when young, caducous, purple
30905 ; Vellimamalai, Pachakumatchi, k 1,460 m,
below, green above, with linear whitish streaks.
23.10.1959, K. Subrumanyam 9496. Tirunelveli Dist. :
Lamina Zpinnate, deltoid ; pinnae up to 16 pairs,
Kannikatti, A 915 m, 22.9.1921, K. C. Jacob 17220 ;
subopposite, lanceolate, dark green above, pale
Kakachi, *1,700 m, 8.5.1958, K. M. Sebastine 5828 ;
green beneath ; base dark coloured, swollen ; *
Way to Upper Godaiyar, 1,200 m, A. N. Henry
pinnules opposite or subopposite, oblong lanceolate,
17431 ;N aterikal R.F., 12.2.1983, E. Vajravelu 80645.
unequally cuneate at base, serrate at margin,
Nilgiri Dist. : Sispara Ghat, Acc. No, (s.n)M H. Salem
acuminate at apex, 10-22.6 x 3.5 4.3 cm; costa *
Dist. : Kollihills, Karadivangu, 1,135 m, 16.6.1995,
slightly raised b e a d , not above ; veins prominent
M. B. Viswa~than1 7220.
beneath, faint above, simple or forked once or both,
SHORT COMhilUMCATIONS : BULL.BOT.SURV.INDIAV OL.38 (1-4)1 9% 137
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS botanical survey work, and the Joint director,
Botanical Survey of India, Coimbatore, for necessary
The author is grateful to the Foundation for
permission to refer herbarium, and Dr. N. Sukumaran,
Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT.1, Professor and Head of our Cenbe, for
especially to Sri Vinay Tandon, and G.S. Goraya,
encouragement and help.
Bangalore, for financial assistance during the
Shri Paramakalyani Centre for
Environmental Science Alwar- kurichi.
NESOPTERIS COPEL. - A NEW GENERIC FERN'R IECORD FROM THE NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA
Nesopteris Copel.- a genus hitherto known from Copel. in the firmer texture, habit, indumentum and
Loochoo and Java to Samoa (cf. Copeland, 1938) shape of involucre.
and is reported as new generic fern record from the
The genus Nesopteris Copel. may be easily
Nicobar Islands in India for the first time.
recognised by erect rhizomes; fronds densely tufted,
The genus Nesopteris Copel. belongs to the polystichous, pinnately decompound, bearing
family Hymenophyllaceae is lcnown by six species minute, clavate hairs, margins entire, cell-wall thin
in world flora (Pichi-Sermolli, 1965). N. grandis but firm in texture, involucre cylindric, winged,
(Copel.) Copel. is so far known only from the extruded. It is so far known only from Malaysia to
Philippines and Java (Copeland, 1938). Indonesia.
The pteridophytic collections made from the Nesopteris grandis (Copel.) Copel., has been
Nicobar Islands, India by Dr. M. Sanjappa in July, reported for the first time from Nicobar Islands,
1984 were handed over to the senior author (RDD) India. Hence the detailed description with
in the year 1993 for identification. The herbarium illustrations of habit and the other diagnostic
sheet apparently looks like a genus Sphenomeris characters have been provided to facilitate easy
and misidentified as S. chinensis (L.) Maxon, which identification.
later, on critical study of literature together with the
Nesopteris grandis (Copel.) Copel., Philip. Journ.
comparison of herbarium specimens from the
Sci.67(1): 66.1938. Trichomanes grande Copel.,
Philippine Islands housed in CAL, correctly
Philip. Journ.Sci. C.6: 70.1911; Philip. Journ.
identified as Nesopteris grandis (Copel.) Copel.
Sci.Trich.Sl(2): 224.t.40.f.l- 4.1933.
earlier not recorded from the Indian region. It is rare
in occurrence.
Terrestrial fern; rhizome erect, stipes fascicled,
Nesopteris Copel. is a small, well marked genus winged, 5 9 cm long; fronds 12 25 x 5 6 cm,
supetficially somewhat like, Selenodesmium with quadripinnatifid, rachis sparesely pubescent, ultimate
larger, less rigid, more finely dissected f'ronds and segments distinct, narrow, ca 0.5 mm broad; margins
very different structure. It differs from Callitopteris entire, apex obtuse, cell walls thin but firm in texture.