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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES During our revisionary studies on ferns on moist tree tranks just above ground level. (Hymenophyllaceae) in South India, we came Specimen examined: Thommankuthu forest, across an interesting specimen from the Idukki dist., Kerala; 27.xii.1996, Abdul Hameed evergreen forests of Thommankuthu in Idukki CU 34802 (CALI). dist, on the foothills of the Western Ghats of Note: This taxon differs from Microgonium Kerala. It was found on tree tranks just above henzaianum (Parish ex. Hook.) which has dark ground level, covering the bark oftrees near the green fronds, broadest near the apex, and Thommankuthu waterfall. The plant has slender, involucres as wide as long. It lacks conti- creeping, irregularly branched, blackish nuous submargina! false vein, which is the rhizomes, with pale green fronds. On comparing identifying character of Microgonium with literature, we identified it as Microgonium bimarginatum. According to Holttum (1954) and suhlimbatum (C. Mull.) v.d.B. In India it is Copeland (1933), M. suhlimbatum is larger than reported only from Khasia hills, Eastern M. bimarginatum But our specimen is almost . Himalayas (Iwatsuki 1985). The specimens have the same size as that of M. bimarginatum been deposited in the Calicut University collected from different parts ofKerala. 'Herbarium (CALI). ABDUL HAMEED Distribution: Himalaya (Khasia Hills), January 9, 1998 C. MADHUSOODANAN Burma (=Myanmaar), Thailand, Indochina, P.V. Malesia. Department ofBotany, Ecology: An extremely rare species growing University ofCalicut, 673 635 Kerala. References Copeland, E.B. (1933): Hvmenophyllum and Genera ofMalaya. Singapore, Govt. Printingoffice, 2: 72- Hymenophyllaceamm. Philip. Journ. Sci. 51: 167- 109. 168. Iwatsuki,K. (1985): HymenophyllaceaeofAsia, excluding Holttum, R.E. (1954): A RevisedFloraofMalaya: Ferns Malesia.J. Fac. Sci. Univ. TokyoIII, 13: 541-542. PHENOLOGY OF NAREGAMIA ALATA (MELIACEAE) 33. FROM WESTERN MAHARASHTRA (With oneplate ) Naregamia alata W. & A. (Meliaceae) is to Vengurla. From the literature, we found that an endemic herb species in western the species is endemic and confined to selected We Maharashtra. observed it in the field and areas on the west coast ofIndia. In India it occurs attempted its acclimatization in a nursery. The only in the Western ghats from Konkan plant is under observation for the last three years. southwards (Dalzell and Gibson 1861, Hooker A change in the flowering character was 1875, Cooke 1901, Gamble 1910, Almeida recorded, which is presented in this 1990). It is also recorded as a medicinal plant communication. (Chopra et al. 1958). During a botanical excursion to the coastal Young plants of Naregamia alata were areas of Maharashtra, (Vengurla to Goa border collected andkeptforacclimatization in anursery area) we collected live specimens ofNaregamia at the Agharkar Research Institute, Pune. The & alata W. A. (Meliaceae) onthe way fromAkeri plants have thrived well. The recorded length of JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 95(3), DEC. 1998 535 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Table 1 Observations Habit Leaves Flowers Fruits Seed Literature Herb/Undershrub Cuneate,obovate Solitary 3-5cmlong Brown,truncate Field Woodyherb Cuneate,trifoliate Notseen 3 valved 1-1.2 cm Brown,truncate petiolewinged in diameter Herbarium Woodyherb Cuneate,trifoliate Solitary 2-3 cmlong 3-valved0.8-1 cm Brown truncate petiolewinged indiameter Nursery Woodyherb Cuneate,trifoliate 2-3 axillaryyellowish- Tri-cornered Brown 0-4-0.6cm 20-30cmhigh petiolewinged white,0.5-0.6cm 0-8-1 cmin length long,truncate at leafletsobtusely long,anthersorange, bothends lobed,terminal formingtube,stigma leafletslongerthan greenishwhite lateral Floweringfruiting: Octoberto December Naregamia alata flowers is 3-5 cm. But the were noted and are given in the table above. flower size in the nursery specimens differs from ANURADHA UPADHYE this appreciably. Materials from herbaria at the Dec. 23, 1997 S. KUMBHOJKAR Botanical Survey ofIndia Western Circle, Pune, M.S. Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, and National A cirkar Research Institute, Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow were G.G. Agarkar Road, studied. Observations on exomorphic characters Pune-411 004. References Almeida, S.M. (1990): J. Econ. Tax. Bot. Add. Ser. no. 8 DalzellN.A. & J. Gibson (1861): The Bombay Flora or Flora of Savantwadi, Maharashtra, India, short descriptions of all indigenous plants: 36. 88 Education Society Press, Byculla, Bombay. 1 : . Chopra, R.N., S.L. Nayar&I.C. Chopra(1958): Glossary Gamble, J.S. (1910): Flora ofPresidency ofMadras: 125. ofIndian Medicinal plants, CSIR,New Delhi. BSI, Calcutta (Reprinted). Cooice, T. (1901): (Repr. 1958). Flora ofthe Presidency Hooker, J.D. (1875): FloraofBritish India. Vol. 1: 542, L. & ofBombay Vol. 1:217. BSI, Calcutta. Reeve Co. London. . DESMODIUMDESV. (FABOIDEAE) IN EASTERN GHATS, INDIA: 34. A SYSTEMATIC SURVEY (With two text-figures) The botany of the Eastern Ghats has not Brahmam (1994), Ellis (1987), Subba Rao been adequately studied and no detailed Flora is (1977), Pullaiah andChennaiah (1997), Matthew available so far. The flora of Eastern Ghats of (1993) and others have contributed to our Orissa is covered by the work ofHaines (1921), knowledge ofthe flora in some selected regions while Gamble andFischer (1915-1935) reported of the Eastern Ghats. Mani (1974), Nayar et al. on Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in his flora (1984) and Raju et al. (1987) reported on the of presidency of madras. Recently Saxena and vegetation andphytogeography, endemic andrare 536 JOURNAL BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 95(3) DEC 1998