Search

Vertical rocky cliffs, which consist of various types of rock, are widespread all over the world. India's northern Western Ghats consisting of basaltic rocks form probably the largest cliff ecosystem globally, however, almost no studies are available concerning their floristic richness. In an attempt to understand the vascular plant assemblage of this habitat, cliffs of the northern Western Ghats were surveyed for their microhabitats, species diversity, distribution of endemics, occurrence of particular adaptive traits and potential threats. A total of 102 species of vascular plants were documented from the cliff habitats of which 55 are endemic. Flowering of the species on cliffs is triggered by the advent of the south-west monsoon and peak flowering is seen between August and October. Of the total species, 27 grow exclusively on cliffs. Owing to habitat specificity, cliffs show a greater number of narrow endemic and threatened species when compared with other habitats like deciduous, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, which are widespread in the northern Western Ghats. Unfortunately, this habitat faces threats in the form of landslides, periodic burning and habitat loss due to road-widening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a brief citation, description and illustration of the endemic perennial grass Travancore Murainagrass Ischaemum travancorense Stapf ex C. E. C. Fisch. (Poaceae), which is distributed in central India. Notes on ecology and distribution maps for the species are also offered. It mentions that the perennial grass is an endemic and threatened species known from Kerala and Maharashtra, India.

Sacred Groves are the forest patches dedicated to a local deity, which have been conserved since centuries and play a very important role in conserving many threatened plants as well as animal species. In the present work, we have studied fifteen sacred groves in Pune District for their floristic diversity. A total of 296 species were recorded of which five species show their northernmost distribution to the Western Ghats in the sacred groves of Pune District. The present paper highlights this unique feature of sacred groves as the abodes of rare species having their northernmost distribution recorded in the grove. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the occurrence of three arboreal species of angiosperms, viz., Ampelocissus araneosa (Vitaceae), Trichosanthes nervifolia (Cucurbitaceae) and Strychnos dalzellii (Loganiaceae) from Maharashtra, India. Brief nomenclature citation, information on their distribution and details of specimens of the three species studied at the Herbarium of Agharkar Research Institute and map are offered.

The article offers information on the wild variant of Cucums sativus discovered in Pune District in India. It states that the discovered wild type of cucumber must be separately distinguished from the cultivated variant. It presents a table which offers information on its inflorescence, fruit shape, and seed length.

The article offers information on Smithsonia straminea C.J. Saldanha, a rare orchid found at Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra India. It is mentioned that within India this orchid is also found in Kerala and Karnataka and was found as growing as epiphyte on the trunks of Mangifera India L. Alphonso. Also, the orchid flowers mainly from May to June and is found in abundance near mango trees. Additionally presented are various photographs of the orchids.