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The genus Hedychium J. Konig in south India is revised based on field investigations and herbarium analysis. Seven species and one variety are recognised, along with H. flavum J. Konig found to be new distributional record. A brief history of the taxonomy of south Indian Hedychium along with diagnostic morphological characters are discussed. Photographs and details of distribution and conservation status are also presented. A comprehensive identification key to the species and variety is provided. The name H. flavum is lectotypified.

Strobilanthes lawsonii was described by Gamble based on four gatherings collected from different parts of the Western Ghats. However, the gatherings cited in the protologue represent three different species. Carine et al. identified them to be S. lawsonii, S. gamblei and S. pushpangadanii. However, the specimen identified as S. pushpangadanii and many specimens collected from various parts of Kerala and Karnataka as S. gamblei by them represent a new species, S. bourdillonii. An updated description is provided for Strobilanthes gamblei.

A new Impatiens species, I. periyarensis is described from the Western Ghats, India. It is found on the open dripping rocks in semi-evergreen forests in Idukki. Additionally, an enigmatic taxon I. aliciae, from Valara, Idukki, is rediscovered after its type collections in 1933 by Barnes. A detailed description, illustration, phenology, and notes on both the species are provided.

Strobilanthes scopulicola, a new species from the collections of the high altitude montane grasslands of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Western Ghats of India is described and illustrated. Photographs, details of phenology, distribution, pollen morphology and similarity with related species were also provided.

Endopogon versicolor Wight, previously treated as a synonym of Strobilanthes cuspidata (Benth.) T. Anderson, is reinstated as a distinct species and a new name S. benthamii B. Mani, Sinj. Thomas, Britto, A.K. Pradeep, Y.F. Deng & E.S.S. Kumar is necessarily proposed here. It differs from S. cuspidata by the stem and leaf indumentum, bract/calyx length ratio, corolla shape, pollen morphology, etc. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, pollen morphology and comparison with similar species are provided.

Two new species, Begonia bracteolata and Begonia keralensis, are described from the Western Ghats of India. They are placed in the newly created Begonia sect. Flocciferae, along with B. albo-coccinea Hook. and B. floccifera Bedd. Lectotypes are designated for three names within this section. Colour photoplates, illustrations and an identification key to Begonia sect. Flocciferae are also provided.

Strobilanthes tricostata, a new species with semelparous life history strategy, is described from the Megamalai hills, Tamil Nadu. Pollen morphology, phenology, distribution, conservation status and notes on allied taxa are provided along with illustrations.

Strobilanthes carmelensis, a plietesial new species apparently ascribable to the Strobilanthes kunthiana-group, is described for the flora of Western Ghats (India, Wayanad District, State of Kerala...

Strobilanthes mullayanagiriensis and S. bislei are plietesial species described for the flora of Western Ghats of India from Karnataka state. Pollen morphology is used as a key character for establishing these two species. Distribution and notes on its allied species are provided along with photographis for facilitating its identification. The former species readily distinguished from its allied species S. consanguinea by coriaceous and scabrous leaves with broadly ovate lamina, crenate margin and cuspidate apex, uninterrupted viscous spikes, longer bract: calyx ratio, much shorter corolla and pollen grains with ribs meet at the poles into two groups and one rib completely encircling the pollen. The latter species definitely distinguished from the allied species by uninterrupted viscous inflorescence with sericeous indumentum, calyx exceeds the bract, anthers are held parallel to the filament and ellipsoid pollen grains with slightly twisted ribs.

Strobilanthes homotropa is an intricate species reported from Nilgiris, India. This taxon was treated in various ways leading to ambiguity in its taxonomic recognition. The present study revisits the taxonomy of S. homotropa and provides an amended description for the species. While doing so, S. homotropa is segregated from the puzzling species S. sexennis and a new species S. pradeepiana is recognized.

Antioxidant compounds play a significant role in preventing and scavenging free-radicals by reducing oxidative stress and providing protection to humans against degenerative diseases and infections. Obviously, antioxidant molecules of plant origin are pivotal to combat the oxidative harm in cells. Present work intended to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the fruits of Spondias pinnata. Methanol extracts of the fruits at two stages of maturity were prepared and investigated by various antioxidants analyses such as total antioxidant activity, reducing power and radical scavenging assays (DPPH, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide). Its total phenol, flavonoid and tannin contents were also determined. Spondias pinnata fruit extracts exhibited effective antioxidant activity and its IC50 values of the unripe fruits were 65, 66, 72.23, 83.25, 66.75 ?g/ml and ripe fruits were 124.24, 92.50, 97.66, 144.10, 72.25 ?g/ml, for total antioxidant activity, reducing power, DPPH radical scavenging, nitric oxide radical scavenging and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays respectively. The extracts, especially unripe fruit extract had good amounts of total phenolic and flavonoid contents which might contribute the antioxidant activities considerably. It is evident from the study that the fruits of S. pinnata possessed potent antioxidant activity and it can be considered as a good dietary choice among the underutilized fruits as well as common fruits. Therefore, wild mango may be a good choice of antioxidants of plant origin for dietary and pharmaceutical uses.

The new species Impatiens brittoi (Balsaminaceae) allied to I. herbicola Hook. f., is described from the Idukki biodiversity zone of the Western Ghats of India. Detailed notes on morphology, key diagnostic characters, distribution, pollen morphology, conservation status and colour photographs are provided for the identification of the new species.

Hedychium matthewii S. Thomas, B. Mani & S. J. Britto, a new species from the southern Western Ghats, is described and illustrated. The new species is confined to Idukki, in the southern part of the Western Ghats, India. The diagnostic characters useful in discriminating the new species from close relatives are explained, together with its distribution and preliminary conservation status.

The in vitro antioxidant properties of methanol and aqueous extracts of stem bark from Pittosporum dasycaulon Miq. were investigated. Fractions were screened for total antioxidant capacity, ferric reducing power, and radical scavenging activities. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents of the methanol and aqueous extracts were also determined. The aqueous extract exhibited a stronger scavenging effect than the methanol extract against the DPPH free radical, the nitric oxide radical, and the superoxide radical. The methanol extract exhibited a stronger total antioxidant activity and reducing power than the aqueous extract. The free radical scavenging effect of P. dasycaulon stem bark extracts was comparable to an ascorbic acid reference antioxidant while the reducing power of the methanol extract was greater than ascorbic acid. P. dasycaulon stem bark is a potential source of natural antioxidant compounds.

A new species Strobilanthes orbiculata is described from the southern parts of the Western Ghats, India. It is a semelparous species found in the shola forests in Vattavada and Kundala in Idukki district of Kerala. Notes on pollen morphology, distribution, phenology, conservation status and photographic illustrations are given. Moreover, a short note on a narrow endemic taxon Strobilanthes matthewiana is also provided.

Malaxis acuminata is a terrestrial orchid that grows in shady areas of semi-evergreen to shrubby forests. It is highly valued for its medicinal properties as dried pseudo-bulbs are important ingredients of several Ayurvedic preparations. In this study, adventitious shoot buds were induced from internodal explants of M. acuminata grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA), kinetin (Kn), and thidiazuron (TDZ). Of the three cytokinins used, TDZ at 3 mg l−1 induced the highest frequency (82%) of organogenic explants. However, all responding explants produced only a single adventitious shoot irrespective of the type and concentration of the cytokinin. Adding 0.5 mg l−1 α naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) to the medium enhanced adventitious shoot formation. In the presence of 3 mg l−1 TDZ and 0.5 mg l−1 NAA, frequency of organogenesis was 96% with a mean number of 6.1 shoots per explant. Prolonged culture or subculture on the same medium did not promote further shoot production. However, transfer of these cultures to MS medium supplemented with 3 mg l−1 TDZ and 0.5 mg l−1 NAA and various concentrations of different polyamines (PAs), including spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, significantly increased mean shoot number per explant. The highest frequency of shoot induction (100%) and mean shoot number per explant (14.6) was observed on MS medium with 3 mg l−1 TDZ, 0.5 mg l−1 NAA, and 0.4 mM spermidine. Regenerated shoots were excised and subcultured on an elongation medium consisting of MS medium with 3 mg l−1 BA. Moreover, the highest frequency of rooting (96%) and mean number of roots per shoot (3.3) was observed on MS medium with 4 mg l−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 1.5 mg l−1 activated charcoal (AC). Almost 90% of rooted shoots were successfully acclimatized and established ex vitro.

An efficient and quick in vitro propagation of Cyclea peltata by repeated subculture of nodal cuttings has been standardized. The nodal cuttings were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations (0.5–7 mg/l) of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) or kinetin (Kn) alone or in combination with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA; 0.5 mg/l) for culture initiation. Optimum response in terms of percent cultures responding, days to bud break and average shoot length was observed on MS medium fortified with 3 mg/l BA and 0.5 mg/l IAA. On this medium 90% cultures responded with 6.1 cm long unbranched vigorous solitary shoots in 45 days. The proliferated primary shoot emerged from the culture initiation step was incised into small nodal explants measuring a size of about 1.5 cm in length containing a single node and subcultured on multiplication medium supplemented with BA (0.5–7.0 mg/l) and IAA (0.5 mg/l). This process was repeated for another three subcultures (each of 45 days) to study the effect of subculturing on shoot multiplication. At the end of third passage 100% of nodal explants produced an average number of 14.2 healthy green shoots on MS medium supplemented with 3 mg/l BA and 0.5 mg/l IAA. The multiplied shoots were harvested and used for rooting on half-strength MS medium containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; 1–7 mg/l) or naphthalene acetic acid (NAA; 1–7 mg/l) for 45 days. The best rooting response was achieved on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 5 mg/l IBA. Here 96% cultures responded with an average number of 4.1 roots per shoot. Of the 40 plants transplanted to soil 28 survived (70%). This cost effective protocol will help the mass multiplication of C. peltata for commercial propagation.

The essential oil constituents of rhizomes of Hedychium forrestii var. palaniense were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 26 constituents comprising 68.20% of the oils were identified. The volatile fraction was characterized by monoterpene hydrocarbons (42.31%), oxygenated monoterpenes (38.46%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (15.38%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (3.85%). The predominant constituents identified were β-pinene (18.30%), β-linalool (17.80%), 1,8-cineole (12.00%), and 4-terpineol (5.50%). Sesquiterpenoids were present only in negligible quantities. The antibacterial activities of the essential oil was evaluated against ten bacteria and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most susceptible organism with a zone of inhibition of 42.16±0.76 mm. Additionally, the essential oil showed promising radical scavenging and electron donating activity.

Impatiens saulierea and I. josephia, two new species, are described from the Western Ghats, India. The former is collected from Kakkayam, Kozhikode and the latter from Idukki, Kerala. A detailed description of both taxa along with diagnostic characters between allied species, conservation status, pollen morphology and colour photographs are provided.