Indian Forester, 138 (8) : 761-762, 2012
ISSN 0019-4816
(IV)
ERIOCAULON RAJENDRABABUI ANSARI & BALAKR. (ERIOCAULACEAE): A NEW RECORD FOR
MAHARASHTRA STATE
An extensive and intensive survey of flora of
Aghashiv Hills of Karad resulted into collection of
herbacious plant, Eriocaulon rajendrababui Ansari &
Balakr., which formsa new record for Maharashtra State.
The Genus Eriocaulon L. is distributed throughout
the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres
and is estimated to consist of about 478 species
(Govaerts, 2006). Karthikeyan et al. (1989) enumerated
81 species, 14 varieties and 1 forma from India. Ansari
and Balkrishnan (1994) revised the genus and accounted
65 species for India. Subsequently, various workers have
added 18 more species for India as new species or new
records (Myrthong et al., 1984; Bole and Almeida, 1987;
Yadav et al., 1998, Sreedevi and Binoj Kumar, 1999;
Khanna et al., 2000; Gaikwad et al., 2002, 2004; Pradeep
and Sunil, 2003; Punekar et al., 2003a, 2003b and
Punekar and Lakshminarasimhan, 2004. (2009) Ansari
revised the book of Ansari and Balakrishnan (l.c.) and
incorporated 16 new taxa. Further to the publication of
the revised edition, two new species were described
(Yadav et al., 2008; Shimpale et al., 2009, Vivek et al.,
2010, Nampy et al. 2011).
Eriocaulon rajendrababui Ansari & Balakr.,
Eriocaulaceae India 149. 1994; Ansari & Balakr.,
Eriocaulaceae India 139. 2009.
Acaulescent annual herbs. Rootstock absent.
Leaves narrowly linear, apex acuminate, 0.2 – 4.5 x 0.1 –
0.2 cm long, glabrous. Peduncles 2 – 7 cm long, sheaths
0.5 – 1.5 cm long. Receptacles elongated, hairy.
Involucral bracts ovate, 0.5 – 1.5 x 0.5 – 0.75 mm,
glabrous, apex acute. Floral bracts narrowly ovate, 0.5 –
1.5 x 0.2 – 0.5 mm, glabrous, apex acuminate. Male
flowers: Pedicels minute; sepals ovate elliptic, connate
into a spathe, 0.5 – 1 x 0.2 – 0.5 mm, 3-lobed, acute or
acuminate; stipe of corolla clavate elongated, 0.3 – 0.5
mm long, glabrous; petals 3, minute, equal, ovate, acute
at apex, hairy, black glands present; anthers 6, black.
Female flowers: Pedicels minute; sepals 3, narrowly
ovate, acuminate, keeled, subequal, 0.5 – 0.75 x 0.1 –
0.15 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy; petals 3, free, linear,
0.4 – 0.5 x 0.1 – 0.15 mm, hyaline, glabrous, black glands
absent, stipitate between sepals and petals; ovary
sessile, transversely broadly ellipsoid, style single tipped
Fig. 1 : Eriocaulon rajendrababui Ansari & Balakr. A. habit;
B. involucral bract; C. floral bract; D. male flower; E. female
flower; F. seed.
with 3 stigmas. Capsules loculicidal, 0.5 – 0.6 x 0.6 – 0.7
mm. Seeds ellipsoid, 0.3 – 0.4 x 0.2 – 0.25 mm, cells of
seed coat transversely elongated, aligned in vertical
rows, appendagesabsent. Fig. 1
Distribution: INDIA. Maharashtra (Satara Distr.), Agashiv
Hills, Karad, GGP 18 (YCCSK). Altitude ±646 m. ( N170
13'970” E740 08'979”)
Habitat: The species is a component of monsoon
herbaceous vegetation. The area receives 1200-1500
mm rainfall per annum, mostly during June to
September.
Floweringand Fruiting: September - October.
Note: Eriocaulon rajendrababui Ansari & Balakr. was
known previously only from its type locality Bakarta,
Ranjandgaon Dist. of Madhya Pradesh state. Present
collect ion shows it s ext ended dist ribut ion t o
Maharashtra State.
762
The Indian Forester
[August
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Dr. Dasof Botanical Survey of India, Pune and Dr. V. B. Shimpale of The New College,
Kolhapur for help in identification; University Grants Commission (WRO), Pune for financial assistance and Head of
Institution, Yashwantrao Chavan College of Science, Karad for providing laboratory facilities.
References
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G. G. Potdar
Department of Botany,
Yashwantrao Chavan College of Science,
Karad, Vidyanagar Karad, Dist. Satara - 415124
Maharashtra, India. E-mail : girishpotdar@yahoo.com
Girish Potdar