Pterocymbium Tinctorium (Merrill, 1901) (Magnoliophyta: Malvales: Sterculiaceae: Sterculioideae): New Record From
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Check List 9(3): 622–625, 2013 © 2013 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution N Pterocymbium tinctorium (Merrill, 1901) (Magnoliophyta: Malvales: Sterculiaceae: Sterculioideae): New record from ISTRIBUTIO mainland India and extension of geographic distribution D * RAPHIC and Arun Chettri G EO Bikarma Singh, Dibyendu Adhikari, Saroj Kanta Barik G North-Eastern Hill University, School of Life Sciences, Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany. Shillong 793022, India. N * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] O OTES N Abstract: We present a new record of the winged-boot tree (Pterocymbium tinctorium) discovered in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya on the Indian mainland. With this record, the known geographical distribution of P. tinctorium is now extended up to the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in Southeast Asia. The species was recorded from the tropical moist deciduous forests of Meghalaya. The habitat of P. tinctorium was characterized by the presence of surface lime-stone with karst topography. Future investigations should aim at identifying the factors responsible for the restricted distribution of this species so that appropriate conservation measures can be taken. India, one of the 12 mega-biodiversity countries of the Malvaceae untill recently. However, due to disagreement world with approximately 47,000 plant species, is rich in on the family of the genus, now the genus has been placed threatened and endemic plants. Although approximately under the family Sterculiaceae. This wasargued by Schott 2000 such species have so far been described from India, and Endlicher (1832) long time ago, who placed the genus many of them are yet to be discovered (Barik et al. 2009). in the tribe Sterculieae under family Sterculiaceae. The The presence of two global biodiversity hotspots in India family Sterculiaceae does not have epicalyx, as in Malvaceae. viz., Eastern Himalayas (part of the Indo-Burma) and The genus Pterocymbium R.Br., in Greek meaning winged- Western Ghats, reiterates the need to undertake effective boot (a clumsy description of the elegant clawed fruit) conservation measures for the endemic and threatened comprises of 6 species globally, viz. P. oceanicum A.C. Sm.,P. plant species in India (Rani 2010). The Khasi Hills region tubulatum Pierre, P. nicobaricum Didr., P. beccari K. Schum, P. tinctorium Merr., and P. javanicum R. Br. (Anonymous (Rao 1994). Floristically this region acts as a gateway for is home to several rare flora and fauna of the country on the available taxonomic descriptions are presented China, Japan, Nepal and Bhutan (Chettri et al. 2009). below:2011). The keys for identification of these species based the migration of flora from the adjacent countries such as survey in Khasi hills of Meghalaya (Figure 1), we collected 1a. Trees more than 60 m high, leaves occurring single at a an Duringinteresting the treefloristic specimen exploration belonging and to biodiversity the genus P. beccarii Pterocymbium R.Br. After a critical study, the specimen 1b. Pterocymbium tinctorium (Blanco) Merr. node and arranged spirally , flowers blue. ………. 2 (Figure 2). The species was searched in 10 km x 10 km 2a. Trees less than 50 m high, leaves not as above, flowers wasgrids identified in the tropical as region of Khasi Hills which is about ...........................................................................................other than blue. …….......................................................................…. P. oceanicum 10,377 sq. km area. Of the total 104 grids, intensive survey 2b. Calyx yellow-green without red-brown within. ……….......3 was undertaken in the forested grids only in a systematic 3a. P. tinctorium way by subdividing each of these 21 forested grids into 3b. Calyx yellow-green with red-brown within. ………........ 4 one hundred 1 km x 1 km subgrids.We could locate only 4a. SeedWinged only1 nut at more base than of each 1.0 follicle. cm diameter. ………..... .. P. tubulatum one population of the species in Shella region with 6 trees, 4b. Seeds 2 at base of each follicle. …...…................................... 5 and the total area of occurrence was approximately one 5a. Leaves lobed, petioles 0.5-0.6 cm long. ... P. nicobaricum hectare. The habitat of this population was characterized 5b. LeavesWinged not nut lobed, less than petioles 1.0 cm 0.7-1.3 diameter. cm long. …..................……. P. javanicum by the presence of surface lime-stone and karst topography. The main features of karst topography are All the six species of the genus Pterocymbium R.Br. are restricted to Philippines, Java, Myanmar, and India in Another isolated individual was located at Ranikor , which Southeast Asia (Table 1). Although it has been reported that waslimestone located terrain, about and55 kmthe fromabsence Shella of surface population. water Shella flow. the genus is restricted only to these countries (Anonymous and Ranikor have tropical moist deciduous forest with an 2008, Anonymous 2011a, Hooker 1872, Prasad et al. 2007, elevation range of 350-400 m above sea level from where Tripathi et al et the species was discovered. al Following Bayer (1999), the genus Pterocymbium R.Br. in the literature.. 2004, Sharief and Rao 2007 and Sivarajan was put under the subfamily Sterculioideae of the family . 1991),In India, no the specific genus location is represented of occurrence by two speciesis mentioned viz., P. 622 Singh et al. | New record of Pterocymbium tinctorium from mainland India Table 1. Country of occurrence of six species of Pterocymbium. SPECIES COUNTRY OF OCCURRENCE Pterocymbium oceanicum A.C. Sm. Pterocymbium tubulatum Pierre PeninsularEndemic to Malaysia, Fiji Sumatra, Borneo Pterocymbium nicobaricum Didr. Endemic to Great Nicobar Islands in India Pterocymbium beccari K. Schum Borneo, Milne Bay , New Britain, Malaysia, Myanmar Meghalaya (present study), North Andaman, and Great Nicobar islands of India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philip- Pterocymbium tinctorium Merr. pines, Thailand, Java, Vietnam Pterocymbium javanicum R. Br. Java the base which remains for long time and is also covered A partially by the wing, while in Scaphium, it is loosely attached and gets detached easily. The boot-shaped wing of Pterocymbium has a nose-like extension at the base that helps in seed dispersal. These wing characteristics and basal position of seed make the seeds of Pterocymbium motion while falling from the tree (Table 2). remarkablyPterocymbium good fliers.tinctorium The seeds has notexhibit been helicopter-like reported by any worker from the Indian mainland. We collected this species from the Khasi Hills (25°11’49.9” N, 91°36’53.5” study in the year 2010-11. The examined specimens ofE; 25°11’48.7”P. tinctorium N, (B91°37’29.2” Singh et E;al. Figure 11903) 1) duringwere processed a floristic following standard herbarium techniques (Jain and Rao 1977). The herbaria were prepared and deposited in ASSAM herbarium at Botanical Survey of India and in the University herbarium (NEHU). The distance between the locations of the earlier reported population of P. tinctorium in North Andaman island and Shella-Ranikor population as reported in the present study in Meghalaya, is approximately 2400 km. Andaman islands and Meghalaya are geographically B isolated by Bay of Bengal and a hinterland of more than 1000 km, thereby excluding the possibility of these two widely separated populations to be a part of the same metapopulation. Therefore, in the present study, the report of P. tinctorium in the state of Meghalaya is a new record to the mainland India. Examined material: The specimens collected from the Central National Herbarium (CAL): INDIA, Andaman & Nicobarfield were Islands, compared North with Andaman, the housed Saddle herbarium Peak National at the Figure 1. (A) Map of India showing location of Meghalaya, (B) Park, Paget Island, 560 m, CS Reddy 2018 (CAL). Occurrence areas of Pterocymbium tinctorium in the state of Meghalaya The specimen was earlier, collected only from (the expanded area). Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Thus, the two new records nicobaricum and P. tinctorium, which were reported only in the present study expand the geographic distribution from Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Prasad et al. 2007, currently known for this species, and contribute to the Tripathi et al et al. 1991). This genus is similar to the genus Scaphium taxonomic description of the species could not be traced. Schott & Endl.,. 2004, of the Sharief same andfamily, Rao but 2007 differs and inSivarajan having knowledge of the tree flora of the Southeast Asia. The thin papery leaves which become black after drying. The perspective. Therefore, we provide below the detailed leaf margin in Pterocymbium is entire throughout its life taxonomicThe species description, has also not photographs, been classified location from mapa threat and i.e. from seedling to adult. However, in Scaphium, the leaf margin is serrated during adult stage. The size of the calyx in Pterocymbium is much larger than in Scaphium, and the Taxonomicthreat classification Information of the recorded species. seeds do not exude a gelatinous mass as in Scaphium. Both Pterocymbium tinctorium (Blanco) Merr. in Bur. Govt. the genera have winged seeds and each seed has one wing. Lab. Publ. (Philippine Isls.) 27: 24. 1901 (Basionym(s) The wings are papery thin and help in seed dispersal. In and Synonym(s): Heritiera tinctoria Blanco, Fl. Filip. 653. Pterocymbium, 1837; Sterculia campanulata