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OBSERVATIONS ON THE FLORA OF YELLAPUR IN NORTH KANARA BY RAMAKANT P. PATIL (Botanist, Central Botanical Laboratory, Lucknow) Received February 18, 1956 (Communicated by Dr. E. K. Janaki Ammal) INTRODUCTION ACCORDING to Hooker (1855) the flora of India "is more varied than that of any country of equal area in the Eastern Hemisphere if not the whole Globe ". Whether India is richer in number of genera and species than any other area of equal dimensions is doubtful. India has less endemic genera and species than countries like China, Australia and S. Africa. A genus or even a species in India is often found distributed over a wide area and sometimes in widely separated areas. It is of the utmost importance for the understanding of the evolution of the flora of India to study the same species collected from different regions and different ecological habitats, to see if any genetic difference exists in geographical varieties of the same species. This can be done by making intensive studies of a particular genus from different parts of India or by analysis of samples of flora from different habitats in India. The present paper summarizes observations made in the Yellapur area during occasional visits spread over a period of two years when I served as Forest Botanist to the State of Bombay. The cytological data referring to the flora will be dealt with later. The town of Yellapur is 1,200ft. above sea-level. The heaviest rain- fall occurs in the months of June, July and August with, perhaps, stray showers in October. Thus there is a prolonged dry season for 7 months when there is little or no rain. The total rainfall from June 1952 to May 1953 was 91 inches and from June 1953 to May 1954, 128 inches.* In spite of the prolonged dry season the existing semi-evergreen forests do not appear to have deteriorated except where trees have been deliberately felled or lopped for making room for cultivation or for any other purpose. The present observations on the flora include the town proper and extend to the three neighbouring semi-evergreen forests, viz., Angod "Kan ", 3 miles to the north-west, Telgeri " Kan ", 3 miles to the north-east, and Sahasrahalli " Kan ", practically adjoining the town south-eastwards. The * Figures obtained from the Mamlatdar's Office at Yellapur. m 237 238 RAMAKANT P. PATIL observations also extend south-westwards along the Karwar road for a dis tance of 2 miles. The town of Naikainkeri, 1½ miles from Yellapur along the Karwar road is occasionally mentioned. The other three main roads leading away from Yellapur are the Sirsi and Mungod roads passing through Sahasrahalli Kan and the Hubli road passing through Telgeri Kan. During the first few months of 1953, the Silviculturist to Bombay State laid out a linear tree increment plot (L.T.L Plot) in Telgeri Kan. Frequent references are made to the numbered trees in the plot. Almost all the plant species listed below have been observed personally by me in the field and collected on the spot. It will be seen from the list that the trees, shrubs and woody climbers are better represented than the herbs since they are of greater interest from the forester's point of view. Every attempt has been made to bring the nomenclature up-to-date and the Rev. Santapau's Flora TM has been particularly useful in this connec- tion. The descriptions of the listed species are usually to be found in Cookee or Talbot 11 though the names used by these authors are here some- times cited as synonyms. Where the description of any species is not to be found in either of the above works a cross-reference is made to the relevant publication where the description is to be found. Such cross-references are given in brackets after the name of the listed species. Most of the species included in the list below are referred to a herbarium sheet number preceded by the collector's name. The exclamation mark after the herbarium sheet number indicates that the species has been satis- factorily compared with a specimen in the Dehra Dun Herbarium. The exclamation mark after a grass specimen number indicates that the speci- men has been satisfactorily compared with material identified by Dr. N. L. Bor of Kew or Shri M. B. Raizada of Dehra Dun. OBSERVATIONS RANUNCULACE~E Naravelia zeylanica DC. Roadside, 1 mile from town along Mungod Road, in flower (15-11-1953). Patil 2714 ! DILLENIACE/E Dillenia pentagyna Roxb. Angod Kan, leafless, but with flower buds (25-2-1955); near junction of Hubli and Haliyal Roads in Telgeri Kan, leafless, but with flowers (26-2-1955); Nos. 73, 77, etc., in the L.T.I. Plot at Telgeri. Patil 2973 ! Observations on Flora of Yellapur in North Kanara 239 ANNONACE~ Polyatthia fragrans Bedd. Telgeri Kan, in fruit (8--4-1955). Common. Nos. 11 and 75 in the L.T.I. Plot at Telgeri. Patil 2990 l MENISPERMACE/E Cyclea sp. Telgeri Kan (9-10-1954). Diploclisia glaucescens Diels, synonym, Cocculus macrocarpus Wight and Am. Sahasrahalli Kan, in fruit (11-8-1953). Patil 2571 ! Stephania hernandifolia Walp. Sahasrahalli Kan, in flower (7-10-1954) and in fruit (8-10-1954). Occurs in the forest proper and in cleared space by the side of Mtmgod Road. Patil 2914! 2929! PAPAVERACEIE Argemone mexicana Linn. In town, in a ditch near the pond, with flowers and fruit (26-2-1955). Patil 29791 CAPP~dUDAC~ Gynandropsis speciosa DC. (Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horti- culture, 2, 1421). In open space near hut and rice field in Sahasra- halli Kan, with flowers and fruit (8-10-1954). FLACOURTIACEJE Flacourtia montana Grah. Roadside, about 2 miles from town along Hubli Road, with young fruit (28-1-1954); No. 62 in L.T.I. Plot, Telgeri, with young fruit (29-1-1954); roadside in Angod Kan, near school, with ripe fruits (25--2-1955); hill behind Forest Bungalow No. l, with ripe fruit (28-2-1955). Patil 2724 ! 2736 ! 2964 t Hydnocarpus laurifolia Sleumer, synonym, H. wightiana Blume. Sahasra- halli Kan, in fruit (5-5-1953). GUTrlFER~ Garcinia indica Choiss. Sahasrahalli Kan, in fruit (6-5-1953); stray trees about 1 mile from town along Hubli and Mungod Roads; Angod Kan. Patil 2534 ! 240 RAMAKANT P. PATIL Garcinia xanthochymus Hk. f. Sahasrahalli Kan, in fruit (6-5-1953, 2-2-1954). Somewhat gregarious whcre it occurs. Patil 2752 ! Mesua ferrea Linn. In town, in flower (27-2-1955). Patil 2982 DIPTEROCARPACEJE Vateria indica Linn. Roadside, near Yellapur bus stand, in fruit (5-5-1953) and flower (28-1-1954); grounds of Forest Bungalow No. 1; along Karwar Road, leading away from town. MALVACEiE Sida acuta Burm. Near a hut by paddy fields in Sahasrahalli Kan, in flower (8-10-1954). Sida rhombifolia Linn. var. retusa Masters. Side of Mungod Road, near town, in flower (8-10-1954). Common. Urena sinuata Linn. Border of paddy field in Sahasrahalli Kan, in flower (7-10--1954). Patil 2909! BOMBACE/E Salmalia malabarica Schott and Endl., synonym, Bombax malabaricum DC. In town, side of Hubli Road, leafless,but in flower (28-I-1954, 25-2-1955). STERCULIACE~E Helicteres isora Linn. Border of paddy field in Sahasrahalli Kan, in flower (7-10-1954); side of Hal/yal Road in Telgeri Kan, in flower (9-10-1954); side of road to Angod Kan, in flower (12-10-1954). Patil 2908 ! Sterculia guttata Roxb. Near junction of Hubli and Haliyal Roads in Telgeri Kan, in flower, fruit and leaf (28-1-1954); No. 1 in L.T.I. Plot at Telgeri, in flower, fruit and leaf (29-1-1954). Patil 2593 ! 2727! TILIACE~ Grewia disperma Rottl., synonym, G. kevigata Talbot, 1: 164. In an open site in Telgeri Kan, with flower and fruit (12-11-1953). Patil 2708 ! Observations on Flora of Yellapur in North Kanara 241 Grewia microcos Linn. Side of Hubli Road in Telgeri Kan, in flower and fruit (2-7-1953). Patil 2556 ! Grewia tilcefolia Vahl. Roadside in Angod Kan, near school (25-2-1955). Grewia umbellifera Bedd. Sahasrahalli Kan, in fruit (10-8-1953); Angod Kan, in fruit (14--11-1953). Patil 2568! 2711! Triumfetta bartramia Linn., synonym, T. rhomboidea Jacq. Side of Mungod Road, near Forest Bungalow No. 1, in flower (6-10-1954). Patil 2901 t MALPIGHIACE.,,E Aspidopterys cordata A. Juss. In a clearing by the side of Hubli Road in Telgeri Kan, in flower (9-10-1954). Patil 2932! RUTACE~E Glycosmis pentaphylla Corr. Sahasrahalli Kan, in flower and fruit (31-1-1954). Abundant. Patil 2746! Murraya koenigii Spreng. Telgeri Kan; Nos. 142 and 131 in L.T.I. Plot at Telgeri (29-1-1954). Paramignya monophylla Wight. SahasrahaUi Kan, in fruit (10-8-1953, 2-2-1954); near the grounds of Forest Bungalow No. 1 on the south-east side, in fruit (2-2-1954). Patil 25701 2754 ! MELIACE~E Dysoxylum malabaricum Bedd., synonym, D. glandulosum Talbot, 1: 233. SahasrahaUi Kan, in fruit (6-5-1953). Patil 2533 ! Heynea trijuga Roxb. No. 90 in L.T.I. Plot at Telgeri, in fruit (30-6-1953); side of Sirsi Road in Sahasrahalli Kan, in flower (26-2-1955) and in fruit (12-10-1954), Patti 2541 [ 2978 ! 242 RAMAKANT P. PAT1L Melia composita Willd., synonym, M. dubia Talbot, 1: 226. Side of Hubli Road, about 1½ miles from town, in fruit and leaf (3-7-1953); in fruit, flower and new leaf (28-1-1954). Patil 2560 ! 2723 ! OPILIACE~E Cansjera rheedii Gmel. Roadside along the road to Angod Kan, in flower (12-10-1954); open space in Telgeri Kan, in fruit (1-2-1954).