JoTT NOTE 3(6): 1875–1879 Achyranthes coynei Santapau, 1949 2001). The genus Achyranthes (Amaranthaceae) - an addition to the has about 15 species distributed in flora of Karnataka, India tropical and subtropical regions in the world (Shu 2003) of which 2 Sandeep R. Pai 1, Vinayak Upadhya 2, Harsha V. species (A. aspera L. and A. bidentata Blume) have 3 4 Hegde & Sanjiva D. Kholkute been reported from Karnataka, India (Sharma et al. 1,2,3,4 Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), Indian 1984). Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Nehru Nagar, Belgaum, Achyranthes coynei was first reported by Santapau Karnataka 590010, India in 1949 from Khandala, Maharashtra (Santapau 4 National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Jehangir Merwanji Street, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400012, 1949). Subsequently, the species was recorded from India Raigad, Sindhudurg, Thane and Amaravati districts of Email: 1
[email protected], 2
[email protected], 3
[email protected] (corresponding author), Maharashtra, making it endemic to Maharashtra State 4
[email protected] (Singh et al. 2000; Mishra & Singh 2001). This species was categorized as rare in the Red Data Book of Indian Plants (Sharma & Kulkarni 1987) and in ENVIS Centre During exploratory surveys for medicinal plants on floral diversity (2009) and as endangered by Mishra from the Western Ghats of Belgaum region, an & Singh (2001). The species was earlier reported only interesting plant species belonging to the genus from four locations in Maharashtra State, with an Achyranthes (Amaranthaceae) was collected. After estimated distribution range of ca. 5,000km2 (Mishra critical investigation, it was identified as Achyranthes & Singh 2001).