Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. B, 38(4), pp. 153–181, November 22, 2012 Rare and Threatened Pteridophytes of Asia 2. Endangered Species of India — the Higher IUCN Categories Christopher Roy Fraser-Jenkins Student Guest House, Thamel. P.O. Box no. 5555, Kathmandu, Nepal E-mail: [email protected] (Received 19 July 2012; accepted 26 September 2012) Abstract A revised list of 337 pteridophytes from political India is presented according to the six higher IUCN categories, and following on from the wider list of Chandra et al. (2008). This is nearly one third of the total c. 1100 species of indigenous Pteridophytes present in India. Endemics in the list are noted and carefully revised distributions are given for each species along with their estimated IUCN category. A slightly modified update of the classification by Fraser-Jenkins (2010a) is used. Phanerophlebiopsis balansae (Christ) Fraser-Jenk. et Baishya and Azolla filiculoi- des Lam. subsp. cristata (Kaulf.) Fraser-Jenk., are new combinations. Key words : endangered, India, IUCN categories, pteridophytes. The total number of pteridophyte species pres- gered), VU (Vulnerable) and NT (Near threat- ent in India is c. 1100 and of these 337 taxa are ened), whereas Chandra et al.’s list was a more considered to be threatened or endangered preliminary one which did not set out to follow (nearly one third of the total). It should be the IUCN categories until more information realised that IUCN listing (IUCN, 2010) is became available. The IUCN categories given organised by countries and the global rarity and here apply to political India only. Table 1 shows endangerment of species is therefore often some- a statistic summary of the categorised threatened what masked in an area where the floras are inti- species. mately related. This particularly applies to the In addition more information about the status two major groups of Sino-Himalayan and S. E. of species in Arunachal Pradesh has become Asian/Malesian elements present in India which available (Fraser-Jenkins and Benniamin, 2010; extend across the eastern borders into China, Fraser-Jenkins, 2010b; Fraser-Jenkins, Baishya, Myanmar etc. It also applies to the Lankan/ Benniamin and Rawat, in prep.) and has revealed Indian peninsular element in the south, which that a number of species that are very rare else- contains the highest number of Indian endemics. A list of Asian globally threatened species of nar- Table 1. The numbers of Indian pteridophytes row distribution is given by Ebihara et al. (2012) belonging to different IUCN categories for which the 76 Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese Category Number of species species listed have been extracted from the pres- CR or EX 12 ent paper. CR or EW 4 CR 95 The present list is reduced compared to that of EN 117 414 threatened pteridophytes given by Chandra VU 67 et al. (2008) as it concerns only the top six IUCN NT 43 categories, EX (Extinct), EW (Extinct in the Total 337 wild), CR (Critically endangered), EN (Endan- Globally threatened 74 154 Christopher R. Fraser-Jenkins where in India are much more common in the far Islands (Nicobar Islands; very rare); China; North-East in Arunachal Pradesh and some other Taiwan; Japan; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam; North-Easternmost States of India. Adjustment Malaysia; Indonesia; Philippines; Australia; has also been made to the status of a number of Polynesia. Also reported from S. India (Tamil species, either taxonomically, or for IUCN cate- Nadu) by Dixit (1984, 1987, following Baker), gory, now that more information from Indian but requiring confirmation and probably in herbaria, particularly CAL, BSA and LWG, has error. VU. become available to the author. 3. Huperzia ceylanica (Spring) Trevis. (?syn.: A few of the species that have now been H. lajouensis Ching) — Sri Lanka; S. India excluded for taxonomic or other reasons have (Tamil Nadu, Parampure Swamp, Anamalai, been listed here for explanatory reasons, but 7500 ft. C. E. C. Fischer 3317, 2.4.1912, but in square brackets and without categories. no teeth; very rare); ?E. Nepal (A. Zimmer- Many other species previously estimated to be mann, BM; very rare); N.E. India (Arunachal Endangered and Endemic have been elucidated Pradesh; Meghalaya; very scattered and rare); taxonomically by Fraser-Jenkins (1997, 2008a, ?Tibet, rare. Reported by IUCN (1998) as 2008b) and Chandra et al. (2008) and excluded. indeterminate. Listed from Java by Dixit The classification of Fraser-Jenkins (2010a) (1984, 1987) in error. NT. has been used in the list, with some modifica- 4. Huperzia nilagirica (Spring) R. D. Dixit tions according to more recent work. In general (syn.: H. hilliana (Nessel) Holub) — S. India this is similar to that of Kramer and Green (Kerala; Tamil Nadu; very rare). Endemic to (1990) and Smith et al. (2006). But it is less sim- S. India. VU; Globally threatened. ilar to two molecular cladonomy lists recently 5. Huperzia nummulariifolia (Blume) Jermy — produced by Christenhusz et al. (2011) and Roth- Indian Islands (Nicobars; very rare); Thailand; fels et al. (2012), which are seen here as being Malaysia; Indonesia; Philippines; Polynesia. insufficiently taxonomically based and to recog- EN. nise too many groups that have no possible mor- 6. Huperzia vernicosa (Hook. et Grev.) pho-taxonomic significance. They also split Trevis. — ?Sri Lanka; S. India (Kerala; Tamil many other groups that have been more success- Nadu; very rare). Endemic to Sri Lanka and S. fully sunk into recognisable categories of more India. Reported by Spring from Sri Lanka, but major value. Their schemes are therefore not requiring confirmation of the identity of the accepted here as being applicable to taxonomic specimen he cited at Kew; not listed from Sri classification and are seen as being of less use to Lanka by Sledge (1982). CR; Globally Botanists. While the former was used by Ebihara threatened. et al. (2012) in an editorial decision as being 7. Lycopodium dendroideum Michx. — Bhu- more recent and appearing more up-to-date, its tan, very rare; N.E. India (Arunachal Pradesh; drawbacks are considered too great for it to be very rare); China; Taiwan; Japan; E. Siberia; used here. N. America. CR. 8. Lycopodium annotinum L. subsp. alpestre List of endangered species with total (Hartm.) Ǻ. Löve et D. Löve (syn.: L. zonatum — distributions and IUCN category Ching) N.W. India (Uttarakhand; very rare); Nepal, very rare; N.C. India (Sikkim; Lycopodiaceae very rare); Bhutan, very rare; N.E. India 1. Huperzia cancellata (Spring) Trevis. — N.E. (Arunachal Pradesh; very rare)); Tibet; China; India (Arunachal Pradesh; very rare); Tibet; Taiwan; Japan; Myanmar. EN; Globally China; Myanmar. VU. threatened. 2. Huperzia carinata (Desv.) Trevis. — Indian Rare and Threatened Pteridophytes of Asia 2. Endangered Species of India 155 Selaginellaceae (Manipur; very rare, known only from the 9. ?Selaginella agustyamalayana R. Antony, S. type); ?Myanmar. ?Endemic to N.E. India. Khan et G. S. Nair — S. India (Tamil Nadu; Reported from Myanmar by Dixit (1984, very rare). ?Endemic to South India. Perhaps 1992a) but without details, and requiring con- a synonym of S. cataractarum Alston, requir- firmation, and not so reported by Alston ing further study. CR. (1945); reported from Mizoram, Nagaland and [Selaginella adunca subsp. adunca — N.W. Bangladesh by Ghosh et al. (2004) in error for India (Himachal Pradesh; Uttarakhand; locally S. chrysorrhizos. CR; Globally threatened. abundant); W. Nepal, rare. Listed by IUCN [Several specimens described as new species by (1998) as Endangered, in error. Alston’s (1945) Dixit have been lost from CAL herbarium and record from “Kashmir” was in error for Sri- the types are also not present in ASSAM, nagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand]. BSA, BSD, ARUN, BSHC, BSI, MH, LBG, 10. Selaginella aitchisonii Hieron. — Tien Shan; DD, K or BM. If they are also not present in Sinkiang; Afghanistan; N. W. Pakistan, very BSJO, CH or BURD they would appear to rare; India (Jammu & Kashmir; very rare). have been lost or destroyed, but they may be Turkestan was also listed by Dixit (1992a). It expected to have been dubious or erroneous, appears that this is not just an ecotype of with the possible exception of S. nayarii, S. sanguinolenta, but a separate species. EN; which might perhaps be distinct. These are: S. Globally threatened. ganguliana, S. keralensis, S. nayarii and S. 11. Selaginella cataractarum Alston — S. India panchganiana.] (Tamil Nadu; very rare and partly extinct). Reported in error from Kerala and Orissa by Isoetaceae Dixit (1984, 1992a). Listed as endangered by Many taxa have been described from India as IUCN (1998). CR; Globally threatened. new species, but the status of most of them as 12. Selaginella kurzii Baker — N.E. India species is uncertain or dubious. Recent discus- (Mizoram; very rare); Myanmar; Thailand; sion between the author and Prof. G. K. Srivas- Malaysia. Reported in error from Nepal, and tava appears to lead towards a tentative conclu- in a wide sense from “Assam”, but meaning sion that there are three major taxa present in Mizoram. CR. India, which probably represent the species level, 13. Selaginella miniatospora (Dalzell) Baker with other described taxa probably representing (syn.: S. blatteri Bole et M. R. Almeida; type local variation within them. Despite the extinc- not found at BLAT by the author) — S. India tion of some populations representing various (Maharashtra; Goa; Karnataka; rare and very types, two of the three are apparently not under restricted). Endemic to S.W. India. Its rela- threat. tionship to the similar N. Indian etc. species, 16. Isoetes sahyadriensis Mahabale (syn.: I. S. tenuifolia Spring, requires study. NT; Glob- dixitii Shende) — C. India (Maharashtra, Mad- ally threatened. hya Pradesh; very rare). Endemic to C. India. 14. Selaginella pulvinata (Hook. et Grev.) The type specimen is not present at CAL, Maxim. — N. W.