Plant Archives Vol. 14 No. 2, 2014 pp. 983-993 ISSN 0972-5210 AN UPDATED ACCOUNT OF THE NAME CHANGES OF THE DICOTYLEDONOUS PLANT SPECIES INCLUDED IN THE VOL: III (1939) & VOL: IV (1940) OF “FLORA OF ASSAM” Rajib Lochan Borah Department of Botany, D.H.S.K. College, Dibrugarh - 786 001 (Assam), India. E-mail : [email protected] Abstract All the major monumental floras of the world have most of the plants included in their old names, which are now regarded as synonyms. In north east India, “Flora of Assam” is an important flora as it includes result of pioneering floristic work on Angiosperms & Gymnosperms in the region. But, in this flora, the same problems of name changes appear before the new researchers. Therefore, an attempt is made here to prepare an updated account of the new names against their old counterparts of the plants included in the 3rd & 4th volumes of the flora, on the basis of recent standard taxonomic literatures. Earlier, the name changes of the plants included in the 1st & 2nd volumes are already published & this is the second part of the work. In this, the unresolved names are not touched & only the confirmed ones are taken into account. In the process new names of 531 dicotyledonous plant species included in the concerned flora are compiled out. Key words : Name changes, Flora of Assam, dicotyledonus plants, floristic works. Introduction information has accumulated since the advent of DNA Scientific names of plants change for three main sequencing and that has resulted in recent reasons. The first two reasons are nomenclature and reclassifications. Thus, name changes are sometimes misidentification. Names changes are based on the rule required to uphold the principle that names must represent of priority of publication. This rule states that if a species true evolutionary relationships. Sometimes, to show has been named more than once, the first correctly evolutionary lineage, a genus or family must be split apart published name must be used; all others are synonyms. or mergers are done to bring about the desired results. A long-established name can be even replaced by another Similarly, many species have been transferred from one name if new details emerge about earlier publication date. genus to another. Sometimes the name of an economically important or But because of name changes, various difficulties well known plant is conserved for use even though it is arise in the preparation of new floras during & after a incorrect. Conservation is a formal process that requires classical field survey. The floristic worker may identify a a decision at an International Botanical Congress. In case specimen in a herbarium, where plants are in old names, of misidentification, plants are brought into cultivation, but in recent literature he finds a new name for that plant. propagated, and widely distributed under an incorrect Similarly, there is difficulty in studying old flora is that; name. By the time of rectification the incorrect name most of the monumental floras include plant in old names. may be in widespread use. The third and common type Sometimes a plant may be included in many different of name change happens when advances in our botanical names in different floras making the enumeration process knowledge lead to reclassifications. Taxonomists, often painstaking. in the past, proposed that a newly discovered plant should In case of North East India, the “Flora of Assam” is be classified as a member of a particular genus, based the oldest flora to include whole of North East India on the similarity of morphological characteristics shared including even a part of Sylhet District of present by other members of that genus. This naming was usually Bangladesh. The first four volumes were published by based on logical hypothesis only. Recently, new taxonomic Upendra Nath Kanjilal (1934-1940), which dealt with the 984 Rajib Lochan Borah Dicotyledons & Gymnosperms. Later N.L.Bor published Rubiaceae : [5] Sarcocephalus cordatus Miq. : the fifth volume included only the Gramineae (Poaceae) Nauclea orientalis (L.) [6] Anthocephalus cadamba among Monocotyledons. Therefore, it is the basic Miq. : Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser [7] literature which every floristic researcher treats as a Nauclea griffithii Haviland : Neonauclea griffithii background whenever a new systematic survey starts. (Hook. f.) Merr. [8] Adina cordifolia Hk.f. : Haldina Therefore, an attempt has been made to find out & enlist cordifolia (Roxb.) Ridsdale [9] Adina polycephala all confirmed new names of the plants against their old Benth. : Metadina trichotoma (Zoll. & Moritzi) Bakh.f. synonyms with author citations. The attempt is fully based [10] Adina oligocephala Havi.: Khasiaclunea on taxonomic literatures & the name changes of the first oligocephala (Havl.) Ridsdale [11] Uncaria pilosa & second volumes of the flora are already published Roxb. : U. scandens (Sm.) Hutch [12] Hymenopogon (Borah, 2014). The current presentation aims at solving parasiticus Wall. : Neohymenopogon parasiticus the name change related difficulties of the plants included (Wall.) Bennet [13] Hymenodictyon excelsum Wall. : in the “Flora of Assam, Vol.: III (1939) & Vol.: IV (1940)”. H. orixense (Roxb.) Mabb. [14] Cinchona ledgeriana Moens. : C. calisaya Weddell. [15] Cinchona Materials and Methods succirubra Pavon.: C. pubescens Vahl. [16] The procedure followed here is a literary one. The Wendlandia exserta DC. : W. heynei (Schult.) Santapau standard recent taxonomic literatures (Bennet, 1987; & Merchant [17] Wendlandia grandis Cowan. : W. Bhagawati et al., 2006; Chowdhery et al., 2009; budleioides Wall. ex W. & A. [18] Hedyotis vestita Br. Chowdhury, 2005; Das et al., 2013; Deb, 1981 & 1983; : Oldenlandia cristata (Willd.ex Roem.& Schult.) ined. Giri et al., 2008; Ghosh, 2005; Gogoi, 1997; Goswami, [19] Hedyotis tenelliflora Bl.: Oldenlandia tenelliflora 2003; Hajra, 1996; Haridasan et al., 1985 & 1987; (Blume) Kuntze [20] Hedyotis tenelliflora Bl. : Kartikeyan et al., 2009; Malakar, 1995; Rashid et al., Oldenlandia tenelliflora (Blume) Kuntze [21] Hedyotis 2011; Rashid et al., 2012; Sarkar, 1993; Sarma, 1989; hispida Retz. : Oldenlandia verticillata L. [22] Sharma et al., 1993; Singh et al., 2000) related to these Oldenlandia nudicaulis Roth.: O. ovatifolia (Cav.) DC. plants are thoroughly searched. In addition, important [23] Oldenlandia heynii Br. : O. herbacea (L.) Roxb. taxonomic resources at the internet (JSTOR, EFLORAS, [24] Oldenlandia paniculata Linn. : O. biflora L. [25] GRIN/NPGS, IPNI, THE PLANT LIST, MMPND, Anotis oxyphylla Wall. : Neanotis oxyphylla (Wall. ex. TROPICOS, GBIF, PFAF, Sp2000, USDA PLANTS, G.Don) W.H. Lewis [26] Anotis ingrata Wall. : Neanotis BOLD Systems Taxonomic Browser, Catalogue of Life, ingrata (Wall. ex. Hook. f.) W.H.Lewis [27] Anotis Discover Life, Springer Reference, ITIS, wightiana Hk. f. : Neanotis wightiana (Wall. ex. Wight Plantsystematics.org, ePIC, Biodiversity Heritage & Arn.) W.H. Lewis [28] Anotis gracilis Hk. f. : Library, Global Names Index, India Biodiversity Portal) Neanotis gracilis (Hook.f.) W.H.Lewis [29] are also searched and the confirmed new names are Ophiurrhiza harrisiana Heyne. : O. rugosa var. brushed out. Then, they are arranged in a list according prostrata (D.Don) Deb. & Mondal [30] Mussaenda to the arrangement order of the original copy of third & pentasemia Fischer. : M. macrophylla Wall. f. fourth volumes of “Flora of Assam”. grandisepala Jayaw. [31] Polysolenia wallichii Hk. f. : Leptomischus wallichii (Hook. f.) H.S.Lo [32] Results and Discussion Keenania modesta Hook. f. : Leptomischus modestus The account of the name changes are presented as (Hook.f.) Deb [33] Webera corymbosa Willd. : Tarenna a family wise list, using the old family names as presented asiatica (l.) Kuntze ex K.schum. [34] Webera disperma in the flora. In the listing of the species, first an old name Hk. f. : Tarenna disperma (Hook.f.) Pit. [35] Webera included in the flora with author citation is presented; pumila Hk.f. : Tarenna pumila (Hook.f.) Merr. [36] which is followed by the newly accepted name with Webera kurzii Hk.f. : Tarenna weberifolia (Kurz) N.P. citation as follows: Balakr. [37] Webera campaniflora Hk.f. : Tarenna Volume : III campaniflora (Hook.f.) N.P.Balakr. [38] Gardenia Caprifoliaceae : [1] Viburnum simonsii Hk. f. & campanulata Roxb. : Ceriscoides campanulata (Roxb.) T. : V. odoratissimum var. awabuki (K.Koch.) Zabel ex Tirveng. [39] Gardenia turgida Roxb. : Cerscoides Rümpler [2] Viburnum foetens Dcne. : V. grandiflorum turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng. [40] Randia uliginosa DC. : Wall. ex DC. [3] Lonicera braceana Hemsl. : L. Tamilnadia uliginosa (Retz.) Tirveng. & Sastre [41] hildbrandiana Collett & Hemsl. [4] Lonicera mcrantha Randia longiflora Lamk. : Oxyceros longiflorus (Lam.) DC. : L. macrantha var. macrantha (D.Don) Spreng. T.Yamaz. [42] Randia griffithii Hk.f. : Bankara Name Changes of the Dicotyledonous Plant Species Included in Vol. : III & Vol. : IV of Flora of Assam 985 griffithii (Hook.f.) Ridsdale [43] Randia dumentorum Spilanthes acmella (L.) Murray : Blainvillea acmella Lamk. : Caturanegam spinosa (Thunb.) Tirveng. [44] (L.) Philipson [80] Centipeda orbicularis Lour. : C. Randia fasciculata DC. : Benkara fasciculata (Roxb.) elatinoides (Less.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex O.Hoffm. [81] Ridsdale [45] Randia densiflora Benth. : Aidia Artemisia parviflora Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb. : A. densiflora (Wall.) Masam. [46] Randia wallichii Hk.f. parviflora D.Don [82] Senecio araneosus DC. : : Tarrenoidea wallichii