Cleistanthus Nokrensis (Euphorbiaceae), a New Species from Indian Himalaya
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Taiwania, 59(3): 197‒205, 2014 DOI: 10.6165/tai.2014.59.197 RESEARCH ARTICLE Cleistanthus nokrensis (Euphorbiaceae), a New Species from Indian Himalaya Bikarma Singh(1,2*), S.K. Borthakur(3) and S. J. Phukan(4) 1. Plant Biotechnology Division (Herbarium & Plant Systematic Section), CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu-Tawi-180001, India. 2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110001, India. 3. Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014, Assam, India. 4. Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Circle, Shillong 793001, India. * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] (Manuscript received 27 December 2013; accepted 04 April 2014) ABSTRACT: A new species, Cleistanthus nokrensis (Euphorbiaceae), was collected and described from Indian Himalaya. This species is confined to the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve where it grows on the calcareous habitat in karst topography. On the basis of the critical features of its habitat, branches, petioles, leaves, and fruits, the species is compared with the closely related allied species, C. tonkinensis Jabl. and C. balakrishnanii Chakrab. Notes on its taxonomic description, photographs, ecology, associated species, population data, and threat perspective as per latest IUCN conservation status are provided. A key to the other taxa in the genus reported from India is provided for the first time, along with their distributional records and endemism. KEY WORDS: Cleistanthus nokrensis, Euphorbiaceae, Indian Himalaya, IUCN Red List, new species. INTRODUCTION to Chakrabarty et al. (2002) and Mabberley (2008) has its centre of diversity in the Old World tropics and Myers et al. (2000) estimated that 133,149 plant represented by 148 species. The Old World tropics species and 9,645 vertebrate species occur in 25 comprise Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Malesia, Australia, hotspots at global level. The presence of two Micronesia, New Caledonia and Fiji (Dressler, 1999). biodiversity hotspots in India viz., Northeast India in As per as the published literatures (Chakrabarty et al., Eastern Himalaya (part of the Indo-Myanmar region) 2002; Chakrabarty, 2004; Balakrishnan and and Western Ghats, reiterates the need to undertake Chakrabarty, 2007; Balachandran, 2010), the genus in effective conservation measures for the endemic and India were represented by 8 species viz., C. threatened plant species in India (Singh et al., 2012; andamanicus N.Balach., Gastmans et Chakrab., C. 2013). Northeast India is one of the most threatened balakrishnanii Chakrab., C. oblongifolius (Roxb.) hotspot, due to the rate of resource exploitation and Müll.Arg. (Basionym=Clutia oblongifolia Roxb.), C. habitat loss. Despite the tough hilly terrain, the region collinus (Roxb.) Benth. (Basionym=Clutia collina has been explored and studied from a floristic point of Roxb.), C. malabaricus (Muell.Arg.) Muell.Arg. view by many distinguished scientists, professors and (Basionym=Lebidiera malabarica Muell.Arg.), C. prominent officers from Botanical Survey of India, patulus (Roxb.) Muell.Arg. (Basionym=Clutia patula Universities and NGOs, although such sporadic Roxb.), C. travancorensis Jabl., and C. sankunnianus inventory work from many interior regions remains Sivar. & Indu Balach. C. collinus is known to be a toxic unpublished. During the last few decades, a large plant and commonly used as suicidal, homicidal, cattle number of new species, subspecies and varieties have and fish poison, and for inducing criminal abortion been reported from these regions. During January 2007 (Parasuraman and Raveendran, 2012). Published floras to June 2012, several botanical explorations and by Haridasan and Rao (1987), and Kanjilal et al. (1940) biodiversity survey works were undertaken by the reveals that only C. chartaceus Muell.-Arg., which is a authors in the Eastern Himalaya and collected unknown synonym of C. oblongifolius occurs in the Eastern bushy shrub specimens of the genus Cleistanthus Himalaya of India. The new species description of Hook.f. ex Planch. (Euphorbiaceae), with only one Cleistanthus from the present study area in Himalaya population recorded in Nokrek Biosphere Reserve. The increases its number to 2 species from Northeastern taxonomic studies and examination of minor characters states of India or the Eastern Himalaya, and increases revealed this specimen to be a new and distinct species. its total number to 9 from India. The genus Cleistanthus (Euphorbiaceae), according 197 Taiwania Vol. 59, No. 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS of the new taxa with that of the different herbarium specimens housed at the various herbaria, viz., Central Study Area National Herbarium at Kolkata (CAL), Herbarium of The present new species is recorded from Nokrek Botanical Survey of India (BSI) at Dehradun (BSD), Biosphere Reserve (NBR), located in the western parts Herbarium of BSI at Andaman & Nicobar Islands (BPL), of the Meghalaya (25˚15' N to 25˚29' N and 90˚13' E to Herbarium of Forest Research Institute at Dehradun 90˚30', Fig. 1). It was established as a biosphere reserve (DD), Herbarium of BSI at Shillong (ASSAM), on 13th September, 1988 and recognized under the Herbarium of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), UNESCOs Man and Biosphere (MAB) program in 2009 Herbarium of Gauhati University (GU), Chinese Virtual (Singh et al., 2013). The study area spreads in 820 sq km Herbarium (CVH), website (http://www.tropicos.org/ and covers three Hills of Garo districts (Singh et al., Name/40010012), expert advice and perusal of 2012). The altitude ranges from 200 m MSL to 1412 m literatures (Chakrabarty et al., 2002; Chakrabarty, 2004; MSL, and the area has a tropical and subtropical climate Balakrishnan and Chakrabarty, 2007; Balachandran, (Singh et al., 2013). The place is known for the Garo 2010) relevant to the genus. The specimen is identified tribe (Achik), Citrus Gene Pool Sanctuary (Citrus as a new species of Cleistanthus and is named C. indica-natural growth), Mahseer fish (Tor putitora-an nokrensis after the type locality “Nokrek Hills” in the endangered fish), Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock-an Eastern Himalaya of India. While describing the species, endangered species and the only living Ape in India), the data collected from the field on habit, ecology, shape Pitcher plant (Nepenthes khasiana-insectivorous and size of floral elements, leaves, fruits and seeds were endemic plant), and many other endemic and RET plant incorporated from the field diary. Associated plants of and animal species (Singh et al., 2012; Singh et al., this particular species were presented along with the 2011). photographs. Data collection RESULTS Extensive field observations were made by the author during eleven expeditions in January 2007 and June 2012 The present communication deals with Cleistanthus in the Garo Hills, under the Ministry of Environment and nokrensis sp. nov. (Euphorbiaceae) recently discovered Forest, Government of India, funded Project, and for his and described from Indian Himalaya. This species is own doctorate research. The floristic work of the study confined to the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve where it area was carried out by the author at the Botanical Survey grows on calcareous habitat of karst topography. On the of India at Shillong. The study was conducted in a basis of the critical features of its habitat, branches, systematic way of 10 km × 10 km grids for this particular petioles, leaves, and fruits, the species is compared with species, which were further divided in forested grids of 1 the closely related allied species, C. tonkinensis Jabl. and km × 1 km subgrids in the NBR. The species was also C. balakrishnanii Chakrab. Notes on its taxonomic searched in similar habitat of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, description, photographs, ecology, associated species, Mizoram, Sikkim, West Bengal and Khasi hills and population data, and threat perspective as per latest Jaintia hills of Meghalaya, but could not be recorded in IUCN conservation status are provided in this research the other localities. The collected new species and other paper. The assessment of the IUCN status of this taxa plant specimens were partially described in the field were evaluated following 2001 IUCN Red List during survey. General habitat, ecology, shape and size of Categories and Criteria version 3.1 and IUCN Guidelines floral elements, leaves, fruits and seeds were studied for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional macroscopically in the field as well as in the laboratory. and National Levels and Criteria version 4.0 (IUCN, Digital photographs of the type specimens as well as other 2010) (http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/ species of the area were taken in field and stored. All the categories-and-criteria, accessed 30 July 2013). A key to collected specimens were processed as per Jain & Rao the other taxa in the genus reported from India is Herbarium Technique (Jain and Rao, 1977). Specimens provided for the first time, along with their distributional prepared from the study area are deposited at the ASSAM records and endemism. herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India and Janaki Ammal Herbarium (Acronym: RRLH) at CSIR-Indian Taxonomic enumeration of new taxa Institute of Integrative Medicine. Taxonomic classification as per APG III (APG, 2009): Data analysis Critical studies on the newly discovered specimens Regnum (=Kingdom): Plantae Haeckel, 1866 were done by comparing and evaluating the herbarium Cladus/Divisionae (=Phylum): Angiosperms (=Tracheo- 198