Bioscience Discovery, 8(3): 486-487, July - 2017 © RUT Printer and Publisher Print & Online, Open Access, Research Journal Available on http://jbsd.in ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print); ISSN: 2231-024X (Online) Short Communication Rivina humilis var. bracteata D. Maity et al. (Phytolaccaceae), A new distributional record for (Maharashtra) India Umakant B Deshmukh and O S Rathor* Higher Learning And Research Centre and P.G. Department of Botany, Janata Mahavidyalaya, Chandrapur . 442401(Maharashtra). *Ex. Principal and Reader in Botany N.E.S. Science College, Nanded. 431604 (Maharashtra). Article Info Abstract Received: 22-05-2017, During ethnobotanical survey an interesting plant of family Phytolaccaeae was Revised: 26-06-2017, collected from Chandrapur District of Maharshtra. After critical observation it Accepted: 29-06-2017 was identified as Rivina humilis L. var. bracteata . It is reported as a new distributional plant record for Maharashtra. A detailed description with Keywords: description, photograph, notes on occurrence and distribution of this taxon are Phytolaccaeae , Rivina provided for easy identification. humilis L. var. bracteata , new record , Maharshtra. INTRODUCTION Taxonomic Treatment Linnaeus in 1753, recognized genus Rivina Rivina humilis L. var. bracteata D. Maity, Sonia and since then several species have been recognized Mitra, Manasi Mandal et Maiti,. Rheedea Vol. by various workers, giving special emphasis to 24(2).pp 99-104, 2014. morphological plasticity in vegetative as well as Description reproductive characters. The genus Rivina is named Erect or decumbent, sparingly branched, after A.Q. Rivinus, Professor of Botany and glabrescent herb to 75 cm high; leaves ovate or Medicine at Leipzig 1691-1725 (Ghosh and Sikdar, rarely ovate-elliptic, base often oblique, petiolate, 1983). exstipulate; inflorescence terminal or axillary Rivina humilis L. belongs to the family raceme; flowers white, often flushed with pink Phytolaccaceae is a native of tropical America and along sepal margin, pedicellate, bracteate; bracts is now widespread throughout in tropics and broadly oblanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm, abruptly subtropics (Dequan, 2003; Tseng et al., 2008; contracted towards middle or above middle into a Mabberley, 2008). In many countries this species is long subulate to narrowly triangular, acuminate often cultivated in gardens as the juicy pericarp is apical lobe or often tridentate with two small lateral used in cosmetics (Walter, 1909). Rivina is lobes; lateral lobes triangular, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1– 0.2 monotypic genus and treated with a single species, mm; mid-lobe subulate or narrowly triangular– R. humilis (Dequan, 2003; Mabberley, 2008 ). acuminate, c. 0.5 × 0.1 mm; minutely hairy, often Recently Rivina humilis var. bracteata persistent in ripe fruits; sepals 4, obovate or ovate reported as new variety from Kolkata, West Bengal elliptic, 2–3 × 0.9–2.5 mm, sparsely hairy on outer of India (Mandal et al., 2014). An occurrence of surface, white, often flushed with pink along Rivina humilis var. bracteata from Chandrapur margin, persistent, becoming green; stamens 4, District of Maharshtra shows an extended dimorphic, two smaller; filaments persistent, distribution and new record to the flora of becoming green, often acrescent; anthers with Maharshtra. unequal lobes, basifixed, often persistent in http://jbsd.in 486 ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print) Deshmukh and Rathor ripe fruits; ovary globose, often with fine reticulate striations; style subterminal; fruits globose, succulent, red or scarlet; seeds black, sparsely hairy or glabrous, shiny with granular surface (Photo plate.1) A B C D E Fig. 1. Rivina humilis var. bracteata. A.Habit of plant. B. Flowering Branch. C. Mid- lobe of the bracts is often curled at the base of Flower D. Bract E.Seed Flowering and Fruiting: More or less throughout Mahavidyalay, Chandrapur for providing laboratory year. (Mostly in Aug.- Mar.). facilities. Habitat: Ornamental . REFERENCES Note: Rivina humilis L. var. bracteata similar to R. Dequan L, 2003. Phytolaccaceae. In: Zhengyi, W. humilis L. var. humilis, but bracts broadly and Raven, P. H. (eds.), Flora of China. Vol.5. oblanceolate, abruptly narrowed from middle or Chinese Academy of Science, Beizing. pp. 435- above middle into a long subulate to narrowly 436. triangular, acuminate apical lobe (often tridentate Ghosh RB and Sikdar JK, 1983. A revision of the near middle). Distribution:,Earlier only known Indian Phytolaccaceae (sensu lato), J. Econ. Tax. from Type locality Kolkata, India. Now collected Bot., 4: 153-163. from Chandrapur city, ,Maharshtra by Umakant Linnaeus C, 1753. Species Plantarum. Ed.1. Deshmukh 15 March 2016 ( GPS Location. GPS Laurentius Salvius. Sweden. pp. 121-122. Location. N190 58.341' E079016.947') Herbarium Mabberley DJ, 2008. Mabberley’s Plant Book – a specimen deposited at P.G.Department of of Botany portable dictionary of flowering plants and thei JMV, Chandrapur (Voucher No.210) . uses. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Flowering and Fruiting: More or less throughout Mandal Manasi, Sonia Mitra, GG Maiti and D year. (Mostly in Aug.- Mar.). Maity, 2014.. A new variety of Rivina humilis and Habitat: Ornamental the status of R. bengalensis (Phytolaccaceae). Rheedea 24(2):99-104. Acknowledgement Moquin, 1849. Phytolaccaceae. In: De Candolle, A. The authors are thankful to Dr. Debabrata (Ed.), Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Maity Professor,Taxonomy and Biosystematics Vegetabilis. Vol. 13(2). Paris, Sumptibus Victoris Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Masson. pp. 2-40 Calcutta Department for confirming the identity of Tseng YH, Wang CC and YT Chen, 2008. Rivina the specimen and his help and encouragement. The humilis L. (Phytolaccaceae), A newly naturalized authors are also grateful to Dr. Ahok S. Jiwatode, plant in Taiwan. Taiwania 53(4): 417-419. Secretary, Chanda Shikshan Prasarak Mandal , Walter H, 1909. Phytolaccaceae. In: Engler, A. Chandrapur. Dr. M. Subhash, Principal and Dr. Y. (Ed.), Das Pflanzenreich. Vol. 39 [IV.83], Leipzig. B Gedam Head, Department of Botany, Janata pp. 1-154. How to Cite this Article: Umakant B Deshmukh and O S Rathor, 2017. Rivina humilis var. bracteata D. Maity et al. (Phytolaccaceae), A new distributional record for (Maharashtra) India. Bioscience Discovery, 8(3):486-487. http://biosciencediscovery.com 487 ISSN: 2231-024X (Online) .