Journal ofThreatened JoTT TaxaBuilding evidence for conservation globally 10.11609/jott.2020.12.10.16195-16406 www.threatenedtaxa.org 26 July 2020 (Online & Print) Vol. 12 | No. 10 | Pages: 16195–16406 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS Dedicated to Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan ISSN 0974-7907 (Online); ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Publisher Host Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society Zoo Outreach Organization www.wild.zooreach.org www.zooreach.org No. 12, Thiruvannamalai Nagar, Saravanampatti - Kalapatti Road, Saravanampatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India Ph: +91 9385339863 | www.threatenedtaxa.org Email: [email protected] EDITORS English Editors Mrs. Mira Bhojwani, Pune, India Founder & Chief Editor Dr. Fred Pluthero, Toronto, Canada Dr. Sanjay Molur Mr. P. 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Molur, Coimbatore, India Dr. Mandar Paingankar, Department of Zoology, Government Science College Gadchiroli, Chamorshi Road, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra 442605, India Dr. Ulrike Streicher, Wildlife Veterinarian, Eugene, Oregon, USA Editors/Reviewers Ms. Priyanka Iyer, ZOO/WILD, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India Subject Editors 2016–2018 Fungi Editorial Board Ms. Sally Walker Dr. B. Shivaraju, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Founder/Secretary, ZOO, Coimbatore, India Prof. Richard Kiprono Mibey, Vice Chancellor, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya Dr. R.K. Verma, Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, India Dr. Robert Lacy Dr. V.B. Hosagoudar, Bilagi, Bagalkot, India Department of Conservation Biology, Chicago Zoological Society (also known as Dr. Vatsavaya S. Raju, Kakatiay University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India the Brookfield Zoo), Brookfield, Illinois 60513 USA; and Committee on Evolutionary Dr. D.J. Bhat, Retd. Professor, Goa University, Goa, India Biology, University of Chicago Plants Dr. Russel Mittermeier Executive Vice Chair, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia 22202, USA Dr. G.P. Sinha, Botanical Survey of India, Allahabad, India Dr. N.P. Balakrishnan, Ret. Joint Director, BSI, Coimbatore, India Prof. Mewa Singh Ph.D., FASc, FNA, FNASc, FNAPsy Dr. Shonil Bhagwat, Open University and University of Oxford, UK Ramanna Fellow and Life-Long Distinguished Professor, Biopsychology Laboratory, Prof. D.J. Bhat, Retd. Professor, Goa University, Goa, India and Institute of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka 570006, India; Dr. Ferdinando Boero, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Dr. Dale R. Calder, Royal Ontaro Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Bangalore; and Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore Dr. Cleofas Cervancia, Univ. of Philippines Los Baños College Laguna, Philippines Dr. F.B. Vincent Florens, University of Mauritius, Mauritius Dr. Ulrike Streicher, DVM Dr. Merlin Franco, Curtin University, Malaysia Wildlife Veterinarian / Wildlife Management Consultant, 1185 East 39th Place, Eugene, Dr. V. Irudayaraj, St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, India OR 97405, USA Dr. B.S. Kholia, Botanical Survey of India, Gangtok, Sikkim, India Dr. Pankaj Kumar, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Corporation, Hong Kong S.A.R., Stephen D. Nash China Scientific Illustrator, Conservation International, Dept. of Anatomical Sciences, Health Dr. V. Sampath Kumar, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, West Bengal, India Sciences Center, T-8, Room 045, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, Dr. A.J. Solomon Raju, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India USA Dr. Vijayasankar Raman, University of Mississippi, USA Dr. B. Ravi Prasad Rao, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantpur, India Dr. Fred Pluthero Dr. K. Ravikumar, FRLHT, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Toronto, Canada Dr. Aparna Watve, Pune, Maharashtra, India Dr. Qiang Liu, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Yunnan, China Dr. Martin Fisher Dr. Noor Azhar Mohamed Shazili, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Senior Associate Professor, Battcock Centre for Experimental Astrophysics, Cavendish Malaysia Laboratory, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK Dr. M.K. Vasudeva Rao, Shiv Ranjani Housing Society, Pune, Maharashtra, India Prof. A.J. Solomon Raju, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India Dr. Ulf Gärdenfors Dr. Mandar Datar, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, India Professor, Swedish Species Information Center, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden Dr. M.K. Janarthanam, Goa University, Goa, India Dr. K. Karthigeyan, Botanical Survey of India, India Dr. John Fellowes Dr. Errol Vela, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France Honorary Assistant Professor, The Kadoorie Institute, 8/F, T.T. Tsui Building, The Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, India University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Dr. Larry R. Noblick, Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami, USA Dr. K. Haridasan, Pallavur, Palakkad District, Kerala, India Dr. Philip S. Miller Dr. Analinda Manila-Fajard, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines Senior Program Officer, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN), 12101 Dr. P.A. Sinu, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala, India Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA Invertebrates Prof. Dr. Mirco Solé Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Vice- Dr. R.K. Avasthi, Rohtak University, Haryana, India coordenador do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Rodovia Ilhéus/Itabuna, Km Dr. D.B. Bastawade, Maharashtra, India 16 (45662-000) Salobrinho, Ilhéus - Bahia - Brasil Dr. Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, India continued on the back inside cover Caption: Pinda concanensis an endemic plant from Anjaneri Hills. © Dr. K.V.C. Gosavi. Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 July 2020 | 12(10): 16195–16203 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6472.12.10.16195-16203 #6472 | Received 24 July 2020 E d i Pakshirajan Lakshminarasimhan: a plant taxonomist who loved plants t o and people alike r i a Mandar N. Datar l Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Shivajinagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411004, India, [email protected] Dr. Pakshirajan Lakshminarasimhan, a very prominent figure in Indian plant taxonomy passed away in Pune on 15 July 2020 due to COVID-19 infection. He retired merely a year back as the in-charge of the Western Regional Centre, Botanical Survey of India, Pune in August 2019. His farewell function attended by a large gathering of his colleagues, friends, and students speak volumes about how he nurtured relationship with his colleagues and mentored his students during the course of research activities. Dr. Lakshminarasimhan was born in Pune on 28 August 1959. He opted for M.Sc. in Botany at Pune University and wanted to specialize in cytogenetics. However, he was offered plant taxonomy as a specialization, and on the advice of one of his professors, decided to go with it. After completion of his master’s degree in 1982, he joined as Research Scholar in the western circle, Pune of Botanical Survey of India and worked there until 1987. BSI Pune at that point of time was renowned for producing eminent taxonomists and was preparing district Floras under the circle’s jurisdiction. Young Lakshminarasimhan was offered to work on the ‘Flora of Nashik District’ and simultaneously registered for his Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. Brahma Datta Sharma. Nashik District is a significant district of the northern region of Western Ghats. Lakshminarasimhan did was awarded Ph.D. in October 1987 by the University of extensive fieldwork in the district and, based on the work, Pune. A new species, Dicliptera nasikensis Lakshmin. & Date of publication: 26 July 2020 (online & print) Citation: Datar, M.N. (2020). Pakshirajan Lakshminarasimhan: a plant taxonomist who loved plants and people alike. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(10): 16195–16203. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6472.12.10.16195-16203 Copyright: © Datar 2020. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication. Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests. Acknowledgements: I am thankful to the Director, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune. I acknowledge inputs from Dr. P. Tetali, Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee, Dr. W. Arisdason, Dr. Gopal Krishna, Mr. Sameer Patil, Dr. Sharad Kamble, and Ms. Smrithy Vijayan. 16195 J TT P. Lakshminarasimhan B.D. Sharma, was published by him during this work, the first of the many. His thesis was further modified and updated for the book and was published by BSI in 1991 under the name ‘Flora of Nasik