A new species of Burmannia (Burmanniaceae), endemic to the southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India is described as Burmannia munnarensis and illustrations are provided. The new species is morphologically most similar to B. indica but can be easily distinguished by its narrow flower wings, involute margin of the perianth lobes, shorter perianth tube and shape of inflorescence. Burmannia indica, known only from the type locality Peermade in Idukki district, Kerala, is rediscovered after a lapse of 110 years on another locality, Meenuliyanpara in the same district. Key to the Indian species of Burmannia is included and status of both taxa is provisionally assessed as per IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.
The genus Fagraea Thunberg (1782: 132), belonging to the family Gentianaceae, is represented by 70 species in the world (Struwe et al. 2002). It is distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, New Guinea, French Polynesia, China, Philippines and Australia. Clarke (1885) reported 5 species from the present political boundary of India, of which 2 species were recorded by Gamble (1921) from South India. The genus includes glabrous epiphytic trees or shrubs, with simple, opposite and coriaceous leaves, fragrant flowers and pulpy berries with a persistent calyx.
A new species of Eriocaulon, E. vamanae, is described from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala, India. It resembles Eriocaulon nepalense var. luzulifolium (Mart.) Praj. & J.Parn. but differs in the shape of its involucral bracts and receptacle, the fusion of the sepals in male flowers, the shape and indumentum of the sepals in female flowers, the size and indumentum of the petals in female flowers, and the seed coat appendages. Eriocaulon vamanae is so far known only from the type locality, Meesapulimala in Idukki District, Kerala, and is assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ according to the IUCN’s Red List Categories and Criteria.
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