Eriocaulon gopalakrishnanum sp. nov. (Eriocaulaceae) from the Western Ghats, India

Abstract

Eriocaulon gopalakrishnanum K. Rashmi & G. Krishnakumar sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the low altitude monsoon vegetation in the coastal lateritic plateau of the Western Ghat region of Kerala, India. The new species is distinct in the leaves and spathe being papillose, a character not displayed by any other species from this region.

Observations on the flowering plant diversity of Madayippara, a southern Indian lateritic plateau from Kerala, India

“…also occur in this plateau. Recently, a number of new species were described from similar lateritic habitats of northern Kerala (Image 4 & 5) and plateaus of the Konkan region (Ansari et al 1982;Bhat & Nagendran 1983;Nair et al 1983;Yadav & Janarthanam 1994;Raju 1985;Potdar et al 2004;Gad & Janarthanam 2007;Raj & Sivadasan 2008;Yadav et al 2008Yadav et al , 2010Malpure & Yadav 2009;Prabhugaonkar et al 2009;Shimpale & Yadav 2010;Nandikar & Gurav 2011;Kambale et al 2012;Potdar & Yadav 2012;Prasad & Raveendran 2013a&b;Prasad et al 2012;Shahina & Nampy 2014;Gaikwad et al 2014;Biju et al 2016a,b,c;Darshetkar et al 2017;Bokil et al 2020). Most of the species described from such habitats belong to diverse families.…”

“…Conservation status of each species was checked with the available assessed data as per the IUCN Red list Categories and Criteria Version 3.1 (IUCN 2012). Endemism of taxa were recorded based on previous publications such as Sasidharan (2004) and online databases such as World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/home.do). Botanical names were updated using online databases like The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (http:// ipni.org/ipni/plantnamesearchpage.do) and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://apps.kew.…”

Eriocaulon vandaanamense sp. nov. (Eriocaulaceae) from Kerala, India

“…After the comprehensive taxonomic revision of the family by Ruhland (), Ansari and Balakrishnan () revised the genus Eriocaulon for India and recognized 80 species of which 68 are from a Peninsular Indian region showing the greatest diversity of species in that area. Subsequently a few more species such as E. epedunculatum Potdar et al (Yadav et al ), E. baramaticum Shimpale et al (), E. wayanadense Vivek et al (), E. malabaricum Pradeep et Nampy (Nampy et al ), E. pykarense Nampy et Manudev (Nampy et al ), E. madayiparense Swapna et al (), E. cheemenianum Biju et al (), E. kannurense Sunil et al (), and E. gopalakrishnanum Rashmi and Krishnakumar () have been described from Peninsular India. Nair () reported the taxonomic significance of seed coat morphology in Eriocaulon and Giulietti et al () used scanning electron microscopy to study and compare seed‐coat sculptural patterns of various genera of the family; and this character facilitated differentiation of closely related species (Phillips , , , Zhang , Davies et al ).…”

Eriocaulon insectum, a new species of Eriocaulaceae from Cape York, Queensland

“…Eriocaulon insectum Baleeiro & R.W.Jobson is recognised as a new species based on morphology (this paper) and preliminary molecular phylogenetic data (Baleeiro et al, in prep.). At first glance, and due mainly to the shape and golden-brown colour of the inflorescence head, Eriocaulon insectum could be confused with E. zollingerianum or E. hamiltonianum Mart., the latter of which is restricted to south-east Asia and New Guinea (Ansari and Balakrishnan 2009, Prajaksood et al 2012, Rashmi and Krishnakumar 2014, Leach 2018. Despite its superficial similarity to E. hamiltonianum, E. insectum differs in having a 2-locular ovary, two sepals and petals, and four stamens.…”