The ENVIS Centre on Eastern Ghats is a decentralized Environmental Information Facility established by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India at EPTRI, Hyderabad with a focused theme on the Ecology of Eastern Ghats

EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter

The Eastern GhatsE P T R I - E N V I S N e w s l e t t e r

ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATS

ENVIS CENTRE ON ECOLOGY OF EASTERN GHATSENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TRAINING & RESEARCH INSTITUTE

91/4, Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500 032, India.Ph: +91-40-23180120, 23180111 Fax: +91-40-23180135

URL: http://eptrienvis.nic.inEmail : eptri@envis.nic.in

ISSN No: 0974-2336

Printed Matter

EPTRI

Volume-24 Issue-1 January - March, 2018

Telangana

To Printed Matter

Sri.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Pin:....................................................................

From

Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI)91/4, Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500 032, India.Ph : +91-040-23180103, 23180115, 23180100Fax No.:+40-23180135,Website: http://eptrienvis.nic.inEmail: eptri@envis.nic.in

ENVIS CoordinatorENVIS Centre on Ecology of Eastern Ghats

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Vol.24, No.1, 2018

Des

ign

by:

Md.

Kh

ader

, Sr.

Ass

t. E

PT

RI

EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats

Schefflera roxburghii Gamble

Large climbing epiphytic shrub; stem more or less

terete, glabrous. Leaves digitate, 5-7 foliolate;

Leaflets unequal, ovate or elliptic, shortly and

suddenly pointed at apex, glabrous, chartaceous,

main nerves indistinct. Flowers yellow, in panicled

umbels. Calyx mouth truncate. Petals 3-6, valvate.

Fruit subglobose, 5-6 angled drupe. Fl. & Fr.: April –

November; Specimens examined: KCM 7710 (BSID).

References

Ahmedullah, M. and M. P. Nayar (1986) Endemic Plants of Indian Region. Vol.1 (Peninsular India) Botanical Surey of

India, Calcutta.

Asri, Y., 2003. Plant Diversity in Touran Biosphere Reservoir, Vol. 305, p:306. Publishing research institute of forests

and rangelands, Tehran, Iran.

Gamble, J. S. and C. E. C. Fischer (1915-35) Flora of the Presidency of Madras. London rep. ed. 1957. Calcutta.

Hooker,J.D., 1906. A Sketch of the Flora of British India. In: Imperial Gazetter of India, Oxford.

Mathew, 1984), Matthew, K. M. (1984) The Flora of Tamilnadu Carnatic. vol 3. The Rapinat Herbarium, Tiruchirapalli.

Nayar, M.P. (1996) 'Hot spots' of endemic plants of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Tropical Botanical Garden and Research

Institute, Palode, Trivandrum.

Nayar, M.P. and A.R.K. Sastry (1987) Red data book of Indian Plants. Vol. 1. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

Nayar, M.P. and A.R.K. Sastry (1990) Red data book of Indian Plants. Vol. 2&3. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

Rao, C. Kameswara, B. L. Geetha and G. Suresh (2003) Red list of threatened vascular plant species in India.

BSI. Calcutta.

Sandhya Rani, S. and T. Pullaiah (2002) A taxonomic survey of trees in Eastern Ghats. In: Proc. Nat. Seminar on

Conservation of Eastern Ghats, EPTRI- ENVIS. pp. 5-15.

Thammanna, K. Narayana Rao and K. Madhava Chetty (1994) Angiospermic Wealth of Tirumala, Department of

gardens, T.T.D. Publications, Tirupati.

World Conservation Monotoring Centre. (1992). Global Biodiversity. Status of the Earths Living Resources.

Chapman and Hall, London.

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Vol.24, No.1, 2018EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats

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EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats Vol.24, No.1, 2018

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ENVIS Team

EPTRI ActivitiesEPTRI Activities

Published by

EPTRI, Hyderabad

Supported by

Ministry of Environment, Forest and

Climate Change, Government of India

New Delhi, India.

Dr. M. Suneela, ENVIS Coordinator

Program Officer

Dr. K. Jyothi,

Dr. D. Veeranjaneyulu,

Dr. P. Venu,

Mr. Md. Khader,

Sr. Program Officer

Advisor : Emeritus Scientist

Designer : IT Assistant

ContentsEditorial

Homonoia intermedia Haines

Shrub; branches minutely pubescent, red. Leaves

oblong-obovate, usually obtuse or acute at tip,

coarsely serrate along margins, secondary nerves 7-

8. Female spikes up to 1.7 cm long; bracts and

bracteoles unequal, acuminate at apex. Outer sepals

longer than inner, red. Style more fimbriate. Fruits

globose, angular, shallowly 3-lobed, smooth and

reddish brown. Fl. & Fr.: March – June; Specimens

examined: KCM 8307(BSID).

Lophopogon kingii Hook. f.

Annuals. Culms tufted. Leaf sheaths softly villous,

acuminate at apex; nodes glabrous; leaf blades linear-

lanceolate, acuminate. Inflorescence spatheolate,

spatheous sheath narrowly lanceolate, caudate to

acuminate. Racemes 2, closely appressed together.

Spikelets densely imbricate, fragile, lower glumes of

the lowest spikelets closely nerved, with tufts of hair on

the margins; lower sessile an d upper 2 pedicelled

spikelets, dissimilar, bisexual. Fl. & Fr.: September –

November; Specimens examined:KCM 7061 (BSID

Pavetta crassicaulis Bremek.

Large shrub; young branches g labrous,

subquadrangular. Leaves petiolate, obovate-

oblanceolate. Stipules broader than long with

cuspidate tips. Flowers white in large corymbose

panicles covered with cork up to the base of the

inflorescence. Corolla tube glabrous. Stamens 4,

inserted on corolla tube. Fruit green, turning black

when ripe, globose. Fl. & Fr.: July – December;

Specimens examined:KCM 5143 & 5213 (BSID).

This issue highlights on “Important endemics of

Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Odisha State”

Satkosia was declared as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in

2007. Strategically, the tiger reserve located between

two biogeographical zones viz., Eastern Ghat

plateau and Chhotanagpur plateau, disrupted by

discontinuous hill ranges of Eastern Ghats.

Floristic studies show 779 taxa belonging to 504

genera & 117 families. There are 14 monotypic

genera found in this tiger reserve. There are 4315

endemic flowering plants occurred in India based on

recent works, of which 119 endemic species found to

Odisha state, of which 30 species are exclusive

narrow endemic to the state. 14 endemic taxa are

reported from present study area.

This issue also focus on Rare plants of Satkosia

Tiger Reserve such as Dimeria mooneyi, Dimeria

orissae, Diplacum poklei, Garcinia cowa, Homalium

nepalense, Homonoia intermedia, Lobelia

alsinoides, Lophopogon kingii, Microchirita hamosa,

Natsiatum herpeticum, Peristylis parishii, Rauvolfia

serpentina, Schefflera roxburghii, Toona ciliata,

Tylophora fasciculata and Uvaria hamiltonii.

ENVIS Coordinator

The

Satkosia Gorge with its magnificent look has rich

floral & faunal diversity towards northern side.

Release of the State of Environment Report

Telangana State 2015: The SoERTS 2015 was th

released on January 6 2018, by Shri.Jogu Ramanna

,Minister of Environment, Forest Science &

Technology and BC Welfare, Govt. of Telangana, and

Shri.Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for

Environment, Forests and Climate Change,Ministry

of culture, Minister of State(IC), in presence

Mr.B.Kalyan Chakravarthy, Director General, EPTRI,

Shri.S.D.Mukherji, Advisor, EPTRI, Dr.M.Suneela,

ENVIS Co-ordinator, and Envis team of PETRI.

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Vol.24, No.1, 2018EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern GhatsVol.24, No.1, 2018

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EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats

IMPORTANT ENDEMICS OF SATKOSIA TIGER RESERVE, ODISHA STATE

1 2K. Chandramohan * & P.V. Prasanna1Forest Survey of India, Northern Zone, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh - 171 001.

2Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad,Telangana - 500 048. * Corresponding E mail: kolaganicm@gmail.com

IMPORTANT ENDEMICS OF SATKOSIA TIGER RESERVE, ODISHA STATE

1 2K. Chandramohan * & P.V. Prasanna1Forest Survey of India, Northern Zone, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh - 171 001.

2Botanical Survey of India, Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad,Telangana - 500 048. * Corresponding E mail: kolaganicm@gmail.com

Documenting flora of any area is vital to unravel the

floristic richness and in planning conservation

programmes to save the fast eroding Biodiversity. The

Eastern Ghats portions of Odisha is unique, harbours

rich flora with many endemic species. Estimated

number of flowering plants in Odisha state is ca. 3000

(Biswal & Nair, 2008). As a part of the scientific

programme of Botanical Survey of India, the present

work on inventorying the flora of the Satkosia Tiger

Reserve in Odisha State has been initiated in 2013.

Satkosia Tiger Reserve ranks as second largest home

for the population of Elephants and Tigers in Odisha. It

is a meeting point of two bio-geographical regions of

India: Deccan peninsular and Eastern Ghats,

contributing the rich biodiversity.

Study area:

Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Odisha state is situated in

central tract of Odisha and a part of Mahanadi river

bank, forms natural gorge. It was declared as Satkosia

Tiger Reserve in 2007. Strategically, the tiger reserve

located between two biogeographical zones viz.,

Eastern Ghat plateau and Chhotanagpur plateau,

disrupted by discontinuous hill ranges of Eastern

Ghats. The River Mahanadi traverses through the

reserve and forms a gorge at a stretch of seven miles,

which gives the tiger reserve its name. It is spread in

963 sq. km area in Angul, Boudh, Nayagarh & Cuttack

districts. Major part of the reserve has undulating hills,

plains with innumerable streams and nalas. Satkosia

as a biological shelter has tremendous value and is

considered as an important biogeography zone forming

a link between forest of Central India and South India.

Satkosiacontains significant forest resources of the

Deccan Peninsular biogeographic zone and also the

wettest part of Deccan Zone and has a sizeable central

India's elephant population inhabiting in deciduous

forests. The Satkosia Gorge with its magnificent look

has rich floral & faunal diversity towards northern side.

Floristic studies on Satkosia Tiger Reserve was

undertaken as a part of Flora of India project of

Botanical Survey of India with an aim to create a

database of plant diversity of protected areas on Rare,

endemic and threatened plant species, economically and

medicinally important.

The varied topographical features, high rainfall and

geological conditions have favoured the formation of

different Vegetational types. As per Champion and Seth

(1968), the reserve's vegetation falls in 4 major

categories viz. 1. Tropical semi-evergreen forests, 2.

Moist peninsular Sal forests, 3. Northern dry mixed

deciduous forests and 4. Riparian forests.

Floristic studies on Satkosia Tiger Reserve has resulted

in documenting 779 taxa belonging to 504 genera& 117

families.There are 14 monotypic genera found in this

tiger reserve. There are 4315 endemic flowering plants

occurred in India based on recent works (Singh et al,

2015). Of which 119 endemic species found to Odisha

state, of which 30 species are exclusive narrow endemic

to the state. 14 endemic taxa are reported from present

study area.The endemic plants of peninsular India &

Odisha found in the reserve are: Aspidopterys indica,

Chionanthus mala-e lengi , Cycas or ixensis ,

Cymbopogon gidarba, Dimeria connivens var.

roxburghiana, D. orissae, D. mooneyi, Diplacrum poklei,

Epithema dentatum subsp. hispidum, Eriolaena stocksii,

Homonoia intermedia, Lophopogon kingii, Pavetta

crassicaulis and Schefflera roxburghii. The species

Aspidopteris indica and Scleria poklei (= Diplacrum

poklei) were assessed as rare and data deficient

(Ahmedullah & Nayar, 1987). The endemic species need

to be evaluated for their threat status threatened and

conservation value.

Rare plants of Satkosia Tiger Reserve:

Dimeria mooneyi, Dimeria orissae, Diplacum poklei,

Garcinia cowa, Homalium nepalense, Homonoia

intermedia, Lobelia alsinoides, Lophopogon kingii,

Microchirita hamosa, Natsiatum herpeticum, Peristylis

parishii, Rauvolfia serpentina, Schefflera roxburghii,

Toona ciliata, Tylophora fasciculata and Uvaria hamiltonii

are found to be rare distribution in the Satkosia Tiger

Reserve.

Diplacrum poklei (Wad. Khan) K.C. Mohan

Annual herb. Stem triquetrous, capillary, ribbed and

narrowly winged. Leaves all cauline. Inflorescence

axillary, in clusters; spikelets 8-15 in cluster, unisexual;

Peduncles inserted in dilated leaf sheath. Involucral

bracts many, scabrid along margins. Male spikelets

few, oblong, sessile, attached at the base of the

female spikelets, 1-2 flowered, glumes 2-3, thinly

membraneous, hyaline along margins. Nut greyish,

obtusely trigonous, ovoid, reticulate between the three

ribs, sparsely hispidulous and mucronate at apex. Fl.

& Fr. : September– October ; Spec imens

examined:KCM 6797 (BSID).

Epithema dentatum subsp. hispidum (C.B.Clarke)

Hilliard & B.L.Burtt

Small succulent herb. Leaves opposite, ovate,

serrulate along margins, obtuse or rounded at apex,

cordate at base, pubescent on both the surfaces.

Flowers blue, small, in dense bracteate scorpioid

cymes; bracts large, solitary, hooded. Calyx

campanulate; lobes 5, acute, valvate in bud. Corolla

small, tubular, 2-lipped, ring of hairs within. Stamens

4; upper two perfect. Capsule globose, membranous,

included in the calyx. Fl. & Fr.: August – October;

Specimens examined: KCM 6720 (BSID).

Eriolaena stocksii Hook. f. & Thomson ex Mast.

Small tree; bark purplish; young branches stellately

pubescent. Leaves petioled; leaf blade orbicular,

deeply cordate at base, shortly acuminate at apex;

stipules linear-falcate, early deciduous. Flowers

yellow, at the top of the long peduncle, in few flowered

lax axillary racemose cymes; involucral bracts

multifid, segments many, linear or filiform, clothed with

dense stellately pubescent. Fruit capsule up to 5.4 x

2.4 cm, stellately pubescent, rough. Fl. & Fr.: May –

September; Specimens examined: KCM 8303 (BSID).

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EPTRI-ENVIS Newsletter: Eastern Ghats

Aspidopterys indica (Willd.) W.Theob.

Scandent shrub; branches slender pubescent when young.

Leaves broadly ovate to elliptic, entire, sparsely puberulous

on nerves beneath, rounded at base. Flowers white, small

in rusty pubescent panicles. Calyx campanulate, lobes

ovate, obtuse at apex, pubescent. Petals obovate,

concave, clawed, reflexed. Styles 3. Samaras with 3 elliptic

wings, membranous, glabrous. Fl. & Fr.: September –

January; Specimens examined: KCM 5297 & 5909

(BSID).

Dimeria connivens var. roxburghiana K.C. Mohan &

Prasanna 2017.

Annuals. Culms erect, 40–50 cm high; nodes hairy,

clothed with leaf sheath. Leaf sheath terete, margins

pilose with tubercle based hairs. Racemes 2 or 3,

erect,eventually divergent, 4.2–7.0 cm long. Rachis

narrowly winged, triquetrous, ciliate along margins,

0.9–1.0 mm wide, zig-zag. Spikelets solitary. Lower

glume linear-lanceolate. Upper glume elliptic-oblong.

Lower lemma lanceolate. Upper lemma elliptic.

Caryopsis lanceolate, 2.0–2.4 × 0.2–0.3 mm, brown. Fl.

& Fr.: August – October; Specimens examined:KCM

8354 (BSID). a

Dimeria mooneyi Raizada ex Mooney

Annuals. Culms erect; nodes bearded. Leaf sheath

terete, pilose with tubercle based hairs; ligules

membranous, ciliate at apex; leaf blades linear -

lanceolate, acuminate at apex,tuberculate hairy on

both sides. Racemes 1-2, divergent; rachis narrowly

winged, 1.5 mm wide. Spikelets subsessile, oblong,

acute at apex, awned, callus bearded. Caryopsis

oblong.

Fl. & Fr.: August – October; Specimens examined:

KCM 6785 (BSID). Cycas orixensis (Haines) R. Singh & J.S. Khuraijam

Trunk slender, unbranched. Leaves pinnately

compound, with 40-96 pairs of pinnae. Male cones

ovoid, yellowish-orange. Mega sporophylls tomentose,

amber coloured; lamina lanceolate; lateral spines on

either side; apical spine distinct from lateral. Ovules 4-6,

glabrous. Fl. & Fr.: May – September; Specimens

examined:KCM6728 (BSID).

Chionanthus mala-elengi (Dennst.) P.S. Green

Small tree. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, obtuse

or suddenly narrowed to a small blunt acumen,

glabrous. Flowers yellowish-white, axillary, on

fascicled peduncles; bracts minute. Calyx 4-fid, lobes

ovate, acute. Petals 4, cohering at the very base,

linear-lanceolate, acute, glabrous. Drupe ellipsoid,

endocarp crustaceous. Fl. & Fr.: January – April;

Specimens examined:KCM 6519 (BSID).

Dimeria orissae Bor

Annuals. Culms tufted, erect; nodes bearded. Leaf

sheath terete, pilose with tubercle based hairs; ligules

membranous, ciliate at apex; leaf blades linear -

lanceolate, acuminate at apex, sparsely tuberculate

hairy. Racemes 2-3, divergent; rachis narrowly winged,

0.6-0.7 mm wide, ciliated along margins. Spikelets

subsessile, elliptic-oblong, acute at apex, awned, callus

bearded. Caryopsis oblong.; Fl. & Fr.: August – October;

Specimens examined:KCM 7799 (BSID).