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Notes on some Rare Plant Collections from the Southern Coromandel Coast,
India
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N. Dhatchanamoorthy N. Balachandran
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Review Article
Thanjavur, India
* Corresponding author: M. Ayyanar E‐mail: asmayyanar@yahoo.com Tel.: +919940376005
Received 4 November 2015; Revised 22 December 2015; Accepted 28 December 2015; Published 2 April 2016
Abstract
A pilot survey was made in seven coastal districts along the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu to
know the status of rare and endemic plants. In which six taxa viz. Actinoscirpus grossus and
Cyperus clarkei of Cyperaceae, Capparis divaricata of Capparaceae, Falconeria insignis of Euphorbiaceae,
Limnophila repens of Scrophulariaceae and Utricularia hirta of Lentibulariaceae were identified as rare
showing distributional importance. Nomenclature, description, phenology, distribution status of
the state, habitat and notes were provided for easy understanding of the species. Conservation
measures targeted at the endemic and threatened plants of an ecosystem will prevent destruction
of natural vegetation and efforts must be taken to protect the biodiversity in an area by involving
the local communities in preservation and conservation aspects.
Keywords: Conservation, Coromandel Coast, Tropical forest, Endemic, Rare plants, India
1. Introduction
The tropical dry evergreen forests (TDEFs) are unique biotic communities and geographically
restricted to Jamaica, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Coromandel Coast of India (Selwyn and
Parthasarathy 2007). In India TDEFs are unique forest types extending to about 50km inland
along the East Coast of Peninsular India from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh in north and
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu in south (Mani and Parthasarathy 2005). In the recent past, this
ecosystem has been highly disturbed by various human activities and facing local population
extinctions. The biodiversity, structure and dynamics of the forest type, especially the groves
have been extensively studied (Parthasarathy and Karthikeyan 1997; King 1997; Parthasarathy
and Sethi 1997; Ramanujam and Kadamban 2001; Ramanujam and Praveen 2003; Parthasarathy et
al., 2008; Praveen 2011). Though, detailed biodiversity inventories of threatened tropical
ecosystems such as exploration of poorly known rare and endemic plants of TDEFs are needed to
draw up conservation strategies for those plants.
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Studies indicated that, wild and virgin habitats are in gradual process of disturbance and
leads to extinction of species (Babar et al., 2012). Thus, identifying the habitat, population and
distribution status of rare, endangered and endemic species to each and every habitats is now
becomes essential. TDEF belt harbors several remnant patches of sacred vegetation which are
conserved or maintained as “sacred groves” through faith and belief system of local communities
in these areas. This vegetation type facing various levels of anthropogenic pressures, disturbance
and the impact of cultural changes on the vegetation has studied by Kadamban (1998) and
Praveen (2011) in Tamil Nadu. Recently, Balachandran and Rajendiran (2014) and Balachandran
et al. (2014) discussed about the disjunct distribution of endemic and Indo‐Sri Lankan elements
from the TDEFs Coromandel Coast of north Tamil Nadu.
Keeping these points, we carried out an explorative study to know about the occurence
of rare and endemic plant species found along the district of Coromandel Coastal of Tamil Nadu
and to assess their popupation, distribution, habitat, thier major associated plants and threat
status.
2. Materials and methods
The present study was carried out randomly in different districts, habitats and elevation along
the Coromandel Coastal plain areas of Tamil Nadu between 10o 07’ to 13o 31’ N latitudes and
77o 50’ to 78o 29’ E longitudes (Fig. 1). There are 13 districts of Tamil Nadu are found along the
east coast, of which Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Pudukkottai,
Thanjavur and Thiruvarur districts were surveyed in the present study. These areas were
prevailed in tropical climate with mean temperature of about 27°C and average rainfall about
950mm with an average of 50 rainy days. It was noted that, these regions were also characterized
by a hot, maritime climate experiencing a narrow daily range of temperature, humid weather and
moderate rainfall (Parthasarathy & Karthikeyan 1997). There is no clear demarcation of seasons.
Geographically these coastal areas have plains, undulating terrain and rarely with scattered
hillocks. Sandy, clay, alluvial, red ferralitic, and black cotton are the major soil types found across
this region. This stretch has been housing tropical dry evergreen, mixed deciduous, dry
deciduous, thorny scrub and mangroves forests.
Fig. 1. Location map of coastal districts in Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu, India
The survey was conducted between 2010 and 2014 and plant specimens were collected
and prepared into herbarium using standard methods. The plant specimens were identified
using relevant literatures and the rare plants were confirmed with Madras Herbarium (MH) and
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Rapinat Herbarium, Tiruchirappalli (RHT). The well prepared herbarium sheets were deposited
in the herbarium of Botany Department, St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli for future reference.
3. Results and Discussion
Through our extensive field study for exploration of plant diversity studies, we have
documented more than 600 species of plants spread over the plains of coastal districts. Most of
these documented plants were used by the local people of the study area for the treatment of
different illnesses. Interesting feature of the study was that, we have recorded six species as rare
and endemic plants based on their occurrence, population, number of individuals and etc.
Floristic exploration and scrutinizing the interesting plants in our existing herbarium collections
has revealed their status as rare plants with distributional importance.
They are Actinoscirpus grossus (L. f.) Goetgh. & D.A. Simpson and Cyperus clarkei T. Cooke
of Cyperaceae, Capparis divaricata Lam. of Capparaceae, Falconeria insignis Royle of Euphorbiaceae,
Limnophila repens (Benth.) Benth. of Scrophulariaceae and Utricularia hirta Klein ex Link of
Lentibulariaceae. The detailed information about the updated nomenclature with synonyms, brief
description, phenology, distribution, conservation status, local uses and relevant notes of these
species were given in alphabetical order of species name along with photographs.
3.1. Taxonomic treatment
3.1.1. Actinoscirpus grossus (L.f.) Goetgh. & D.A. Simpson in Kew Bull. 46(1): 171. 1991. Scirpus
grossus L. f. Suppl. Pl. 104. 1781; C.E.C. Fisch., Fl. Press. Madras 3: 1156. 1957 (repr ed); Bhargavan
in A.N. Henry & al., Fl. Tamil Nadu 3: 84. 1989. Schoenoplectus grossus Palla Allg. Bot. Z. Syst.
1911, xvii. Beih. 3.
Family: Cyperaceae
Taxonomic description: Annual herb; culms tufted, up to 2 m high. Leaves 30‐50 x 0.5‐1.5 cm.
Inflorescence terminal, decompound, up to 10 cm long. Leafy bracts 3‐5, up to 50 cm long.
Spikelets solitary, subglobose, terete, fuscous. Glumes oblong‐obovate. Stamens 3, anther linear,
1.5 cm long, reddish‐brown. Ovary ovoid, c. 0.5 mm long, style flat, hypogynous bristles 5‐6,
brownish, scabrous and hairy. Nut obovoid, trigonous, brown.
Specimens examined: Tamil Nadu, Kancheepuram District, Orakadam, 15‐12‐2011,
Dhatchanamoorthy, N. SJC BOT 1125.
Flowering and Fruiting: November – March.
Distribution in Tamil Nadu: Salem and Tiruchirapalli (Henry et al. 1989), South Arcot (Matthew
1981), now recorded from Kancheepurum.
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Habitat: Wet localities, stream banks and river side; growing with Cyperus corymbosus Rottb.,
Lemna perpusilla Torr. and Ludwigia peruviana (L.) H. Hara.
Notes: Plants were used for thatching by local people and the greenish‐white inflorescences and
spikelets looks similar to Sorghum. The present collection is the first record from the Coromandel
Coast of Tamil Nadu. It is native to Southeast Asia and naturalized elsewhere.
Conservation status: Least Concern ver 3.1
3.1.2. Cyperus clarkei T. Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bombay 2: 873. 1908. Mariscus clarkei (T.Cooke) Koyama
in J. Jap. Bot. 51: 313. 1976; Britto & Matthew in Matthew, Fl. Tamil Nadu Carnatic 3: 1770. 1983.
M. bulbosus C.B. Clarke in Hook.f. Fl. Brit. India 6: 620. 1893, non Steud. 1855; C.E.C. Fisch. Fl.
Pres. Madras 3: 1142. 1957 (repr ed).
Family: Cyperaceae
Taxonomic description: Perennial herb, rhizome globose, stolons slender, culms obtusely
triangular, glabrous. Leaves shorter than the culms, some time longer. Inflorescence cluster,
congested, c 5 cm long; bracts 5‐9, reflexed; spikes cylindrical, longer or shorter. Spikelets elliptic‐
lanceolate, c 3 mm long; glumes ovate or narrow, c 3 mm long. Stamens 2; anther ovoid, 1 mm
long. Ovary ovoid‐ellipsoid, 0.5 mm long; style 3‐cleft, filiform. Nut oblong‐elliptic, trigonous.
Specimens examined: Tamil Nadu, Kancheepuram district, 8‐10‐2010, Dhatchanamoorthy, N.
SJCBOT1120; Villupuram district, Gingee, near Pudupatti village, 22‐10‐2010, Dhatchanamoorthy,
N., SJC BOT1181.
Flowering and Fruiting: September – February.
Habitat: Scrub jungle, rocky slope and rocky plains; growing with Blepharis repans, Indigofera
aspalathoides, I. glabra, Lepidagathis cristata, Tephrosia purpurea and T. villosa.
Distribution in Tamil Nadu: Salem and Tiruchrappallli.
Notes: Britto and Matthew (1983) deposited two sheets RHT (Acc.) 17769 and 17830 from Salem
and Tirucharappalli. In the present survey, the plant was collected from Kancheepuram and
Villupuram districts as new record to Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu.
Conservation status: Least Concern ver 3.1
3.1.3. Capparis divaricata Lam. Encycl. 1: 606. 1785; Dunn in Gamble, Fl. Madras 1: 33. 1967 (repr
ed); S.R. Sriniv. in N.C. Nair & A.N. Henry, Fl. Tamil Nadu 1: 14. 1983; K.M. Matthew & Britto in
K.M. Matthew, Fl. Tamil Nadu Carnatic 43. 1983; R. Sundra Ragahavan in B. D. Sharma & al., Fl.
India 2: 266. 1993. C. horrida L.f., Suppl. Pl.: 264. 1781.
Family: Capparaceae
259
Taxonomic description: Shrub or straggling shrub, 3‐5 m tall; young stem stellate pubescent, thorns
recurved. Leaves simple, alternate, linear, elliptic‐lanceolate, 3.5‐4.5 x 3‐2 cm, cuneate at base,
entire at margin, acute at apex; petiole 3 cm long. Flowers solitary, axillary, c 3.5 cm across;
pedicel 1.5 cm long. Sepals 4, elliptic‐orbicular; corolla imbricate; petals 4, oblong‐lanceolate to
linear, undulate at margin, acute at apex, greenish white with yellow shade. Stamens ca. 50;
filament filiform, 2.5 cm long; anther ovoid, 3 mm long. Gynophores 2.2 cm long. Ovary
subglobose, 5.8 mm long; 1‐celled; ovules many. Berries broadly globose, 3.8 cm across, ribbed,
glabrous.
Specimens examined: Kancheepuram district, Thirukazhukundram, 08‐05‐2013, Dhatchanamoorthy.
N, SJC BOT1287.
Distribution in Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Chengalpet, Thanjavur, Salem,
Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli. The preset collection from Kancheepuram district turns to be the
first record from north Tamil Nadu.
Habitat: Scrub jungles, thickets, tropical dry evergreen forests, deciduous forests from sea level to
300 m.
Flowering: April – June & Fruiting: August – November.
Notes: This species was recorded as rare in scrub forests, Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh
(Pullaiah et al., 2010). The earlier reports (Nair and Henry 1983) and recent studies revealed that
(Narasimhan 1992; Parthasarathy and Karthikeyan 1997; Venkateswaran and Parthasarathy 2003;
Udayakumar and Parthasarathy 2010; Gnanasekaran et al. 2012; Nehru et al., 2012) this might be
the first record to northern Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu.
3.1.4. Falconeria insignis Royle Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts. 354. t. 84 a (1839). Gamble. Fl. Press. Madras
2: 941. 1941 (repr. ed.). Sapium insigne (Royle) Trimen in Syst. Cat. Fl. Pl. Ceylon 83. 1885.
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Taxonomic description: Tree, grows up to 6‐9 m height. Bark greyish‐black, smooth. Leaves
alternate, ovate‐elliptic, oblong‐lanceolate, shortly serrate, crenate‐dentate, some time entire,
folded at margin, acuminate at apex, coriaceious. Inflorescence sessile, slender, erect terminal,
sometime axillary, up to 18 cm long. Male flowers globose, cluster. Female flowers solitary, up to
2.8 cm long; bracts ovate, glandular at base. Sepals broadly ovate‐triangular, c. 2.5 cm long.
Ovary ovoid‐subglobose; style short, slender; stigma sessile. Capsules globose, depressed,
shortly‐deeply 3‐lobed.
Specimens examined: Tamil Nadu, Nagapattinam district, 15‐12‐2010, Dhatchanamoorthy, N. SJC
BOT1110.
Flowering and Fruiting: December ‐ July.
Habitat: Sandy localities and scrub jungles.
260
Distribution in Tamil Nadu: Kancheepuram, Nilgiris, Tiruchirappali, Dharmapuri, Salem and
Kanyakumari.
Notes: This species commonly found in tropical and subtropical forests up to 2000 m above mean
sea level (Matthew, 1983; Henry et al., 1987; Balakrishnan et al., 2012). So far it was reported only
from the hilly districts of Tamil Nadu whereas, the present collection was from Nagapattinam
district as new record to TDEFs along the Coromandel of Tamil Nadu.
3.1.5. Limnophila repens (Benth.) Benth. in DC. Prodr. 10: 10. 387. 1864; A.N. Henry & Chithra in
A.N. Henry & al., Fl. Tamil Nadu 2: 121. 1987; Rani & Matthew in Matthew, Fl. Tamil Nadu
Carnatic 1081. Limnophila conferta Benth., in DC. Prodr. 10: 387. 1846; Gamble, Fl. Madras 2: 667.
1967 (repr. ed.). Stemodia repans Benth., in Edward’s Bot. Reg. 17: sub t. 1470. sp. 11. 1832.
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Taxonomic description: Herb grows up to 20 cm height; stem angled, glabrous. Leaves opposite,
decussate, sessile, elliptic, linear‐lanceolate, 10‐30 x 9‐12 mm, attenuate, sub‐amplexicaule at base,
serrate at base, acute‐obtuse at apex, 3‐4 pairs, minutely hispid or glabrous. Flowers solitary,
axillary in racemes axillary; pedicel filiform, c 3 mm long, hispid. Bract and bracteole subulate‐
ovate, c 2.5 mm long, hairy or glabrescent. calyx 5‐lobed; lobe lanceolate‐elliptic, 1.7 mm long,
ciliate at margin, acuminate at apex, hairy. Corolla 5‐lipped; pink or purple often blue; lip elliptic‐
oblong, c 7 mm long, glabrous, backward, white, villous inside. Capsule ovate‐subglobose, 2.5‐4
mm long; seeds many, minutely ovoid.
Specimens examined: Tamil Nadu, Pudukottai District, 11‐12‐2013, Dhatchanamoorthy, N. SJC
BOT1211.
Flowering and fruiting: November – March.
Habitat: Rocky and marshy localities; growing with Najas gramenia. Rare
Distribution in Tamil Nadu: Coimbatore and Tiruchirappali.
Notes: This highly variable aquatic herb was reported by Gamble (l.c.) from Western Ghats
(Coimbatore). After a long gap Matthew (1983) collected this species from Tiruchirappalli. The
present collection was from rocky area of Iyarmalai, Pudukkottai district was first report for the
Coromandel Coast and also distribution of this species is disjunct and fragile.
Conservation status: Least Concern ver 3.1
3.1.6. Utricularia hirta Klein ex Link, Jahrb. 1(3): 55. 1820; C.B. Clarke In Hook.f. Fl. Brit. India 4:
332. 1884; Joseph & Ramam. In J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 58: 701. 1961.
Family: Lentibulariaceae
261
Taxonomic description: Stoloniferous herb. Foliar organs linear, glandular. Traps c 0.2‐0.3 mm long,
globose‐subglose. Racemes 7‐15 cm long, filiform, densely glandular hairy. Flowers c 7 mm
across, pink; bracts linear‐lanceolate, pubescent. Calyx‐lobe unqual, c 1.5 mm long. Emarginated‐
retuse at apex. Corolla pink often light violet; spur 3‐5 mm long, subulate, curved at apex.
Stamens ovoid, c. 0.2 mm long; stigma 2‐lipped, ovoid‐subglobose. Capsules subglobose, c. 1.6
mm long; seeds ovoid, circular, c 0.2 mm long.
Specimen examined: Tamil Nadu, Pudukottai District, Iyarmalai, 11.12.2013, Dhatchanamoorthy,
N., 1212 SJC BOT.
Flowering and Fruiting: August ‐ February.
Habitat: The plant is densely growing in wet rocky places along with Utricularia caerulea,
Utricularia polygaloids, Limnophila indica, Rotala indica and Rotala fimbriata.
Distribution in Tamil Nadu: North Arcot, South Arcot and Tiruchirappalli.
Notes: The present collection is from Iyarmalai in Pudukottai district is an addition for the
Coromandel Coastal flora.
4. Conclusion
Efforts must be taken to protect the biodiversity in an area by involving the local communities in
preservation and conservation aspects. Conservation measures targeted at the endemic and
threatened plants as well as most important medicinal plants of an ecosystem will prevent destruction of
natural vegetation (Ayyanar et al., 2014). Conservationists in the recent years view local peoples’ support for
protected areas management as an important element of biodiversity conservation. As suggested by
Arjunan et al. (2006) and Annamalai (2004), eco‐development projects should be carefully designed
to attain particular conservation objectives among communities living adjacent to or within
critical ecosystems. Since local communities received benefits from the eco‐development project
conducted by them and this would helped to identify the main concerns of the local
communities, and assisted in designing a more effective intervention program.
Acknowledgements
The corresponding author acknowledge the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB),
Govt. of India, New Delhi for providing financial support through the Scheme for Young
Scientists (Ref. No.SB/FT/LS‐226/2012) for preparation of this manuscript.
Conflict of interest statement
We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
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