Thank you Dr Chandran Ji for additional important information. Meizotropis have only two species in the world M.pellita, the species mentioned here, and M.buteiformis (synonym B.minor) which is found throughout Himalaya from Kumaon to Burma. I have seen it last year (2013) in Kali valley where it is frequent along road from Dharchula to Mungti, growing over rocky slopes. This third one from Nepal seems really interesting. The colour of flower may not be a significant character but with the picture it certainly differ from M.buteiformis and M.pellita. But then it requires plant specimens to determine identity/novelty. Now it is clear with your information that M.pellita has one or two more populations in Kumaon and some plants are safely growing in Himalayan Botanical Garden Naini Tal. I will be very happy to visit this botanic garden in spring and later also. I know you have made great efforts to cultivate many orchids there in addition to other species. DSRawat Pantnagar
On Sat, Jan 4, 2014 at 4:04 PM, Narendra Joshi <[email protected]> wrote: > Thanks Rawatji for displaying a rarest plant. > > NS Joshi > > > On 1 January 2014 20:28, D.S Rawat <[email protected]> wrote: > >> My flora picture of the year 2013 is: >> >> *Meizotropis pellita* (Hook.f. ex Prain) Sanjappa Bull. Bot. Surv. India >> 29: 219 1989. >> >> [=*Butea pellita* Hook.f. ex Prain, Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1908: 385. >> 1908.] >> >> >> This genus has only two species (*M.buteiformis* Voigt being other) in >> the world, both occurring in Himalayan zone (Uttarakhand to Burma) only. >> >> >> It is a perennial wild legume species which is rarely known and >> photographed. I myself heard about this species at the time of my D.Phil. >> research and wished to see, collect and photograph it. The wish fulfilled, >> but only after one and a half decade! Despite of the long duration of >> fifteen years my photographs uploaded on eFI are still seems the first >> photographs of this species on web. >> >> The rarity of *M.pellita* can be understood by the fact that it is an >> endemic of Uttarakhand and Nepal only. In Uttarakhand it has only one >> population known which hardly has more than few hundred(<1000) individuals. >> No clear information from Nepal is available. Though not mentioned in >> Indian Red Data Book or IUCN Redlist it certainly deserves a *Critically >> Endangered* category on account of few hundred surviving individuals, >> small unprotected area of occurrence (less than 5km2), meager seed >> setting and lopping for various purposes in the area. >> >> >> A project on micro propagation of this species was sanctioned to a >> scientist from a nearby institution and a recent paper claims development >> of micro propagation protocols. I may also boast that I have raised two >> seedlings of this species at my home (in Pantnagar) to which I will later >> transfer to some botanic garden. >> >> >> Not just hoping but trying to save this species! >> >> DSRawat Pantnagar >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "efloraofindia" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> > > > > -- > With Regards, > Narendra Joshi > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
