Its Beautiful FLORA PIC Mayur ji :)
Warm regards, -- Anita Kindre Research Fellow, Abasaheb Garware College, Pune On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 3:50 PM, Mayur Nandikar <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear all, > Please consider my entry as a Flora Pic. of the year 2012. > During the month of October 2012, I visited North East states, to explore > Commeilnaceae members. One day I have spent in Experimental Botanical > Garden, Umiam- Eastern Regional Centre, BSI, Shillong, Meghalaya. > Surprisingly, I find number of Commelinaceae members over there, including > one of the fascinating species of *Amischotolype, *exclusively known from > North East states of India. Mr. Rabha accompanied me during the visit, he > was worked as a botanist (NE Circle, Shillong), simple person but with > extraordinary talent in field. Only because of Mr. Rabha's efforts, I can > able to see few rare and endemic plants from the states under one roof. Now > he has been retired (possibly) from the service. I must be thankful to him > for his service & contribution in the field of plant conservation. > I am attaching the fruting twig of *Amischotolype hookeri* Hassk. and Mr. > Rabha photograph in inset. > *Amischotolype *Hassk.is paleotropic genus, c. 26 species, mainly in S, E > and SE Asia (excluding Sri Lanka), of which four species are strictly found > in tropical AfricaDuistermaat (2012). In India genus represented by three > species (modified after Karthikeyan et al 1989). > *Amischotolype** hookeri* (Hassk.) H. Hara, Fl. E. Himalaya 1: 399. 1966. > In Khasi it is called “Slaw-sai-sum” > > Rhizomatous, perennial herb, rhizome prostrate, stem stout and grows up to > 100–400 m high.Flowers sessile, white to pink; sepals persistent, connate > at base, green to deep purple, glabrous or rarely sparsely ciliate > margin, tip hooded; petals as long as sepals, white to pale pink, glabrous, > fleshy; stamens filament c 1mm long; anthers, yellow, opening by a > longitudinal slit. Capsule 1–1.5 × 0.5.–0.7 cm, ovoid, much exerted (3–5 > mm)from sepals, pink or purple, sparsely hairy, hairs long; valves free > to fused in basal half, apex acute, lobes absent; seeds 2 per locule, 5 x 3 > mm, testa variously reticulate, grey, hilum linear, embryotega not > distinguished but lateral, embedded in scarlet coloured fleshy aril. > > *Distribution & ecology*– India and Bangladesh; in North East parts of > India, in evergreen forests, on slopes, in forest undergrowths. > -- > Mayur Nandikar > Department of Botany, > Shivaji University, Kolhapur. > > -- > > > > --
