Antiaris
toxicaria(Moraceae) – a new distribution record to the Eastern Ghats
1,2Bio-Cultural
Repository of Indian Medicinal Plants, Foundation for Revitalisation of Local
Health Traditions (FRLHT), # 74/2, Jarakabande Kaval, Post Attur, via
Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560064, India.
Email: 1 k.ravikumar@frlht.org
Date
of online publication 26 January 2009
ISSN 0974-7907
(online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: J.L. Ellis
Manuscript
details:
Manuscript #
o1830; Received 28 July 2007; Final revised received 02 December 2008; Finally
accepted 04 December 2008
Citation: Ravikumar, K. & R.V. Sankar (2009). Antiaris
toxicaria (Moraceae) – a new distributional record to the Eastern Ghats. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 1(1): 58-59.
Copyright: © K. Ravikumar & R. Vijaya Sankar 2009.
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. JoTT allows unrestricted use
of this article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and
distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of
publication.
Acknowledgements: The
authors are thankful to Shri D.K. Ved, Director, FRLHT, Bangalore for facility
and encouragement; authorities of Forest Department of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu states for permission, guidance and facilities during field survey; Dr. D.
Narasimhan, Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, Chennai for
comments on the manuscript; Mr. Rathnakumar, Department of Botany, Presidency
College, Chennai for help in field survey at Pachchaimalais and the Ministry of
Environment and Forests, New Delhi for financial support under ‘Center of
Excellence’ project.
Introduction
Herbarium collections were made of a lofty tree from two different
locations in the Eastern Ghats during the expedition trips primarily intended
for medicinal plants’ herbarium. The
first collection was from Talakona forests in Seshachalam-Palkonda hill range,
Andhra Pradesh and the second collection was from Pachchaimalais in Tamil
Nadu. The specimens were later
identified as Antiaris toxicaria (Pers.) Lesch., belonging to the family
Moraceae. In India, this paleotropical
species is so far known only from the Western Ghats and Andaman Islands. This
is the first report for the Eastern Ghats providing up to date nomenclature,
brief description and some notes on its distribution.
Flowering: January to March.
Materials examined: 29.i.2007,+ 650m, Chittoor district, Talakona, Andhra Pradesh, coll. K. Ravikumar
& R. Vijaya Sankar, 105855 (Image 1). 31.iii.2007, + 900m, Tiruchirapalli district, Pachchaimalais,
Kannimar Solai, Tamil Nadu, coll. K. Ravikumar 106135 (FRLH).
Remarks: In India,
this species has so far been reported from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andaman islands. The present collections record its presence
for the first time in the Eastern Ghats as well as Andhra Pradesh.
Only a single tree was observed in Talakona forest in association with Anogeissus
latifolia, Mallotus philippensis, Murraya paniculataand Sterculia urens. The
proximity of this tree to a giant Entada pursaetha liane can be a threat
to its survival in the future. Population of this species is much better in Pachchaimalais with 12 trees
counted in Kannimar solai near Ramanathapuram where moist deciduous vegetation
is present. This species is found growing along with Beilschmiedia
bourdillonii, Celtis timorensis, Canarium strictum, Mangifera indica, Olea
dioica, Schleichera oleosa, Streblus taxoides, Trema orientalis and
stragglers like Morinda umbellata, Pisonia aculeata, Jasminum spp.,
etc. This patch of forest is also a home
for a good population of Gnetum ula. It is suggested that this area be
declared as a heritage site worth conserving.
None of the published literature (Pullaiah & Moulali 1997; Pullaiah
& Rani 1999; Thammanna et al. 1994) on the plant diversity of Andhra
Pradesh has reported the occurrence of this species. It is also not recorded by Matthew (1983) who
explored the Pachchaimalais.
This species is culturally important from a historical perspective as
the bark was used as cloth in ancient times. Botanically it is important that
this tree from peninsular India is the tallest of this region. Fischer (1928) concurs with Beddome’s
statement: “The largest tree of South India, attaining 250ft. in height”.
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