New pteridophytic records from Mizoram , northeastern India

For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies and Guidelines visit http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Article Submission Guidelines visit http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientific Misconduct visit http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints contact <info@threatenedtaxa.org> Note New pteridophytic records from Mizoram, northeastern India

Mizoram, one of the northeastern Indian states falls under northeast Hills (9B; Rodgers et al. 2000) and the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot (Conservation International, 2011).The total geographical area of this hilly state is ca.21,081km 2 , which shares international boundaries with Myanmar and Bangladesh.Due to biogeographic, physiognomic and climatic perspectives, the region has ideal habitats for the growth of tropical vegetation.Unlike higher plants, pteridophytic flora had received less attention and there were sporadic reports in the past, viz.: Gage (1901), Fischer (1938), Deb & Dutta (1987), Chandra & Chandra (1983).The studies on this group, however, has accelerated recently due to explorations on different protected areas of Mizoram (Barbhuiya & Singh 2013;Benniamin 2011Benniamin , 2012;;Sharma et al. 2013Sharma et al. , 2017;;Vanlalpeka & Laha 2014;Verma et al. 2014).
During field explorations conducted by one of the authors (SS), four interesting species of pteridophytes were collected in Murlen National Park, Mizoram (2012-2015).Upon detailed study of different morphological characters, scrutiny of literature and comparison of species with previously housed herbarium specimens at ASSAM and CAL revealed that these species were hitherto unknown from Mizoram.Therefore, the present communication reports these species as new records to the flora of Mizoram State.The plant specimens were processed and prepared following standard herbarium methods (Jain & Rao 1977) and deposited in the herbarium of the Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong (ASSAM).Lithophyte, erect when young, hanging on maturity, aerial stem light green when young become straminaceous on age, densely covered by microphylls or leaves; sterile branches ca.3mm wide, fertile branches ca.1mm wide, ultimate sterile branchlets spreading, 5-15 cm long, ultimate fertile branchlets 2.5-15 cm long; vegetative leaves dimorphic on sterile branches, adnate, free apex of the sterile leaves hyaline, 2-3 mm long, free apex of fertile leaves 1mm long or less.Strobili 8-18 mm long, Sporophylls broadly ovate, acuminate or caudate.
Fertile period: August-December Threat status: Not evaluated in IUCN Red List.Chandra et al. (2008) mention this species as 'rare'.
Fertile period: August-November Threat status: Not evaluated in IUCN Red List.Chandra et al. (2008) mention this species as 'rare'.
Habitat: Grows on calcareous sandy slopes between