Checklist of Ericaceae of Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in
Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh, India
Subhasis
Panda 1 & M. Sanjappa 2
1 Taxonomy
& Biosystematics Laboratory, Post Graduate Department of Botany, Darjeeling
Government College, Darjeeling, West Bengal 734101, India
2 Botanical
Survey of India (Ex-Director), CGO Complex,
3rdMSO Building, Block-F, 5th Floor, Sector I, Salt Lake City, Kolkata,
West Bengal 700064, India
Email: 1subhaeri@yahoo.com
(corresponding author), 2 m.sanjappa@nic.in
Date of publication (online): 26 January 2012
Date
of publication (print): 26 January 2012
ISSN
0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Editor: P.
Lakshminarasimhan
Manuscript details:
Ms
# o2795
Received
05 May 2011
Final
received 06 September 2011
Finally
accepted 09 December 2011
Citation: Panda, S. & M. Sanjappa(2012). Checklist
of Ericaceae of Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Lower Subansiri District of
Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 4(1): 2322Ð2327.
Copyright: © Subhasis Panda & M. Sanjappa2012. 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: One of
us (SP) is thankful to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for financial
support, to Dr. P.K. Das, Principal of this college for his permission for
herbarium consultations and to Dr. M. Sanjappa, Director, BotanicalSurvey of India for guidance and providing all facilities during herbarium
visit to ASSAM Herbarium. Thanks are also due to Dr. S.K. Singh and Dr. B.K.
Sinha for their permission to consult herbarium specimens in ASSAM.
For
figure, images, -- click here
Talle Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS) lies
approximately between 27030ÕÐ27039ÕN and 93015ÕÐ9402ÕE
with an area of about 55 km2 and altitudes ranging from 1600Ð2732
m in Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh. According to the Apatanese, ÔTalleÕ means an endemic onion
not found beyond this valley. Therefore, the name ÔTalleÕ was proposed for this
valley by the Apatanese from time immemorial.
There are collections of Cox &
Hutchinson, Kingdon-Ward at CAL & K and Rankin & Pretzlik at BM from
Lower Subansiri District (ÒSubansiri Frontier DivisionÓ which presently
includes three districts viz., Upper and Lower Subansiri and Papumpare). Subsequently, Lower
Subansiri District was explored by Panigrahi & Naik (1961), Panigrahi &
Joseph (1966), Sastry & Kataki (1967) and Sahni (1969). The flora of TWS was partly explored
after 1009s to 2002 by K. Haridasan, B.M. Loder, M. Lohlen and D. Banik.
While revising the
Indian Ericaceae Juss. underÒFlora of India ProjectÓ during 1999Ð2004, an attempt was made to survey
the Ericaceae of Talle WS, particularly the inaccessible trek route through
dense forest by a very narrow path from Lebbya-Penggo Pass to Talle valley
proper. A team comprising five
members including the author under Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Field
Station, Itanagar explored the sanctuary in December 2002. It took two days trekking to reach
Talle Valley proper from Ziro (district head quarter) and another two days to
come back to Ziro. Most of the
taxa of Ericaceae were found to occur between Pange (1800m) and Lebbya-Penggo
Pass (2732m) (Fig. 1) under this wildlife sanctuary.
The family Ericaceae
Juss. comprises c. 117
genera and 3850 species, cosmopolitan except deserts, usually montane in
tropics (Mabberley 2008); 13 genera and c. 200 species in India (Panda 2008),
and nine genera and 130 species in Arunachal Pradesh (Chowdhery et al.
2008). In this paper, the
currently accepted names, habit, available field data, distribution, relative
abundance and specimens examined of 25 taxa belonging to Ericaceae recorded
from Talle Wildlife Sanctuary are given.
Enumeration
1. Agapetes atrosanguineaAiry Shaw: Epiphytic. Corolla dark
bright red, c. 20mm long.
Specimens
examined: 01.i.2003, near Pange, 1800m, S. Panda 30876
(CAL); 02.v.2002, Manipolyang to Pange, 1800m, D. Banik 27973 (CAL).
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009). Endemic to Arunachal Pradesh.
2. A. buxifolia Nutt. ex Hook. f.:
Epiphytic. Corolla bright red, c. 30mm long.
Specimens
examined: 02.v.2002, Manipolyang to Pange, 1700Ð1800
m, D. Banik 27970 (CAL). (Image 1d).
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009) in its natural habitat.
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China (Xizang).
3. A. incurvata (Griff.)
Sleumer:Epiphytic. Corolla c. 20mm long.
Specimens
examined: 03.v.2002, Pange to Lebbya-Penggo Pass,
c. 1900m, S. Panda 30852 (CAL).
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009)
Distribution:India (eastern Himalayas: Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh; northeastern India:
Meghalaya), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China (SE Xizang).
4. A. mirandaAiry Shaw: Epiphytic. Corolla greenish-white.
Field
status: Endangered (EN: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009) in its natural habitat, only one population survived by four
individuals.
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China (Xizang). The species was recollected from India after collections of
Kingdon-Ward made in 1938 (Panda 2007).
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Lebbya-Penggo Pass, 2725m,
S. Panda 30843 (CAL) (Image 1a).
5. A. praestigiosa Airy Shaw: Epiphytic.
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009) in its natural habitat.
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China (Xizang).
Specimens
examined: 03.v.2002, Pange to Talle Valley
(actually Pange to Lebbya-Penggo Pass), 1900Ð2000 m, D. Banik 27987 (CAL)
(Image 1c).
6. A. refracta Airy Shaw: Epiphytic.
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009) in its natural habitat. Endemic to Arunachal
Pradesh.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, near Lebbya-Penggo Pass,
2732m, S. Panda 30854 (CAL) (Image 1b).
7. A. smithiana Sleumer
var. major Airy
Shaw: Epiphytic. Corolla yellow.
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009) in its natural habitat. Distribution: India (Sikkim &
Arunachal Pradesh) and Bhutan.
Specimens
examined: 03.v.2002, 2725m, Pange to Talle Valley
(actually at Lebbya-Penggo Pass), D. Banik 27992 (CAL).
8. Gaultheria brevistipes(C.Y. Wu & T.Z. Hsu) R.C. Fang: Pendent dwarf shrub, often hanging down
from rock crevices. Corolla campanulate,
light green with pinkish spots. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (eastern Himalaya: Arunachal Pradesh) and southwestern China
(Xizang). This species was a new
record to India from Talle Valley (Panda 2006).
Specimens
examined: 30.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley, 2200Ð2800
m, S. Panda 30841 (CAL) (Image 2a).
9. G. fragrantissima Wall.: Erect shrub to treelet.Corolla urceolate, white. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Common
(not assessed IUCN Red List categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland Manipur and
Hill-tops of southwestern Ghats: Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka), Nepal, Bhutan,
western China, northern Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley, 2500Ð2800
m, S. Panda 30847 (CAL) (Image 2b).
10. G. seshagiriana Subba Rao &
Kumari: Pendent dwarf shrub, often hanging down
from rock crevices. Corolla campanulate, greenish-white.
Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:Endemic to Arunachal Pradesh (west Kameng, Lower Subansiri and Siang
districts).
Specimens
examined: 30.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley, 2000 Ð
2100 m, S. Panda 30846 (CAL) (Image 2c).
11. G. nummularioides D. Don:Procumbent dwarf shrub, often forming mat on hilly slope. Corolla
campanulate, pinkish. Forming a mat on rocky slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution: India: Himalayas and northeastern India
(Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur), Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, western China,
northern Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Malesia.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley,
2100m, S. Panda 30877 (CAL) (Image 2d).
12. Leucothoe griffithianaC.B. Clarke: Stout, erect and pendent shrub. Corolla not seen. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Vulnerable
(VU: IUCN Red List categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan, western China and northern Myanmar.
Specimens
examined: 30.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley, 2400Ð2800
m, S. Panda 30844 (CAL) (Image 2e).
13. Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude:Stout, erect shrub, treelet to median-sized tree up to 10m high. Corolla tubular. Growing in rocky
slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Himalayas and northeastern India excl. Tripura, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, western China, Taiwan, northern Myanmar, Thailand, Malesia and
Japan.
Specimens
examined: 29.xii.2002, manypoliang to Pange, 1500m, S. Panda 30819 (CAL). (Image 2f).
14. Rhododendron arboreumSm. subsp. delavayi(Franchet) D.F. Chamb.:Treelet to median-sized tree up to 5m high. Corolla carmine. Growing on rocky
slope.
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram), China (Yunnan, Guizhou), northern Myanmar and
northern Thailand.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Pange to Lebbya-Penggo Pass,
c. 2000m, S. Panda 30841 (CAL: as associated plant of G. brevistipes) (Image 1e).
15. R. boothii Nutt.: Treelet up to 3m high. Corolla campanulate, bright yellow. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Vulnerable
(VU: IUCN Red List categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh) and China (SE Xizang).
Specimens
examined: May 2002, Tale Valley, D. Banik s.n.
(CAL).
16. R. dalhousiae Hook. f.: Dwarf shrub on rocky
slope. Corolla funnel-campanulate, white with pinkish tinge.Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009)
Distribution:India (Darjeeling in West Bengal, Sikkim & Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal;
Bhutan and China (SE Xizang).
Specimens
examined: 18.iv.1980, Tale Valley, G.D. Pal 77714
(ARUN) (Plate 1F).
17. R. vaccinioides Hook. f.: Epiphytic. Corolla
rotate-campanulate, pinkish-white.
Field
Status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution: India (eastern Himalaya: Arunachal
Pradesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling of West Bengal and northeastern India: Nagaland),
Nepal, Bhutan, China and northern Myanmar.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Talle Valley, 2432m, S.
Panda 30853 (CAL).
18. Vaccinium dendrocharis Hand.-Mazz. subsp. tallePanda & Sanjappa: Stout,
erect epiphytic shrub, rarely on rocky slopes, 1Ð1.5 m high. Corolla urceolate,
pinkish. Growing on rocky
slope.
Field
status: Endangered
(EN IUCN Red List categories, Vie et al. 2009). Endemic to Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Subansiri and
West Kameng districts). This subspecies was recently described from Talle Valley (Panda &
Sanjappa 2006).
Specimens
examined: May 2002, Talle Valley, near Lebya-Penggo
Pass, 2725m, D. Banik & M. Lohlen 27995 (holotype: CAL!) & 31.xii.2002,
2725m, S. Panda 30849 (paratype: CAL!) (Image 3f).
19. V. dunalianum Wight var. dunalianum: Stout,
erect shrub to treelet up to 1m high, often on rocky slope. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (eastern Himalaya and northeastern India excl. Tripura and Mizoram),
Nepal, Bhutan, western China, Taiwan, northern Myanmar and Vietnam.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley, 1700Ð2200
m, S. Panda 30850 (CAL) (Image 3e).
20. V. dunalianum Wight
var. brevifolium Sleumer: Epiphytic.
Field
Status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh) and northern Myanmar. This variety was recorded for the first time from Arunachal
Pradesh (Panda 2006).
Specimens
examined: 30.xii.2002, Talle Valley, Lower
Subansiri District, 2000m, S. Panda s.n. (CAL).
21. V. dunalianum Wight
var. megaphyllum Sleumer:Epiphytic. Corolla
campanulate, light pink.
Field
status: Vulnerable
(VU: IUCN Red List categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh), southwestern China and northern Myanmar. This variety was recorded for the first
time from Arunachal Pradesh (Panda 2006).
Specimens
examined: May 2002, Talle Valley, Lower Subansiri
District, M. Lohlen 28000 (ARUN: Arunachal Field Station, Botanical Survey of
India, Itanagar).
22. V. nummularia Hook. f. &
Thomson: Stout, erect, pendent, dwarf epiphytic
shrub as well as growing in rock crevices. Corolla urceolate,
pinkish. Growing in rock crevices.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Sikkim, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland), Nepal, Bhutan,
southwestern China, and northern Myanmar.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, Talle Valley proper, 2400m,
S. Panda s.n. (CAL) (Image 3a).
23. V. nuttallii (C.B. Clarke)
Sleumer: Stout, erect shrub, sometimes epiphytic. Corolla urceolate, light green. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan and northern Myanmar.
Specimens
examined: 30.xii.2002, Pange to Tale Valley, 2200Ð2500
m, S. Panda 30845A & B (CAL) (Image 3d).
24. V. retusum (Griff.) Hook. f. ex C.B. Clarke: Stout, erect, epiphytic
shrub, 0.5Ð4 m high, often grown in moist rock crevices, rarely on rocky
slopes. Corolla urceolate, pink. Growing in rocky
slope.
Field
status: Common (not assessed IUCN Red List
categories, Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (eastern Himalaya and northeastern India: Nagaland and Manipur), Nepal,
Bhutan, southwestern China and northern Myanmar.
Specimens
examined: 31.xii.2002, near Lebya-Penggo Pass, Tale
Valley, 2700 m, S. Panda 30851 (CAL) (Image 3b).
25. V. subdissitifolium P.
F. Stevens: Stout, erect shrub, often epiphytic on
old tree trunks to rarely on rock crevices. Corolla
urceolate, light green. Growing in rocky slope.
Field
Status: Vulnerable (VU: IUCN Red List categories,
Vie et al. 2009).
Distribution:India (eastern Himalaya), Bhutan and southwestern China.
Specimens
examined: 30.xii.2002, Pange to Talle Valley, 1600Ð2800
m, S. Panda 30842 (CAL) (Image 3c).
References
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