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Bioscience Discovery, 8(3): 486-487, July - 2017

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Short Communication

Rivina humilis var. bracteata D. Maity et al. (Phytolaccaceae),

A new distributional record for (Maharashtra) India

Umakant B Deshmukh and O S Rathor*

Higher Learning And Research Centre and P.G. Department of Botany,

Janata Mahavidyalaya, Chandrapur . 442401(Maharashtra). *Ex. Principal and Reader in Botany N.E.S. Science College, Nanded. 431604 (Maharashtra).

Article Info

Abstract

Received: 22-05-2017,

Revised: 26-06-2017,

Accepted: 29-06-2017

During ethnobotanical survey an interesting plant of family Phytolaccaeae was

collected from Chandrapur District of Maharshtra. After critical observation it

was identified as Rivina humilis L. var. bracteata . It is reported as a new

distributional plant record for Maharashtra. A detailed description with

description, photograph, notes on occurrence and distribution of this taxon are

provided for easy identification.

Keywords:

Phytolaccaeae , Rivina

humilis L. var. bracteata ,

new record , Maharshtra.

INTRODUCTION

Linnaeus in 1753, recognized genus Rivina

and since then several species have been recognized

by various workers, giving special emphasis to

morphological plasticity in vegetative as well as

reproductive characters. The genus Rivina is named

after A.Q. Rivinus, Professor of Botany and

Medicine at Leipzig 1691-1725 (Ghosh and Sikdar,

1983).

Rivina humilis L. belongs to the family

Phytolaccaceae is a native of tropical America and

is now widespread throughout in tropics and

subtropics (Dequan, 2003; Tseng et al., 2008;

Mabberley, 2008). In many countries this species is

often cultivated in gardens as the juicy pericarp is

used in cosmetics (Walter, 1909). Rivina is

monotypic genus and treated with a single species,

R. humilis (Dequan, 2003; Mabberley, 2008 ).

Recently Rivina humilis var. bracteata

reported as new variety from Kolkata, West Bengal

of India (Mandal et al., 2014). An occurrence of

Rivina humilis var. bracteata from Chandrapur

District of Maharshtra shows an extended

distribution and new record to the flora of

Maharshtra.

Taxonomic Treatment

Rivina humilis L. var. bracteata D. Maity, Sonia

Mitra, Manasi Mandal et Maiti,. Rheedea Vol.

24(2).pp 99-104, 2014.

Description

Erect or decumbent, sparingly branched,

glabrescent herb to 75 cm high; leaves ovate or

rarely ovate-elliptic, base often oblique, petiolate,

exstipulate; inflorescence terminal or axillary

raceme; flowers white, often flushed with pink

along sepal margin, pedicellate, bracteate; bracts

broadly oblanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm, abruptly

contracted towards middle or above middle into a

long subulate to narrowly triangular, acuminate

apical lobe or often tridentate with two small lateral

lobes; lateral lobes triangular, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1– 0.2

mm; mid-lobe subulate or narrowly triangular–

acuminate, c. 0.5 × 0.1 mm; minutely hairy, often

persistent in ripe fruits; sepals 4, obovate or ovate

elliptic, 2–3 × 0.9–2.5 mm, sparsely hairy on outer

surface, white, often flushed with pink along

margin, persistent, becoming green; stamens 4,

dimorphic, two smaller; filaments persistent,

becoming green, often acrescent; anthers with

unequal lobes, basifixed, often persistent in

http://biosciencediscovery.com 487 ISSN: 2231-024X (Online)

Deshmukh and Rathor

ripe fruits; ovary globose, often with fine reticulate striations; style subterminal; fruits globose, succulent,

red or scarlet; seeds black, sparsely hairy or glabrous, shiny with granular surface (Photo plate.1)

Fig. 1. Rivina humilis var. bracteata. A.Habit of plant. B. Flowering Branch. C. Mid-

lobe of the bracts is often curled at the base of Flower D. Bract E.Seed

Flowering and Fruiting: More or less throughout

year. (Mostly in Aug.- Mar.).

Habitat: Ornamental .

Note: Rivina humilis L. var. bracteata similar to R.

humilis L. var. humilis, but bracts broadly

oblanceolate, abruptly narrowed from middle or

above middle into a long subulate to narrowly

triangular, acuminate apical lobe (often tridentate

near middle). Distribution:,Earlier only known

from Type locality Kolkata, India. Now collected

from Chandrapur city, ,Maharshtra by Umakant

Deshmukh 15 March 2016 ( GPS Location. GPS

Location. N190 58.341

' E079

016.947

') Herbarium

specimen deposited at P.G.Department of of Botany

JMV, Chandrapur (Voucher No.210) .

Flowering and Fruiting: More or less throughout

year. (Mostly in Aug.- Mar.).

Habitat: Ornamental

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to Dr. Debabrata

Maity Professor,Taxonomy and Biosystematics

Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of

Calcutta Department for confirming the identity of

the specimen and his help and encouragement. The

authors are also grateful to Dr. Ahok S. Jiwatode,

Secretary, Chanda Shikshan Prasarak Mandal ,

Chandrapur. Dr. M. Subhash, Principal and Dr. Y.

B Gedam Head, Department of Botany, Janata

Mahavidyalay, Chandrapur for providing laboratory

facilities.

REFERENCES

Dequan L, 2003. Phytolaccaceae. In: Zhengyi, W.

and Raven, P. H. (eds.), Flora of China. Vol.5.

Chinese Academy of Science, Beizing. pp. 435-

436.

Ghosh RB and Sikdar JK, 1983. A revision of the

Indian Phytolaccaceae (sensu lato), J. Econ. Tax.

Bot., 4: 153-163.

Linnaeus C, 1753. Species Plantarum. Ed.1.

Laurentius Salvius. Sweden. pp. 121-122.

Mabberley DJ, 2008. Mabberley’s Plant Book – a

portable dictionary of flowering plants and thei

uses. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Mandal Manasi, Sonia Mitra, GG Maiti and D

Maity, 2014.. A new variety of Rivina humilis and

the status of R. bengalensis (Phytolaccaceae).

Rheedea 24(2):99-104.

Moquin, 1849. Phytolaccaceae. In: De Candolle, A.

(Ed.), Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni

Vegetabilis. Vol. 13(2). Paris, Sumptibus Victoris

Masson. pp. 2-40

Tseng YH, Wang CC and YT Chen, 2008. Rivina

humilis L. (Phytolaccaceae), A newly naturalized

plant in Taiwan. Taiwania 53(4): 417-419.

Walter H, 1909. Phytolaccaceae. In: Engler, A.

(Ed.), Das Pflanzenreich. Vol. 39 [IV.83], Leipzig.

pp. 1-154.

How to Cite this Article:

Umakant B Deshmukh and O S Rathor, 2017. Rivina humilis var. bracteata D. Maity et al.

(Phytolaccaceae), A new distributional record for (Maharashtra) India. Bioscience Discovery, 8(3):486-487.

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