Ricciocarpos Corda (Hepaticae) from Maldah District, West Bengal: A New Generic Record for Gangetic Plain

2005·0.77 MB·English

by  Kumar, Sheo

BULL. BOT. SURV. INDIA
Gl. 47, Nos. 1-4 : pp. 131-132, 2005
RICCIOCARPOS CORDA (HEPATICAE) FROM MALDAH DISTRICT,
WEST BENGAL: A NEW GENERIC RECORD FOR GANGETIC PLAIN
S m K UMARJ, AGDISH LALA ND PRATIBHA GUPTA
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Botanical Survey of lnda, Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah 711 103
A B S T R A C T
Genus Ricciocarpos Corda (Family Ricciaceae) has been recorded forb first time from
the Gangetic Plain of West Bengal. The same has been described along with the ecological
notes and associated aquatic macrophytes.
Family Ricciaceae is represented by two genera, namely Riccia L. and Ricciocarpos Corda in
Indian Hepatic flora. Riccia L. is a cosmopolitan genus and distributed in all the bryo-geographical
units of India (except Andarnan and Nicobar Islands), whereas Ricciocatpos Corda is restricted in its
distribution in only Western and Eastern Himalaya and South India (Deb, 1954; Kashyap, 1929; La1
and Singh, 1993; Tewari and Pant, 1994).
The vast expanse of Gangetic Plain, extending from the Himalayan foothills to Bay of Bengal,
passes through densely populated townships, industrial belts and rich arable land. The hepatic
vegetation is very poor in this area and only five thalloid liverwort genera are known to occur in this
region. These are Asterella Beauv. (I), Plagiocahasma Lehrn. & Lindenb. (1) and Mannia Opiz (I) of
family Aytoniaceae, Cyathodium Kunze (2) of family Cyathodiaceae and Riccia L. (9) of family
Ricciaceae. Riccia L. is the dominant genus with 9 species in Gangetic Plain. The discovery of genus
Ricciocarpos Corda, a rare taxon from this area is very significant. The same is presented in this
paper.
TAXONOMIC D E ~ C m o NAN D DISCUSSION
Ricciocarpos natans (L.) Corda in Opiz, Beitz. Zur. Nat., 12: 651. 1829; Kash., Liverw. West. Hirnal.
Panjab P1. 1: 89-90. 1929. Riccia natans L., Syst. Nat. Ed., 10: 1339. 1759. (Plate I)
Thalli, thick, dichotomously branched with broadly obovate lobes, margins deep purple; dorsal
surface with conspicuous polyhedral markings and simple pores; pores minute, surrounded by 6 cells
as slightly thickened walls. Ventral scales long, pendant with serrated margins, deep purple. Rhizoids
absent. Sterile.
Habitat and Ecology : Free floating aquatic in freshwater swamps with blackish yet clear odor-
less water having 6.5 pH growing in association with Azolla pinnata R. Br., Ceratophyllum demersum
L., Eichhornia crassipes Solms, Enhydra fluctuans Lour. Fl. Cochinch., Hydrilla verticillata
Pres1,lpornoea aquatica Forssk., Ludwigia perennis L., Marsilea minuta L., Nymphaea nouchali Bum.
Date of receipt : 24.06.2004. Date of acceptance 19.04.2005.
BULLETIN OF THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
f. and Vallisneria spiralis L. in Garhal bil,
Maldah District, West BePgal, o o 1 1 d by Dr.
SheoICu11tmandD~MGllpaPJcldNO.4.
Dis!tibution : Kashmir (Dal Lake),
Urtaranchal [ffimm (Bhimtal sad Nainital),
Garhwal (-li--)l, Manip (LOkmk
Lab) and Soutb India.
The diswv~3yo f genus Ricclocorpor
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with other aquatic mcmphytes and in inset myaificd fratclae oifn t8 t-b. @,y w.rzdaielcr rodf tabe W II liirk rec qpmarckalhdg
v i n r v o f t h l l ~ ~ s h a * ~ ~ ( S c r t e B a l r =
7.5 nmph 2. M hfl maw R Br, 3. LdMglo pmnlr by oaly aws~ecknnmhrR -&)-
L,4 . naupu I in Opiz a d i s hwl- under ths category of
B l a f : 6 . ~ ~ L m L ~ . ~~ ~. aa d~ ~ ~ w ~ @ d ~ ~ e r n d r p
olt#rfwmr. # & j d ~ e d d i s a ~ ~ ~ Y ~ a g o , t b e ~
logging m a i n Garhal bil WM abmt 5 k d ( as
m.
per SL 1975) with patex w* depth and rich bio-divdty. now a dry, its extent baa ~rb-
ducsdoweidenMyintamrofru#.dephmdtbeWd~o*/iogb~~t~yculti~
~ ~ ~ d ~ a b y ~ . ' I l w h r b i a t o f t h e r p s d a k t b a d a q r n d a g a r t ~
g e n i c ~ ~ a q u e E t i a a m u k o a t h e ~ o n g - t a m ~ v ~ i n i t ~ ~ I d C O t i b l l .
The authom am gxatefd to the Director? Botanical Survey of India, KoIkrta for providing
~ W t i e s u r d ~ t 8 .
Dm, D.B. On the occammm of RIcch m&w in Wtm Hhahya. Sci. CvcnUv 19: 353-354. 1954.
~ ~ ~ , S R U ~ o f ~ H i m r l r y u r r n d t h c h j r b P l & . R1r92t9. I , ~
LAL,J.mmS~~~(~~~SeK#Au1.clarvpar~arsru(%)C-)-oan cta, ram taxoa in Oubd E b & y ~
lrrrdhn J. Focwhy 1q1) :9 6. 1993.
SI KAsnun Dirtrict, Wert Dimjpur rad M.ld.b Districts. Restrictad Mlp Sheet No. 78 C/3. 1st Edition,
K o b S lrmy of India, &vt. of India, 1975.
Igwm, S.D. lun, PM. Bfyophytm of Kaamon Himrlrya Wmiun. 1994.