M. M. Sardesai

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at Savitribai Phule Pune University

With over 2000 species, the sub-cosmopolitan genus Euphorbia is rich in morphological diversity and possesses several economic and medicinal values. Despite this, the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic identity of several Indian species remain obscure due to the paucity of molecular data on Indian taxa. One of the succulent species of Euphorb...

In the present study, we designate lectotypes and epitypes for fourteen names (for accepted names/basionyms/synonyms) of three genera Ammannia, Lagerstroemia, and Rotala of family Lythraceae, to facilitate the correct application of these names. Lectotypes are designated for three names in Ammannia, three names in Rotala, and four names in Lagerstr...

Data on aquatic flowering plants of South-Western Maharashtra is given and 303 species, 2 subspecies and 6 varieties belonging to 145 genera and 73 Families of aquatic and semiaquatic flowering plants are enumerated in the present paper.

Morphological studies of Rotala revealed a new species, Rotala konkanensis, from low-level ferricretes of the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. The new species is described and illustrated here. A taxonomic key and morphological comparison table of new species with closely related taxa, geographical distribution and images are provided.

All the names in the genus Ariopsis Nimmo are enumerated with protologue and type details, valid and invalid names at different ranks and a discussion wherever relevant. In the protologue of Ariopsis peltata Nimmo, no type specimen or illustration was assigned and the present study further confirms the non-existence of original material. Consequent...

The extensive use of Embelia ribes Burm. f. (Embelia) in tribal medicine proclaimed global attention as a promising candidate in complementary and alternative medicine. The knowledge of chemical blends is a prerequisite for the selection of raw materials for herbal medicine formulations; however, the influence of geographical distance and genetic d...

A new species, Rotala biglandulosa, is described here from the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India. It is closely similar to R. juniperina but can be distinguished morphologically based on having stamens arising from base of the floral tube, the presence of three bipartite nectary gland, and capsules exceeding the floral tube. A phylogenetic...

Biodiversity of tropical grasslands and savannas (tropical grassy biomes, TGBs) remains poorly documented compared with tropical forests. This is in part due to the misplaced notion of TGBs being anthropogenic forest derivatives that support negligible biodiversity and endemism. For the Indian savannas, the legacy of colonial forestry has led to th...

Canscora diffusa var. tetraptera Naik & Pokle is reinstated and elevated to the rank of species. A detailed description, key to the species of Canscora in Peninsular India and photographs are provided to ease identification.

Torenia gracilis, a species closely similar to Bonnaya antipoda, was published by Bentham in Wallich's Numerical List without description and was later synonymised under B. verbenifolia, now a synonym of B. antipoda. In this paper, the nomenclature of T. gracilis Benth. (nom. inval.) is discussed and this taxon is treated within Bonnaya as B. graci...

Recently described two new species, viz. Pinda shrirangii (Apiaceae) and Vicoa gokhalei (Asteraceae), are reviewed for their taxonomy. An illegitimate Heracleum grandiflorum Dalzell & Gibson (non Steven ex M. Bieb.) is recognised as conspecific with P. shrirangii and proposed as a new synonym of the latter. Vicoa gokhalei is found to be conspecific...

Sphaeranthus gomphrenoides is reported as new to Asia, and the details of its identification, typification, and distribution are provided here along with the designation of a lectotype. The article includes an amended description, a line drawing illustration and a detailed photo plate of the plant with an artificial key to the Indian Sphaeranthus s...

Rotala juniperina, so far known only from East Africa, is reported here for the first time from peninsular India. The present paper encompasses a note on its taxonomy and distribution along with the designation of a lectotype for R. rotundifolia and epitypes for R. serpyllifolia and R. simpliciuscula.

Six names in Sida L., viz., S. cuneifolia Roxb., S. mysorensis Wight & Arn., S. ovata Forssk., S. repens Dombey ex Cav., S. scabrida Wight & Arn. and S. schimperiana Hochst. ex A.Rich. are lectotypified here. Of these names, S. mysorensis Wight & Arn. and S. schimperiana Hochst. ex A.Rich. involve second-step lectotypification.

Euphorbia sahyadrica (Euphorbiaceae), a new succulent species belonging to Euphorbia subg. Euphorbia sect. Euphorbia is described and illustrated from the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. It is related to E. nivulia but differs in its shrub-like habit, bark with closely-packed horizontal branch scars, elliptical-shaped leaf with short petiole...

Typification of eight names in Embelia from Peninsular India are presented here. Among, eight lectotypifications, together with two epitypes is selected and the type for the name E. drupacea is revisited.

Modern plant identification system highly depends upon robust features and classification algorithms possibly the combination of several modalities. In this paper, we have used deep CNN features as well as we introduce venation angles present between two veins as a features to classify plants. We have employed 5 types of classifiers to classificati...

The introduced Indian taxon currently known by the incorrect name Nymphaea alba var. rubra, which has been shown to be a hybrid between N. alba and N. odorata, is given the new nothospecies name Nymphaea × khurooi Sardesai & Nandikar.

Boerhavia coccinea (Nyctaginaceae) is recorded for the first time in India (Satara district, Maharashtra). The name B. procumbens, previously synonymized with B. diffusa, is here accepted for a distinguished species on the basis of nature of stem (color and hairiness), hairs on leaf margin, type of inflorescence and shape of the anthocarp. The curr...

Members of the family Gentianaceae Jussieu (1789: 141) (Gentianales) are of economic importance and utilized for the several ailments (Bhandari et al. 2006). Thiv and Kadereit (2002) after cladistic analysis of the evolution of anisomorphic androecia in the subtribe Canscorinae proved the monophyly of the Canscora Lamarck (1785: 601). Canscorinella...

Sida angustifolia (Malvaceae) was erroneously identified as S. spinosa and synonymized under it. The taxonomic identity and distribution of S. angustifolia is discussed and the binomial is lectotypified. A detailed description, illustration, photographs, and distribution map of S. angustifolia are provided and its morphological differences from S....

A new species, Sida sivarajanii (Malvaceae) from Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India is described. It is morphologically most similar to S. alnifolia and S. rhomboidea but differs in its conical ovary covered with stellate pubescence, 5 styles, 5 dehiscent mericarps and multireticulate spermoderm pattern. The ITS sequence data also confirm the distinctn...

Ariopsis macrosperma sp. nov. from Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, is described and illustrated. It differs from the other two species in the genus, A. peltata and A. protanthera, in having a typical terrestrial habit, growing on the soil as undergrowth below the forest canopy, thick, leathery leaves and lower number of larger, ovoid and ribbe...

Abutilon neelgerrense var. fischeri T.K. Paul & M.P. Nayar, a rare endemic taxon, has been rediscovered after a century from Theni District in Tamil Nadu. The present study provides detailed morphological description, key to the varieties with additional characters and images.

Abutilon neelgerrense var. fischeri T.K. Paul & M.P. Nayar, a rare endemic taxon, has been rediscovered after a century from Theni District in Tamil Nadu. The present study provides detailed morphological description, key to the varieties with additional characters and images.

Elaeocarpus L. is the largest genus of the family Elaeocarpaceae represented by about 350 species worldwide (Coode 2004: 142). The arboreal Old World genus is distributed in subtropical Asia and Pacific Islands to Australia and Madagascar except the African continent (Coode 2004: 137, 138).

Elaeocarpus L. is the largest genus of the family Elaeocarpaceae represented by about 350 species worldwide (Coode 2004: 142). The arboreal Old World genus is distributed in subtropical Asia and Pacific Islands to Australia and Madagascar except the African continent (Coode 2004: 137, 138). Elaeocarpus recurvatus Corner (1939: 319, 325) is native t...

A widely distributed infraspecific taxon, Abutilon indicum subsp. albescens var. australiense is collected after lapse of six decades from peninsular India and recognized here as distinct species, Abutilon australiense comb. et stat. nov. The detailed comparative morphology with its associated taxa has been discussed in the present article with upd...

This paper describes the automatic leaf recognition based on feature level fusion and score level fusion of vein orientation angles, GLCM, SIFT, SURF as a features. However, to obtain the sophisticated leaf recognition, the system must be undergo through numerous difficulties such as intra and inter-class variations in plants and defining the prope...

Barleria sahyadrica sp. nov., a new species of Barleria sect. Prionitis of the family Acanthaceae from Maharashtra region of Peninsular India is described and illustrated. A detailed description, distribution, ecology, phenology and relevant taxonomic notes are provided along with notes on the identity of B. cuspidata.

Viscum sahyadricum (Santalaceae) from the Western Ghats of India is here described as a new species with description, illustrations and notes.

The present paper deals with study of the physico-chemical analysis of water sample of Bhima River flowing through Khed Tehsil, Pune District, and Maharashtra. The water samples were collected at an interval of a month. 10 sampling stations were selected on the basis of their topology, and various incoming water resources joining the main rivers st...

Plant Leaf retains many characteristics that can be used to achieve automatic plant classification, Leaf also contains other traits like shape, size, color, texture but these are not enough to distinguish one plant species from another. Extraction of prominent leaf features involves enhancement and feature normalization. The leaf venation may explo...

Amorphophallus longiconnectivus Bogner and A. margaritifer (Roxb.) Kunth are reported for the state of Maharashtra. In addition to this the notes on variations in spadices of the species has also been provided.

Automatic classification of the plants is growing area of association with computer science and Botany, it has attracted many researchers to subsidize plant classification using image processing and machine learning techniques. Plants can be classified using number of traits such as leaf color, flowers, leaves, roots, leaf shape, leaf size etc. hig...

Geophytic Euphorbia species are distributed across four sections in subgenus Euphorbia of genus Euphorbia. At least nine Indian geophytic Euphorbia species have been identified, but delimitation of these species is controversial. Phylogenetic studies using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (nrITS) and matK sequences showed that the Ind...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Viscum articulatum Burm. f. (leafless mistletoe) has been used in traditional system of medicines in India, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, to treat blood-related diseases and various inflammatory and degenerative diseases including cancer. Anticancer activities of some phytomolecules purified from Viscu...

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are translation inhibitors having eco-physiological significance for theplant, and have applications inpharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Mistletoe (Viscum)RIPs provide anadaptive advantage to the parasitic habit of the plant. Different isoforms of mistletoe RIP are likely to be a result of parasite-ho...

Phenolics have been shown to attenuate the initiation and progression of cancer. Owing to the parasitic nature, mistleoes are a rich source of phenolics and flavonoids. European mistletoe (Viscum album) formulations provide the first line of treatment for cancer by stimulating the immune system and improve the quality of life. In fact, host-associa...

Two new species of Brachystelma (Ceropegieae: Apocynaceae) from Peninsular India.

The present paper reports occurrence of 11 species and a variety of the genus Sida L. in the Maharashtra state. An artificial key, brief description, flowering and fruiting, phenology, distribution, present status with its taxonomical and ecological notes have been provided in the paper for each species.

The present research trend is to explore sustainable construction materials having least environmental impact that also encapsulate in terms of our natural resources. The present communication discusses the use of raw hemp as an organic additive in the clay plaster of the 6th century AD Buddhist Caves of Ellora, a World Heritage Site. Cannabis sati...

The new species Sida pradeepiana is described from the Idukki district of Kerala state, India. It resembles S. alnifolia and S. rhomboidea, but differs by its concolorous-rhomboid leaves, unarticulated pedicels, mericarp apex beaked with a single muticous process and stellate pubescent mericarps and hilum of the seeds.

Plants are living organisms belonging to the vegetal kingdom that can live on land and in water. Plants form the critical base of food chains in nearly all ecosystems. Plants are vitally important for environmental protection and contribute to maintain biodiversity. Plant taxonomy has attracted many researchers to study the bio-diversities based on...

The present paper reports occurrence of 11 species and a variety of the genus Sida L. in the Maharashtra state. An artificial key, brief description, flowering and fruiting, phenology, distribution, present status with its taxonomical and ecological notes have been provided in the paper for each species.

A new variety of Scleria P. J. Bergius (Cyperaceae) S. neesii Kunth var. gadchiroliensis from Central India is described here with description, line-drawing, photographic illustration and notes. It resembles with S. neesii Kunth var. neesii in overall morphology but differs in having milky white nuts covered with ribbon like hairs on distinct stalk...

The paper throws light on the little-known angiosperms of India. The present study has revealed that a total of 60 taxa have not been relocated after their discovery and are still known only from their type collections/localities. For each taxon, details such as the current accepted botanical name with authority, family name, habit with a few salie...

Chromosome counts were carried out in root tip cells of Nesphostylis bracteata(Fabaceae), an endemic legume of Western Ghats, India. A diploid number of 2n =20 is reported here for the first time. The karyotype was found to be symmetrical with all chromosomes having a median region centromere. The chromosome length ranged from 1.50 to 2.69 µm.

A new aquatic species, Rotala sahyadrica S. P. Gaikwad, Sardesai et S. R. Yadav sp. nov. collected from a fresh water lake on a high altitude lateritic plateau ecosystem of the Western Ghats, India is described and illustrated here. It is similar to R. tenella (Guill. & Perr.) Hiern but differs in having cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers, nect...

Alysicarpus sanjappae, a new species (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) from the Western Ghats of India, is described and illustrated. It resembles A. heyneanus Wight & Arn., but differs in having a prostrate habit, stems and branches strigose with a line of distant hairs, leaves usually 1-foliolate mixed with 3-foliolate, stipules and stipels distinctl...

Celastrus L., a large genus of family Celastraceae, is represented by ca 31 species in the world. In India the genus is represented by seven species and one subspecies. This paper deals with addition of Celastrus paniculatus ssp. aggregatus to the flora of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Goa and Andaman Islands. A note on its distribution is also provided...

The genus Alysicarpus Desv. of family Fabacaeae is distributed in the dry zones of Peninsular India, with 15 species and 7 varieties. A. naikianus Pokle, an endemic species, described in 1999 was only known from few localities. In recent surveys, a number of additional populations were found in Western India. Thereby, now known to be chiefly distri...

The present paper deals with a note on the relocation of Maesa velutina Mez, in Maharashtra state. Notes on distribution, ecology and a short description are provided for the taxon.

The present paper reports Celastrus paniculatus Willd. subsp. aggregatus K. T. Mathew for the first time to the state of Maharashtra.

The majority of flowering plants produce chasmogamous flowers, which require external agencies like wind, water, or animals for pollination to set fruit. Cleistogamous flowers are reduced flowers that never open and thus show obligate autogamy. Cleistogamous flowers are not uncommon, but chiefly occur in allogamous species, frequently after the con...

Present paper deals with detailed description, phenology, note on the status, conservation and cultivation of Bidaria khandalense (Sant.) Jagtap and Singh.

A new species of Chlorophytum, C. kolhapurense (Anthericaceae) is described and illustrated from Western Ghats, India.

A new variety of Arisaema sahyadricum Yadav et al, is described and illustrated. This variety, called Arisaema sahyadricum var. ghaticum Sardesai et al., differs from the variety proper by its smaller size, connectives having 2-6 conical processes and spadix appendage much longer than the spathe.

Ceropegia mohanramii, a new species, is described from Konkan area of Maharashtra. It is closely allied to C. attenuata Hook, but can be distinguished from the latter by its shorter corolla lobes and the ampulliform heads formed by the corolla lobes. It is illustrated. The species is represented by about 100 individuals in about one sq. km. area an...