Milind M. Sardesai’s research while affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University and other places

Euphorbia belagaviensis is a succulent species of the sub-cosmopolitan genus Euphorbia with narrowly restricted distribution in the Belagavi district of Karnataka in India. The morphological characteristics of the species suggest a possible hybrid nature. The objective of this study was to evaluate the putative hybrid origin of the taxon and trace its parental lineages. A molecular phylogenetic approach, based on nuclear ITS and plastid (matK & ndhF) sequences, was employed in combination with morphological study to test the hypothesis. The polymorphic sites of the biparentally inherited marker (ITS) in E. belagaviensis were additive and in consensus with either of the sympatric putative parental species, E. antiquorum and E. gokakensis. On the other hand, the polymorphic sites in the plastid markers of E. belagaviensis matched the ones in E. gokakensis suggesting it to be the maternal progenitor. Euphorbia belagaviensis was placed with E. antiquorum in the ITS tree, whereas in the plastid tree, it was nested in a clade with E. gokakensis, corroborating its hybrid origin. Morphologically, E. belagaviensis displays a blend of parental, intermediary, and novel characters which is an indication of early generation of hybrids. Moreover, its restricted distribution, likely due to female sterility and the existential dependency on the co-occurrence of the putative parents, further strengthens our hypothesis. Therefore, conclusively, we propose E. belagaviensis to be a nothospecies that emerged as a result of natural hybridization between E. antiquorum and E. gokakensis.

This paper presents a taxonomic revision of the genus Abutilon in India, supported by detailed seed morphology. Twelve species and two varieties are recognized from India and each described with their synonymy, nomenclature notes, illustrations, habitat specificity, geographical distribution, phenology, and specimens observed in various herbaria across India. A comprehensive key is provided for the identification of species and varieties. Lectotypes are designated for nine names including a second-step lectotype for A. fruticosum . Infraspecific taxa are reevaluated, resulting in the synonymization of A. bidentatum var. major , A. fruticosum var. chrysocarpa , and A . hirtum var. heterotrichum with their respective species. A . indicum subsp. guineense is reinstated as distinct species and A . pakistanicum is determined to be an excluded species. Throughout the study, seed micro-morphology is identified as a crucial tool for discriminating taxa at the interspecific and infraspecific levels. The previously proposed infraspecific classification of A. indicum is invalidated in this study which is corroborated by morphology and distribution of the taxa. This study provides the first comprehensive taxonomic account of the genus Abutilon in India with discussion on fruit dehiscence.

The genus Chlorophytum, rich in saponins is used in Ayurveda, an Indian alternative system of medicine. This study illustrates a comprehensive picture of saponins in four different species of Chlorophytum viz., Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau and Fernandes, Chlorophytum glaucoides Blatt, Chlorophytum glaucum Dalz, Chlorophytum bharuchae Ansari, Sundargarh, Hemadri, from the western ghats of India. Metabolite profiling of leaves and tubers using Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) indicated presence of 13 saponins. C. glaucum was found to be abundant in saponins followed by C. glaucoides. Tokorogenin, diosgenin and sarsasapogenin are most abundant saponins confirmed from the leaves of C. glaucum and tubers of C. glaucoides.

Supplementary material can be found on the following link https://www.gbif.org/publisher/fb397826-26a9-4269-8fa2-384585695716

Linnaeus appears to have clubbed three distinct species under Euphorbia neriifolia, a species from China and Indonesia that is the original E. neriifolia, a species from India and Sri Lanka which is now recognized as E. nivulia, and a species from West Africa which is now called E. drupifera. After conducting field studies and examining the applicable protologues, original type material, world literature, and world herbaria, we conclude that for hundreds of years, workers have erroneously clubbed various species from India under E. neriifolia. These species include E. ligularia from Northeast India and two common succulents from Western India described here as new species viz. E. yadavii and E. paschimia. An epitype for E. neriifolia from Indonesia is designated to stabilize the species, E. ligularia is reinstated as a species, a neotype is designated for E. drupifera. E. complanata is synonymized under E. neriifolia, and E. undulatifolia is synonymized under E. ligularia. We present amended descriptions of E. neriifolia, E. nivulia, E. drupifera and E. ligularia.

Tectaria Cav. is the largest genus of Tectariaceae. Species delimitation in the genus is challenging due to morphological convergence. In this study, we have sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Tectaria coadunata (J.Sm.) C.Chr. and compared it with other plastome sequences of Tectaria for gene composition and structural variations. The plastome size of T. coadunata was 148,333 bp with one Large Single Copy (LSC; 82,508 bp), Small Single Copy (SSC; 18,965 bp), and duplicated inverted repeat (IR; 23,430 bp) region. The plastome of Tectaria exhibited the absence of genes ccsA, rpl32, as well as two tRNAs, trnP-GGG and trnL-UAG. Nevertheless, nuclear encoded copies of all genes were successfully recovered from the transcriptome of T. coadunata. This is the first report of gene deletion from Tectaria plastome. Seven intergenic spacer regions, viz. ycf1-chlN, atpF-atpH, psbM-petN, ndhE-psaC, trnT-trnfM, psbK-psbI, and trnC-trnG, were identified with high nucleotide diversity (Pi) values. These regions can be used as DNA barcodes for species delimitation in Tectaria. Furthermore, peculiar insertions were observed in the IR region. Phylogenetic analysis placed T. coadunata as a sister to T. decurrens.

The history and typification of four names associated with Elaeocarpus ganitrus Roxb. ex G.Don is discussed. Detailed notes on taxonomy and distribution of the taxa associated with these names are given. Elaeocarpus sphaericus (Gaertn.) Ettingsh. is resurrected as a distinct species based on morphology and distribution records.