Reassessment And Status Quo Of Monotypic Angiosperm Genera In India

Abstract

Angiosperms are the largest and highly diversified groups of plants dominating the earth’s vegetation. In India, about 20,000 species are recorded within 213 Dicot and 44 Monocot families covering 4300 endemic species (15% of world population) and 1240 species under various threatened categories. A taxon is considered monotypic when it represents a single lower taxon within it. About 38% of the monotypic taxa are endemic to India and restricted to different bio-geographic regions of the country. As per the existing record, Indian flora has 236 Monotypic genera within 63 families.  In recent time, enormous works have been carried out for up gradation of the world checklist of plants, and the need for re-visit to the Monotypic taxa of India is felt and for this reason, status evaluation of Monotypic Angiosperm taxa are conducted and severe changes in the results of the enumeration of Monotypic taxa is noticed. On the basis of results of the present study, it can be concluded that at present, there is no any monotypic Angiosperm plant family in India and Indian Angiosperm flora consists of 166 Monotypic genera represented by 61 families where members of Poaceae (26) are dominant followed by Bignoniaceae (10); Rubiaceae (9); Fabaceae and Asteraceae (8 each) and others with varying numbers covering 88 herbs, 4 epiphytes, 4 climbers, 22 shrubs, 2 under shrubs, 8 woody climbers, 8 short trees and 30 tree genera. The results of the present communication clearly signified the need for rectification of records in all botanical forum and public portals with regard to the enumeration of Monotypic Angiosperm taxa in India. The results of the present study may be considered by IUCN for evaluation of the monotypic genera as threatened taxa in general and the endemic ones in particular for framing future conservation policy.