Nelumbo - The Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India

B. C. Kundu ¹, Anima De ¹

Affiliations
1 Bose Institute, Calcutta, IN

Abstract

The genus Nyctanthes with only one species N. arbor-tristis Linn. having flowers like that of Jasminum was originally induded in Oleaceae. In view of its strongly quadrangular stem and its apparent resemblance to Tectona and other members of the family Verbenaceae, Airy Shaw (1952) placed the genus in a new subfamily under the family Verbenaceae. Stant (1952) gave some anatomical evidence for the inclusion of Nyctanthes in the Verbenaceae. On the basis of comparative study of Nyctanthes, along with some members of Oleaceae, Verbenaceae and Loganiaceae on cytology, general anatomy of stem and leaf, wood anatomy, floral anatomy and palynology and also on the preliminary data of the chemical constituents present in the plants, the authors state that Nyctanthes has not much affinity to the members of the Verbenaceae, although it has some similarity with several oleaceous members. After taking all points into consideration this genus is assigned to a new family Nyctanthaceae.

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B. C. Kundu ¹, B. Gupta ²

Affiliations
1 Bose Institute, Calcutta, IN
2 Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, IN

Abstract

In this paper the groups of plants in which saponins are reported to occur have been listed, and their relationships shown according to the phylogenetic system of classification of Hutchinson. Steroidal saponins mostly occur in different orders of the division Corolliferae of subphyllum Monocotyledons; they are also present in a few families of Dicotyledons like Solanaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Acanthaceae, etc., but saponins present in these families are somewhat different in their nature. Triterpenoid saponins are mostly distributed in some orders of the division Lignosae of the subphyllum Dicotyledons. In this division, Euphorbiales and related orders, Capparidales and related orders and Rosales and related orders Me important sources. In the division Herbaceae some orders like Garyophyllales and Berberidales are also important sources of triterpenoid saponins. There is a marked affinity among plants containing similar saponins. Hutchinson's classification comes very close to the arrangement based on saponin-content. Some suggestions for modification of the classification in the light of saponin-content has been made. A plea is made that phylogenetic system of classification should take into account the presence of saponins and other chemical constituents.

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S. C. Rakshit ¹, B. C. Kundu ²

Affiliations
1 Kalyani University, Kalyani, IN
2 Bose Institute, Calcutta, IN

Abstract

In the paper 32 species of Hibiscus have been described. The section Abelmoschus of Masters in Hooker's flora of British India has been excluded since. Abelmoschus Medicus is now widely recognised as a separate genus. Most of the species grow in the warmer regions with a moderate to heavy annual rainfall. In the Malabar Region occurs about 50 percent of the total Indian Hibiscus species; the eastern zone of Gangetic Plain contains 43.75 percent. Three Hibiscus are mostly concentrated in the Gangetic Plain and the Assam Region.

A few species like H. vitifolius, H. surattensis etc., have wide distribution, while H. watsoni, is endemic to Burma.

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B. C. Kundu ¹, Chhabi Biswas ¹

Affiliations
1 Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, IN

Abstract

In his revision of the genus Hibiscus, Hochreutiner (1900) included three species, H. vitifolius L., H. dictyocarpus (Hochst.) Webb, and H. purpureus Forsk. in section Pterocarpus Garcke. On the basis of the structural peculiarities of the 5-angular, alate, scarious, oligospermous capsules present in H. vitifolius, H. dictyocarpus and H. pavonioides, Mattei (1917) established a new genus Fioria. Although agreeing that the nature of the fruit in Fioria is strikingly different from that of any typical Hibiscus sp., Hochreuliner (1924) did not accept Fioria as a distinct genus. From his study of the conspicuous, scarious, strongly veined wings of H. vitifolius, Kearney (1955) justified the maintenance of Fioria as a distinct genus. Brenan and Exell (1958) did not accept it. In a detailed study of 80 specimens of H. vitifolius from different parts of India and abroad, several other distinguishing characteristics, in addit' on to those of the wings of fruit, have been observed, which justify retaining Fiona as a genus distinct from Hibiscus.

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B. C. Kundu ¹, Suhita Guha ¹

Affiliations
1 Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta, IN

Abstract

From the time of Colebrooke (1921) who established the genus Tiliacora there have been variation in the description of floral characters of T. acuminata (Lam.) Miers. These have been cleared in the present paper. Notes on anatomy, cytology and palynology have also been given.

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B. C. Kundu ¹, Suhita Guha ¹

Affiliations
1 Bolanical Survey of India, Calcutta, IN

Abstract

No Abstract.

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