A new distributional report of Cremanthodium nepalense (Asteraceae) in India: a vulnerable and endemic species of the Himalayas

Abstract

Cremanthodium nepalense Kitam. (Asteraceae) is reported for the first time from India. It is endemic to the Himalayas and has only been reported from Nepal and China. It was found growing in alpine meadows near river bank in North Sikkim at an elevation of ca 4370 m. In the present report, the diagnostic features, morphological variations and coloured photo-plate are provided. Besides conservation, status ‘Vulnerable’ has also been evaluated using IUCN Red listing guidelines.