Isoetes bilaspurensis (Isoetaceae – Lycopodiopsida), New to Southern India: An Extended Distribution and Redescription

Abstract

Abstract. The authors discovered a previously unknown population of Isoetes at Badami in Bagalkot district of Karnataka state, India in October 2022 which is determined to be I. bilaspurensis. This represents a new record for the Deccan plateau of Southern India and a significant disjunction from its previously known distribution in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, Central India. In light of this additional information a revised, detailed description of I. bilaspurensis is presented. Morphological comparisons with closely related taxa, its conservation status, and the phytogeographic implications of its distribution are also provided.