Eleutherine bulbosa (Mill.) Urb. (Iridaceae): A new distributional record to the flora of Eastern Ghats, India

Abstract

The family Iridaceae Juss. contains 70 genera and 2000 species having a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity in Southern Africa, East Mediterranean, Central and South America (Mabberley 2008). The genus Eleutherine Herb. is a member of the new world tribe Tigridieae of Iridaceae and comprises low-growing bulbous plants with pleated lanceolate leaves and small white, evening-blooming flowers (Goldblatta & Snow 1991), and comprises four species. Eleutherine angusta Ravenna native range is Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil) to Paraguay of South America. E. bulbosa (Mill.) Urb. is distributed in Mexico, Caribbean, and Central and South America; it is introduced and cultivated in several parts of Africa and Asia, and now naturalized in Indochina, Philippines, and in some parts of India. E. citriodora (Ravenna) Ravenna from northern Argentina, and E. latifolia (Standl. & L.O.Williams) Ravenna is distributed in northern Central America and subtropical South America. (Goldblatta & Snow 1991, The Plant List 2013). During a short visit to the Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh, the authors collected an Eleutherine Herb. species in flower from Eastern Ghats (Mantrajola forest of Andhra Pradesh), which was later identified as Eleutherine bulbosa (Mill.) Urb., is distributed in Mexico, Caribbean, and Central and South America. It is introduced and cultivated in several parts of Africa and Asia, and now naturalized in Indochina, Philippines, and in some parts of India (Pradeep 1995). Scrutiny of Indian literature reveals that the species was first collected from the Bengal by Prain (1903), and reported as a Cipura paludosa Aubl. Since then Santapau & Henry (Santapau & Henry 1973), Karthikeyan et al. (1989) have followed Prain (1903) in the nomenclature of this species. Pradeep (1995) observed this species under cultivation in many gardens of India and reported from Kerala, and not from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and hence the present collection is reported as a new distributional record for the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Detailed description, updated citation, habitat, distribution and colour photographs are provided to facilitate easy identification.