The Malay Cardamom Meistera aculeata (Roxb.) Škorničk. & M.F. Newman (Zingiberaceae: Alpinioideae) from the Palghat gap: a new record to Kerala, India

Meistera aculeata (Roxb.) Škorničk. & M.F.Newman (Zingiberaceae, subfamily - Alpinioideae) a lesser known species, has been located from the Palakkad (Palghat) Gap region in the Walayar Hill ranges of the southern Western Ghats and reported here as an addition to the flora of Kerala. A detailed taxonomic description along with photographs are provided.

Description of a new species of Xylophis Beddome, 1878 (Serpentes: Pareidae: Xylophiinae) from the Western Ghats, India

We reassessed the systematics of the Indian (semi)fossorial snake Xylophis perroteti (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) based on morphological and DNA sequence data for type, historical, and new specimens. A population from the Anamalai Hills is distinct from broadly topotypic X. perroteti from the Nilgiri Hills (from which they are separated geographically by the lowland Palghat Gap) on the basis of both external morphology and DNA sequence data. We describe the Anamalai form as a new species, Xylophis mosaicus sp. nov. The new species is more closely related to X. perroteti than to X. stenorhynchus and X. captaini. A new key to identify the species of Xylophis is presented.

Record of Oldenlandia hygrophila Bremek. (Spermacoceae: Rubiaceae), a lesser known herb from Palghat Gap of Western Ghats, Kerala, India

Oldenlandia hygrophila Bremek., a lesser known taxon has been relocated from the type location in the Palghat (Palakkad) gap region of southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India, and is described. Setiform cuticular protuberances all over the plant, branching pattern, stipule length, axillary solitary blue flower, corolla lobes not spreading during anthesis, size of flower, presence of hyaline hairs inside corolla tube, calyx lobe reaching one-fourth of the corolla tube, exerted anthers with glabrous filaments, sub - globose capsule and seed surface pattern are some of the peculiar features which makes this taxa different from other Oldenlandia species. After its type collection in 1972, this endemic taxa could not be relocated from its type locality till date.

A deeply divergent lineage of Walkerana (Anura: Ranixalidae) from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India

The frog family Ranixalidae is endemic to the Western Ghats of Peninsular India and contains two genera, Indirana and Walkerana. The three known species of Walkerana are restricted to different hill ranges south of the Palghat Gap, an ancient valley in the Western Ghats. In this study, we report the discovery of a deeply divergent lineage of Walkerana from the high elevations of the Elivalmalai hill range. This finding extends the geographic range of the Walkerana clade to the north of the Palghat Gap. The new species Walkerana muduga sp. nov. is genetically and morphologically divergent, and geographically isolated from its sister lineages. We also recovered a potential new lineage in the adjoining hill ranges suggesting the presence of additional new species in this genus north of the Palghat Gap.

Seasonal vegetation shift and wetland dynamics in vulnerable granitic rocky outcrops of Palghat Gap of southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India

Low altitude granitic hillock systems prevalent in Palghat (Palakkad) Gap region of southern Western Ghats were analyzed for seasonal dynamics in wetland taxa associated with marshy ephemeral flush vegetation, small ephemeral pools and deep rock pools. Due to characteristic habitat features, such systems harbor a unique pattern of microhabitats and associated floristic components. Wet phase in rocky outcrops in the monsoon season establishes a hydro-geomorphic habitat that supports establishment of wetland taxa like Eriocaulon, Drosera, Utricularia, Dopatrium, and Rotala. Seasonal shift in the floral associations was evident in tune with wetland dynamics. Wet rocks support ephemeral flush vegetation which display some unique plant associations of species of Eriocaulon, Utricularia, Drosera, Cyanotis, Murdannia, and Lindernia. Small ephemeral pools displayed taxa like Rotala malampuzhensis R.V. Nair, Dopatrium junceum (Roxb.) Buch.-Ham. ex Benth., D. nudicaule (Willd.) Benth., Monochoria vaginalis (Burm.f.) C. Presl, and Cyperus iria L. Rocky pools are the habitats of aquatic angiosperms like Nymphaea nouchali Burm. f., Ludwigia adscendens (L.) H. Hara, Utricularia aurea Lour. and Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle. The study documented 121 plant taxa from 37 families during a wet phase from rocky outcrops of the study area. Gradual shift in vegetation is evident as water recedes from granitic hillocks. During the period from December to March, the rocky pools dry up which results in a shift in the vegetation pattern where Poaceae members form the dominant elements. As most of the rocky outcrops are exposed to extreme temperature and acute water shortage, the taxa inhabiting such ecosystems tend to evolve much faster than in other habitats. Moreover, the vicinity of these hillocks in the Palghat Gap region to human settlements, face threats like fire, grazing, quarrying, dumping of wastes etc. which may cause considerable loss to the very sensitive plant communities which are not yet fully documented.

Species composition and abundance estimates of reptiles in selected agroecosystems in southern Western Ghats, India

Species composition and abundance of reptiles in selected agroecosystems in Thrissur plains, near Palghat Gap, southern Western Ghats in India, was studied from January 2017 to May 2017. The agroecosystems surveyed were coconut, cashew & rubber plantations, home garden, paddy field, and botanical garden. Time-constrained visual encounter surveys of a total effort of 360 man-hours were done in the field. Coconut and cashew plantations reported the highest species richness with 11 species each, while the highest number of sightings (159) were recorded from botanical garden. Bronze Grass Skink Eutropis macularia was the most abundant species in agroecosystems. Correspondence analysis was done to compare the reptilian diversity in the agroecosystems. The reptile fauna of home garden and paddy field were found to be more distinct than the rest of the agroecosystems. A total of 17 species of reptiles were recorded during the study, thus highlighting the significance of agroecosystems in acting as important buffer landscapes for reptiles.

Sallywalkerana, a replacement name for Walkerana Dahanukar et al. 2016 (Anura: Ranixalidae)

Dahanukar et al. (2016: pp. 9234) made available the genus name Walkerana (type species: Ixalus diplostictus Günther, 1876: 574, Pl. 63 fig. C) within family Ranixalidae for the monophyletic group with reduced webbing endemic to the Western Ghats of India south of Palghat gap. We were unaware that this name was preoccupied by Walkerana Otte and Perez-Gelabert in Otte 2009, in Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllidae. As a result, a replacement name for this genus of frogs becomes necessary. Here we propose Sallywalkerana gen. nov. as the replacement name for Walkerana Dahanukar, Modak, Krutha, Nameer, Padhye & Molur, 2016.

Leaping frogs (Anura: Ranixalidae) of the Western Ghats of India: An integrated taxonomic review

Leaping frogs of the family Ranixalidae are endemic to the Western Ghats of India and are currently placed in a single genus, Indirana. Based on specimens collected from their entire range and a comprehensive study of type material defining all known species, we propose a revised taxonomy for the leaping frogs using an integrative approach including an analysis of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear rhodopsin genes, as well as multivariate morphometrics. Both genetic and morphological analyses suggest that the genus Indirana is paraphyletic and a distinct monophyletic group, Walkerana gen. nov is described herein. The new genus is separated from Indirana sensu stricto by an apomorphic character state of reduced webbing, with one phalange free on the first and second toe (vs. no free phalanges), two phalanges free on the third and fifth toe (vs. one free phalange), and three phalanges free on the fourth toe (vs. 2–2½ phalanges free). This review includes (i) identification of lectotypes and redescription of three species of the genus Walkerana; (ii) identification of lectotypes for Indirana beddomii and I. semipalmata and their redescription; (iii) redescription of I. brachytarsus and I. gundia; and (iv) descriptions of four new species, namely, I. duboisi and I. tysoni from north of the Palghat gap, and I. yadera and I. sarojamma from south of the Palghat gap; and (iv) a key to the genera and species in the family Ranixalidae.