Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

NEW LOCALITY OF PSYCHOTRIA OCTOSULCATA TALBOT (RUBIACEAE), AN ENDEMIC SPECIES OF SOUTHERN WESTERN GHATS FROM JAMBANI SACRED GROVE IN THE REGION OF CENTRAL WESTERN GHATS, KARNATAKA, INDIA

Savinaya Malve Sathisha, Narayana Jogattappa and Krishna Venkatarangaiah

Abstract

The present communication explores new locality of an endemic plant species Psychotria octosulcata Talbot of the family rubiaceae. The detailed taxonomic treatments, photographs, geographical locations are incorporated for further unambiguous identification and documentation. This species was recorded only in Jambani sacred grove located in Sagar taluk, Shivamogga district, during an intensive floristic survey in 2017 among sacred groves of Shivamogga district in the region of Central Western Ghats of Karnataka. Prior to this the species distribution was restricted to an altitude range above 900m in shoal forests.