Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 1073-77. 2008. A Note on the Identity of Carnivorous Plants of
Karungalakudi, Tamil 1K. Natarajan, 2R.
Kottaimuthu, 3V. Balasubramanian, 1P. Alex Pandian, 1M. Malaisamy
and R. Ponnuchamy4 1PG and Research
Department, The 2Ashoka
Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), 3Department
of Microbiology, 4French
Institute, Correspondence: kottaimuthu@yahoo.co.in Issued Abstract Karungalakudi is blessed with rich herbaceous flora including two carnivorous plant groups, viz. fly traps and bladder worts. In the present communication, a total of 6 insectivorous plants are reported, and it is confirmed that the reported occurrence of Drosera brevifolia Pursh, Utricularia minor L., U. resupinata Greene ex Bigelow and U. uniflora R. Br. in Karungalakudi is due to a misidentification. Key words: Karungalakudi, Fly-traps, Bladder worts,
Misidentification. Introduction Karungalakudi is situated 40km away from Key to the Carnivorous plants of Karungalakudi. 1a. Leaves with hair like tentacles; Flowers actinomorphic----------------------------------2 1b. Leaves absent / Foliar organs not as above; Flowers zygomorphic----------------------3 2a. Plants scapigerous; Stipules present------------------------------------Drosera burmanii 2b. Plants non-scapigerous; Stipules absent-----------------------------------Drosera indica 3a. Flowers yellow----------------------------------------------------------Utricularia bifida 3b. Flowers other than yellow--------------------------------------------------------------4 4a. Racemes hairy----------------------------------------------------- ------Utricularia hirta 4b. Racemes glabrous----------------------------------------------------------------------5 5a. Mouth of trap basal----------------------------------------------Utricularia polygaloides 5b. Mouth of trap lateral----------------------------------------- -----Utricularia minutissima Systematic Enumeration Droseraceae (Fly-trap Family) NOTE: Drosera L., commonly known as sundew, has about
135 species (Schlauer, 1996), among which only
three are found in Drosera burmanii Vahl. Specimens Examined: Kottai1019, 1052. Distribution: Drosera indica L. Specimens Examined: Kottai 1222, 1359. Distribution: Lentibulariaceae (Bladder wort
Family) NOTE: Utricularia L., commonly known as bladder wort, has about 214 species ( Utricularia bifida L. Specimens Examined: Kottai1035,
1050. Distribution: Utricularia hirta Klein ex Link. Specimens
Examined: Kottai1200, 1356. Distribution: Utricularia minutissima Vahl. Specimens Examined: Kottai1210,
1357. Distribution: India ( Karnataka,
Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal), Japan and
Australia. Utricularia polygaloides Edgew. Specimens Examined: Kottai1227,
1349. Distribution: Results and Discussions Carnivorous plant flora of Karungalakudi consists of two species of Droseraceae and four species of Lentibulariaceae. Due to prolonged anthropogenic pressures, the carnivorous plants of Karungalakudi are locally endangered. In the future, if pressures persist, the carnivorous plants - priceless gift of nature - will be extinct locally from Karungalakudi. Acknowledgement The second author is grateful to
Dr. G. V. S. Murthy, Joint Director, Botanical Survey of India, Southern
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