Alectra parasitica subsp. chitrakutensis

  • admin_shalini
  • Alectra
Alectra parasitica subsp. chitrakutensis (M.A.Rau) K.K.Khanna & An.Kumar, J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 31: 537 2007. (syn: Alectra parasitica var. chitrakutensis M.A.Rau);
.
India as per Catalogue of Life;
.

/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC01089.JPG/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DSC01084.JPG

Fwd: is it Alectra sp. : 3 posts by 1 author.

Hope you are fine.
Sir hear is the attachment of plant species.
is it Alectra sp.. or Alectra parasitica ?
Needs your suggestion for identification of this species.

This species is Alectra chitrakutensis (Rau) R. Prasad & R.D. Dixit. Formerly Alectra parasitica var. chitrakutensis.

.

 

Please id – NSD 83 : Attachments (1). 10 posts by 4 authors.
This herb is from Satpura Tiger Reserve, Photographed on 1-11-09
To me it looks like some root parasite, may be from Orobanchaceae family.
Please id it

Are you sure about the root parasite part? It doesn’t look like Orobanchaceae at all. the buds look more like Malvaceae, but need a clearer picture of the inside of the flower.

thanks for your quick response
i am not very sure about root parasite, but it’s shoot was directly coming from the ground and it was without any leaf.
sorry for poor pic, it was quite late in the evening and my camera was not functioning properly on that day

Are you also maintaining herbarium? In that case seeking more taxonomic help will be possible.

i am basically a wild life manager, i am trying to prepare checklist of all Fauna and Flora of my area, so it is not possible to me to maintain herbarium. I am only trying to maintain photographs of Flora and Fauna encountered during my visits to my park and other areas.

That limits the research work to a certain extent, especially in case of confusing species and large families like Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Eriocaulaceae.
Athough I know that your time must be limited, if you plan to publish your checklist in future, it would be more scientifically accurate if you can maintain a herbarium.

Just for information. A root parasite won’t have green colour (chlorophyll) on any part. Here green sepals are clearly seen. The leaves must have fallen down. It is most probably Abutilon or Sida.

this one is Verbascum chinesis Syn. Celsia coromandeliana of Scrophulariaceae.

No need to confuse with Verbascum chinense. This clearly has calyx, petals and stamens of Malvaceae, no where near Verbascum. Verbascum chinense has spreading fused petals, four exserted stamens with hairy filaments and much longer style. Hairs are also different

I am not sure about the cholrophyll part. What about partial ones, like Santalum album, which is root parasite in initial stages, but still has chlorophyll? Some Striga sp. are supposed to be root parasites, but they still have chlorophyll- even Striga orobanchoides, which is red in colour still has chlorophyll in it, although masked by red pigments I think. The only way of knowing a root parasite, is by digging it out and checking its attachment with roots of other species.
Would like to know from other ecologists

Any Sida species ?

Hopefully Sida sp.

Alectra avensis

Looks different from Alectra sessiliflora (Vahl) Kuntze (syn: Alectra avensis (Benth.) Merrill) as per images and details herein.
I think it may be Alectra parasitica subsp. chitrakutensis as per images and details herein and as per Semantic scholar and Botany Cz

.


Orobanchaceae: Alectra parasitica subsp. chitrakutensis (M.A.Rau) K.K.Khanna & An.Kumar: 1 image.
location/date: Melghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Amravati Distr., Maharashtra, November 1994

 

 

.

References:
Catalogue of Life  The Plant List Ver.1.1  IPNI  NPGS  GBIF  Alectra chitrakutensis (Orobanchaceae) in Bundi District, Rajasthan Semantic scholar  Botany Cz