Category: Botany & Taxonomy related

Fwd: ca in elevation : 3 posts by 2 authors. What does the “ca” mean ?? Not clear myself.  Circa (from Latin, meaning ‘around, about’), usually abbreviated c., ca. orca (also circ. or cca.), means “approximately” in several European languages (and as a loanword in English), usually in reference to a date. Circa is widely used in historical writing […]

Fwd: Linnaeus article! : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1) – 2018 Linnaeus.pdf Attaching my recently published article on Carl Linne.  Please let me know your comments on it.  

  Dr. Marselin R. Almeida passed away : 7 posts by 7 authors. I am deeply saddened to share about the passing away of Dr. MR Almeida. He died today morning at the age of 79 in his residence at Mumbai. A big and irreversible loss of the plant taxonomy field in India. We have […]

General classification : 2 posts by 2 authors. I think a general classification based on the following characteristics will be more helpful and easier for those new to botany:  1. Oshadhis – annual plants. 2. Vanaspatis – trees bearing fruits without evident flowers. 3. Vrikshas – trees bearing flowers and fruits.  4. Guccha – bushy […]

Unscrupulous collection of herbarium (mixed thread):   There is a recent article in current science by Dr. A K Bhatnagar from DU about unscrupulous collection of herbarium and plant specimens by college students and he has specially mentioned about frequent trips of DU botany students to Panchamarhi!!! Yes …, we will go there sometimes when you […]

Sad News of Dr V. Bhaskara’s passing : 15 posts by 3 authors. I just heard the sad news of Dr. V. Bhaskara’s passing. He was suffering from Cancer during the last few months but was still actively engaged in research. I just received a call from Dr. Prabhu informing his sad demise. He will […]

Fwd: Plants hear water : 1 post by 1 author. http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2017/04/plants-hear-water/ Thanks, …, for forwarding this interesting article.  

Fwd: What are herbaria for? Can you help? : 5 posts by 2 authors. May I thank those who have responded so far about hand lenses. I shall be commenting about the findings and my thoughts about their use. Will wait a few more days in hope of further input. In the mean-time, I wish to raise […]

Fwd: Hand lenses – how much are they used by amateur and professional botanists in India? : 19 posts by 7 authors. I did inquire (some months back, I think) about whether hand lenses were readily available in India? How many botanists regularly used these “in the field”?   How many plant enthusiasts not holding professional posts used […]

Fwd: ALIEN plants – how did they arrive in India? : 1 post by 1 author. Following my recent post about ‘Aliens & Adventives’, I wish to comment further, raising the question of HOW are such plants spread? In GCSE Biology in the UK students are taught about means of seed dispersal.  Such methods – […]

Fwd: The INADEQUACIES of images of herbarium specimens at low resolution : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (4) Whilst it is great to have available on the internet images of pressed specimens in herbaria, when they are ONLY of low resolution, their value to CONFIRM identifications can be limited. I appreciate when Institutions FIRST […]

Fwd: ALIEN & ADVENTIVE plant species in India : 6 posts by 5 authors. When posting images of a plant it is HELPFUL that an indication is given as to whether the specimen was growing in the wild or cultivated.  Just because a plant is not in a park, garden or field is not alone an […]

List or link of R E T plants of india : 9 posts by 3 authors. i require the latest  list of  R E T plants of India or a link to it please share it Pl.  Download from file section in EFI site for South India. For Conservation Concern medicinal plants of India, you […]

Fwd: ‘Sino-Japanese’ flora in Pakistan?? : 1 post by 1 author. Further to my recent posts about Elaeagnus, I think it will be informative for me to comment about PHYTOGEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS for plants. I note that phytogeography is much favoured in some ‘floras’.  I have a copy of ‘Wild Flowers of Pakistan’ Nasir & Roberts (1995) […]

Fwd: Botanical specimens collected in H.P. in 1930s: Splendid News : 1 post by 1 author. Attachments (1) I have referred to the extensive set of pressed specimens collected by Dr Walter Koelz, University of Michigan and Thakur Rup Chand primarily in the upper Kulu Valley, Lahaul and Ladakh, in the 1930s for Nicholas Roerich’s ‘Urusvati’ Institute, […]

Efloraofindia helps in biodiversity conservation, bioprospecting and identification : 3 posts by 2 authors. Kindly accept my heartiest congratulations on bringing out excellent information on all group of flowering plants of India. It is a great contribution to the field  of plant science. The data generated would be of great help in biodiversity conservation, bioprospecting […]

Database on Indian marine algae : 4 posts by 4 authors. Today I noticed

Species nova, Comb.nov. : 2 posts by 2 authors. Just for record for compiles The use of Species nova, Comb. nov. is meant only for the publication in which it is first published. For subsequent citation we drop these and if needed replace by year of publication or full citation of publication. /species/a—l/b/boraginaceae/pseudomertensia-echioides/pseudomertensia-moltkioides Thanks, … .

Sleepless nights : Attachments (1) I am sharing herewith an article which appeared in Taxon in 2014 on the above subject.  I request you all to kindly comment and give your valuable opinion and suggestions which will enrich our knowledge. Interesting article and a real message and warning of a sort. Molecular studies are helpful […]

Herbarium specimen can be used for Molecular studies??? : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)   In a previous thread  it was discussed that molecular techniques may not be applicable to herbarium specimen.I was under impression that it can be, some vague memory of something i had read outside of medical literature.  i feel herbarium collections […]