Conservation status of the endemic plant Hypericum gaitii (Hypericaceae) on Similipal Biosphere Reserve of Orissa, India C. Sudhakar Reddy and Chiranjibi Pattanaik C. Sudhakar Reddy Forestry and Ecology Division, National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad 500 037, Andhra Pradesh, India. Chiranjibi Pattanaik1 (Corresponding author) Forestry and Ecology Division, National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad 500 037, Andhra Pradesh, India. E-mail
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Current address: Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Deccan Regional Station, Hyderabad 500 017, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Running header: Conservation of Hypericum gaitii on Similipal BiosphereReserve Word count:
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Abstract Hypericum gaitii, an endemic shrub to Orissa, India, which is located in Similipal Biosphere Reserve of Mayurbhanj district, appears to be restricted to five extant subpopulations with a total population of c. 770 individuals. Major threats to the existence of the species include deforestation, grazing pressure from cattle in nearby villages, largescale fire and utilization of the species by tribal people. The information currently available for the species indicates that it should be categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. For conservation of the species it needs to be included on National Red Data Book on threatened flowering plants of India, and its habitat designated as an ecological reserve. Intensive surveys are required in order to establish whether there are any other extant subpopulations exist in other part of Orissa, and the presently known subpopulations require habitat monitoring and continuous protection.
Keywords: Critically Endangered, endemic, Hypericaceae, Hypericum gaitii, Orissa, Similipal Biosphere Reserve
India is one of the 12 mega-biodiversity countries in the world including two hotspots (Myers, 2003). It occupies 2.4% of world’s land area and contributes nearly 8% of world’s biodiversity. However, conservative estimates suggest that at least 10% of India’s recorded wild flora and 20% of its mammals are on the threatened list (Vagholikar & Moghe, 2003). About 45,000 plant species are reported to occur in India, representing 11% of the known world flora. Among them, 33% flowering plant and 29% of the total Indian flora are
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endemic which contributes to the rich plant diversity in the country (Ahmedullah & Nayar, 1987).
Hypericum is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in world belongs to family Hypericaceae. They are mostly distributed in temperate regions of the world, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and arctic regions. Out of 400 species of this genus, about 29 species occur in India (Aharma & Sanjappa, 1993). The type species of this genus, Hypericum gaitii is distributed in Peninsular India and found only in parts of Jharkhand and Orissa state. Haines collected and described the species from northern Orissa (Haines, 1921-25). Unfortunately, so far the precise locality in Jharkhand state was not recorded. In Flora of Orissa, this species is reported from Similipahar Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Orissa in 1994-96 (Saxena & Brahmam, 1994-96). Many taxonomical works has been done in Orissa but no one reported this species from any other part of Orissa state except Haines and Saxena and Brahmam. There is also not much information available on this species. Earlier, Haines and Saxena and Brahmam mentioned that this species is endemic and threatened by several factors and in verge of extinction (brahmam paper). Out of 28 endemic plants found in Orissa, Hypericum gaitii is one of them, having very narrow range of distribution. Nevertheless, there has been no research on the species since last one decade. After gap of a decade, the authors were able to relocate this species from SBR in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa. Here, a few subpopulations of this species are surviving in fragmented forest patches of moist peninsular high level Sal (Shorea robusta) forest. However, lack of information on population size and distribution in Orissa make it
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difficult to access the effect of past management regulations and to determine its present conservation status.
As the occurrence of the species was not so frequent, we collected three specimens for identification during our 5-6 km walk along the narrow forest road of SBR. Global Positioning System (GPS) points were collected wherever the species was found (Fig. 1). The site locations with latitude, longitude, elevation, aspect and populations are given in Table 1. The species is mostly found in the fringe areas of moist Sal vegetation, which are generally affected by frost in the winter season (Champion and Seth, 1968). The area of occurrence of this species is marked with the help of GPS taken in the field in order to point out locations and declaring ‘zones for conservation’ of the species in future. During our survey, we were able to collect this species in its flowering and fruiting period. The other associated species found along with H. gaitii are given in Table 2. In surveys for H. gaitii carried out in 2004 and 2005 we found only five subpopulations, in the north-eastern part of SBR. A count of each subpopulation indicated that the total population is c. 770 individuals, with subpopulations varying in size from 70 to 245. The species are generally found in north-east and south-east aspect, at altitudes of 550-1000 m. Geological formation of the region consists of sub-metamorphic sandstones and quartzite haematites (Girach et al., 1999). The average temperature and rainfall of the area is 35 ºC and 1,500 mm, respectively (Mishra et al., 2006). A detailed description of the species with additional notes is given below.
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Hypericum gaitii Haines in J. Asiat. Soc. Beng. n.s. 15: 311. 1919 & Bot. Bihar & Orissa 1: 52. 1925; Saxena & Brahmam Fl. Orissa 1: 111.112. 1994; Biswas in Flora of India 3: 58. 1993.
Shrubs, erect, much branched, glabrous, 1-2 m high. Stems stout, terete, redish brown. Leaves sessile, 4-8 x 1-2.5 cm, elliptic-oblong, oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, subamplexicaul at base, subacute at apex, entire, chartaceous, glabrous, glaucous and punctate black glandular beneath, lateral veins 2-3 pairs, parallel, arching towards apex with an intramarginal vein. Flowers yellow, 5-6 in 1-2-chotomous, terminal cymes, 3.5-5 cm across, pedicels 7-12 mm long in flowers and 15-20 mm long in fruits. Sepals 5, free to the base, 10-14 x 4-8 mm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute at apex, distantly serrulate, black glandular punctate. Petals 2.4-2.8 cm long, obliquely obovate or ovate, prominently veined, black glandular punctate. Stamens numerous in 5 fascicles with ca 25 in each, filaments 1.4-1.6 cm long. Ovary 6-7 mm long, ellipsoid-oblong, styles 5, 1-1.5 cm long, slender, erect, free. Stigmas capitate. Capsules 1.5-2 cm long, ellipsoid-oblong, tipped with persistent styles. Seeds numerous, ca 1.2 mm long, linear-oblong, acute to subacute at both ends, scalariform-reticulets. Generally flowering and fruiting happens between April and June.
Proper and adequate information regarding the taxa, its ecological requirements and population dynamics are essential for the conservation and preservation of the species. This may be the main reason why this species is not listed in the IUCN Red List category, Red Data Book of Indian flowering plants and the scheduled category of plants in the
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Indian Wild Life Protection Act 1972. This species is regarded as a threatened and important because (1) it is endemic to Peninsular India, i.e. specific to Orissa, with only five subpopulations currently known that comprise a total of c. 770 individuals found only in a restricted area, (2) this populations are only found along with the moist Peninsular high level Sal forest, which is not found anywhere in Orissa, (3) the area of extent of the subpopulations are less than 10 km2, (4) there is evidence that the species is being collected and used in treatment of skin diseases by the local tribal people of the surrounding areas (Reddy et al., 2006), and (5) the typical habitat of the species has been markedly reduced by past human influence. Based on above information it should be categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (IUCN, 2006), based on criteria B2a+b (IUCN, 2001), i.e. with an area of occupancy of
