Elymus magnispicatus (Poaceae), a new species from Inner Mongolia, China, is described and illustrated. While morphologically similar to E. excelsus, it can be diagnostically differentiated by a combination of characters: a taller plant, villous leaf sheaths, longer leaves and spikes, as well as longer spikelets with a greater number of florets. A detailed morphological comparison with related taxa is provided.
Paphiopedilum niveum (Rchb.f.) Stein, commonly known as the "Lady's Slipper" orchid, is an endangered species highly prized for its beauty. Efforts to utilize orchid-mycorrhizal associations in this species have been made to reduce the mortality rate of new in vitro seedlings. Although some fungal groups have recently been identified in this orchid, data on host cells and cell walls features during colonization in this plant remain limited. This research aimed to provide detailed cellular and sub-cellular observations of mycorrhizal roots of P. niveum. Histological and ultrastructural analyses revealed that the outer cortex was the most common site of colonization. Callose wall deposition was observed in the exodermis, endodermis, some sclerenchyma cells in the pith, and peloton clump. Significant cellular changes, such as plasma membrane invagination, intact nuclei with condensed heterochromatin, hyphal vacuolization, and lipid droplet formation were shown. These observations enhance our understanding of the cellular characteristics involved in orchid-fungus interactions.
A new species of Balsam, Impatiens pfutserensis S.Singh, B.Singh & M.Bhuyan, belonging to Impatiens sect. Racemosae Hook.f. & Thomson, is described herein from the Phek District of Nagaland, India. The species is distinguished by a unique combination of diagnostic characters: unwinged stems lacking swollen nodes, forward-directed marginal leaf teeth, an eight-flowered inflorescence, and pink flowers with white patches. It is further characterized by a long spur and a ridged capsule. While morphologically similar to I. stenantha Hook.f. and I. prainii Hook.f., I. pfutserensis differs from both in several key traits. Inhabiting subtropical montane forest ecosystems, the species is presented here with detailed data on its morphology, distribution, phenology, and conservation status, alongside photographic documentation to facilitate accurate identification.
Fimbristylis prasadii, a new species of Cyperaceae is described from the Bhatkal Lateritic Plateau in Karnataka, India. It morphologically resembles F. pauciflora R.Br., but can be recognised by the well-developed ligulate leaves, membranous or subchartaceous glumes with 1-nerved keel, occurrence of 3 stamens, triquetrous nutlet with its prominent angles almost winged towards apex and subtruncate with a shallow depression at apex. Also, the epidermal cells on nutlet surface are transversely linear-oblong. A detailed description, distribution, phenology, images of the plant and its floral parts, and a comparison with related species are provided.
Indigenous plant knowledge is central to biodiversity use and livelihood support in subtropical lowland agroecosystems, yet its association with land-use-defined settlement types remains insufficiently documented. This study aimed to document and compare ethnobotanical diversity and plant-use patterns across five settlement types in Punjab, Pakistan. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 2022 to 2024 through open-ended interviews with 300 respondents representing forest, riverine, farmland, rural, and urban settlements. Field walks, specimen collection, and taxonomic identification were conducted using the Flora of Pakistan and Plants of the World Online. Species overlaps were examined using Venn diagrams, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to assess settlement-wise knowledge patterns. A total of 373 plant species belonging to 69 families were recorded across the study area. Medicinal plants constituted the dominant use category (297 species), followed by fodder, ornamental, timber, vegetable, and fruit plants. Forest settlements showed the highest species richness (215 species), while urban areas recorded the lowest (89 species), although several taxa were unique to urban habitats. Six culturally important species were consistently reported across all settlement types, indicating broad ecological tolerance. High species overlap occurred between forest and riverine as well as forest and farmland settlements. Farmland communities documented numerous cultivated and semi-wild taxa, whereas rural settlements integrated both wild and managed resources. Urban respondents preferentially maintained ornamentals and fruit trees associated with cultural value and managed landscapes. The spatial distribution of shared and exclusive taxa reflects localized ecological knowledge structured by land-use heterogeneity in subtropical lowlands.
