Taxonomy of the Family Loxogrammaceae Ching Ex Pic.-Ser. in India

Abstract

The family Loxogrammaceae Ching ex Pic.-Ser. is represented by singular genus Loxogramme (Bl.) Presl. in India. Study and scrutiny of the herbarium specimens collected from all over India, and the specimens deposited at the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun (DD) and the National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow (NBRI) together with the photographs of type and authentic specimens, microfisches, protologues etc. established the occurrence of 20 species against 2 species recognised by Beddome (1883, 1892) from the Indian-region. It has also been observed that morphologically two populations may be remarkably seggregated as larger fronds with monolete spores and smaller fronds with trilete spores. Three new taxa viz. L avalanchia Dixit et Das, L. mussooriana Dixit et Das and L. manipuriensis Das et Dixit have been described in addition to several new records of species reported by various workers from time to time.

Key to the species, illustrations of diagnostic characters, current nomenclature, description, specimens examined, distribution etc, have been provided for facilitating easy identification.