Veerankutty Suresh

A new species of Phyllocephalum is described and illustrated from Palakkad district of Kerala, India. The new species shows similarity to P. rangacharii but differs with respect to key floral traits, viz. ovoid shape of the capitula, involucral bracts in 3 series, inflated receptacle and ovoid 6‐ribbed ovary with 5–6 densely barbellate pappus setae. Colour photographs, SEM images of pollen and florets along with a distribution map are provided.

Climate change and biological invasions are major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Ageratum conyzoides L. is a highly aggressive invader, yet its ecological risks and potential range dynamics in India remain insufficiently quantified. To assess its future invasion potential, we applied an ensemble species distribution modelling approach (BIOMOD2 in R), integrating random forest, artificial neural networks, and generalized linear models. Bioclimatic predictors were obtained from CMIP6-based climate projections across four SSP pathways (WorldClim v2.1). Model performance was evaluated using multiple evaluation metrics including TSS, ROC, and Kappa to ensure robustness. Precipitation-related predictors, including precipitation of the wettest month (BIO13; 500–1000 mm), and precipitation seasonality (BIO15; 40–60%) were identified as dominant drivers of distribution. High-suitability areas (≥ 70% probability), the potential invasion-risk zones, are projected to concentrate in the Western Ghats and the Himalayan foothills, with marked upslope expansion, and to extend into the Eastern Ghats and Central Highlands. Least-suitable habitats (climate refugial zones, ~ 2.40 million km² during 1970–2000) are projected to shrink substantially by 2100, to ~ 1.82 million km² (SSP1-2.6), ~ 1.45 million km² (SSP2-4.5), ~ 1.23 million km² (SSP3-7.0), and ~ 1.04 million km² (SSP5-8.5). These contractions indicate a broad climatic shift toward conditions favorable for the spread of the species. Overall, climate change is projected to markedly enhance the potential spread of A. conyzoides across India. The findings underscore the need for proactive, region-specific management in biodiversity hotspots such as the Western Ghats and Himalayas, the protection of climatically stable refugia, and the integration of predictive modeling into national invasive-species management policies.

Ledebouria mavelii, a new species of Asparagaceae, is described and compared with L. hyderabadensis, L. karnatakensis and L. revoluta. Ledebouria mavelii is confined to Palakkad District, Kerala, India. A detailed description, distribution, phenology, photographs and a key to Ledebouria species in India are provided. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted using sequences of two plastid genes, the maturase‐coding gene (matK) and the large subunit of ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase‐coding gene (rbcL) as DNA markers. The phylogenetic trees constructed from matK and rbcL data successfully distinguished each species from one another.

Elaeocarpus munroi (Wight) Mast., commonly called Nilgiri Marble Tree, is a nearly threatened taxa as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This species is endemic to the southern Western Ghats. The present study examines its spatial distribution across the sky islands of the Western Ghats under different climate scenarios (1900–2100) using four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). Species distribution modeling was conducted using ensemble techniques in R, along with various ecological niche modeling algorithms. The present study examines the past, present, and future distribution of E. munroi across the Western Ghats. Historical projections indicated that the highest habitat suitability areas for the species were in the southern and central regions of the Western Ghats. The model projections for the species from 2021 to 2100 indicate a noticeable northward shift in habitat suitability. As climate scenarios change, the central and northern regions of the Western Ghats are becoming more suitable for it. This anticipated shift poses a potential threat to the species persistence, as the availability of suitable habitats decline in its historically preferred southern range. This range shift, coupled with E. munroi’s near-threatened status, emphasizes the urgent need for its conservation interventions. This study pioneers efforts to understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change on E. munroi. This, in turn, offers a foundation for developing targeted conservation strategies in this ecologically important region. The findings highlight the importance of integrating climate change into conservation planning and management practices to safeguard the future of species like E. munroi within the broader ecosystem they inhabit. This study contributes to the growing body of research addressing the complex interplay between climate change and biodiversity conservation, thereby underscoring the need for collaborative and proactive approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.

A new species of Holarrhena from the Palakkad gap of Western Ghats, S. India is described and compared with Holarrhena pubescens. Detailed description, distribution, phenology, illustration, key and photographs are provided.

A new species, Impatiens minnamparaensis, belonging to section uniflorae is described and illustrated from southern Western Ghats of Kerala. It is morphologically similar to Impatiens sasidharanii but can easily be distinguished in having ovate-oblong leaf, milky white distal lobe of keel petal, red blotch on lower sepal, pollen architecture and capsule morphology. It is also showing similarities with I. rupicola but differs in shape of lower sepal, shape of distal lobe, number of flowers per axil, anther, pollen and capsule morphology. Impatiens minnamparaensis is assessed here as Endangered based on the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List.

A new species of Stellaria from the Nelliyampathy hills of Palakkad district (Kerala, SW-India) is described and illustrated. The new species can be considered as part of the S. media group but differs from the various species with respect to bracts, sepals, petals, pollen morphology and seed surface architecture. Molecular analyses (ITS) confirmed the validity of the new taxon.

The article provides a detailed ecological study of two plant species, _Alstonia venenata_ and _Cryptolepis buchanani_, both belonging to the Apocynaceae family. The study covers various aspects of the plants' flowering, pollination, fruiting, and se...

Three new species of Polycarpaea, Polycarpaea barbellata, P. ebracteata and P. psammophila, are described from the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. The new species are allied to P. corymbosa and P. aurea but can be visibly distinguished by unique character combinations, viz. shape of sepal, petal, bract and bracteole and seed morphology. Detailed descriptions along with illustrations and photographs are provided.