1ICAR-NBPGR Regional Station, Thrissur-680656, Kerala, India
2Department of Botany, Baselius College, Kottayam-686001, Kerala, India
3Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur-680656, Kerala, India
4Bioinformatics Centre (DBT-DIC), IT-BT Complex, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur-680656, Kerala, India
*Author for Correspondence: Email- Joseph.K@icar.gov.in
Online published on 9 April, 2021.
Momordica sahyadrica subsp. anamalayana KJ John, K Pradheep et Krishnaraj, a narrow endemic taxon, is described and illustrated. This new subspecies differs from Momordica sahyadrica subsp. sahyadrica in having a slender stem, subsessile male flower pedicel, narrow male sepal, corolla base cupular with acuminate apex, stigma greenish-yellow and fruits small (14-18 g) with snout-like rostration. It has a delicate growth habit with niche specificity, occupying the evergreen forest floor in the mid elevation ranges in the Anamalai Range of Western Ghats in Kerala, India. Sequence analysis of the candidate gene matK in M. sahyadrica subsp. anamalayana, along with the sequences of M. sahyadrica subsp. sahyadrica, and other available species in India, indicated that M. sahyadrica subsp. anamalayana to be genetically close to M. sahyadrica subsp. sahyadrica but distinct from other species. An identification key for Indian species of Momordica is also provided.
Crop wild relatives, Endemism, Momordica sahyadrica, Western ghats
