Addition of five new generic asteraceous members to the flora of Odisha, India

The proper taxonomic identification presumes first and foremost priority in the scientific documentation of biodiversity. During the present floral inventory five unreported Asteraceous members were recorded from different parts of Odisha. They are Baccharis salicifolia (Ruiz & Pavón) Pers., Calyptocarpus vialis Less., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. var. arvense, Pluchea indica (L.) Less., and Pseudelephantopus spicatus (Juss. ex Aubl) C.F. Baker. A detailed botanical description along with notes on nomenclature, ecology, geographic distribution and coloured photographs of each species have been provided to facilitate easy identification in the field. On close verification of herbarium specimens and proper scrutiny of literature published till date on these taxa, it can be proclaimed that these are new addition to the Flora of Odisha.