Curculigo konkanensis (Hypoxidaceae), a new species from the lateritic plateaus of Konkan region of Western Ghats based on morphological and molecular evidence

Abstract

A new species Curculigo konkanensis, is described from the lateritic plateaus of the Konkan region of Maharashtra, India. The new species is allied with C. brevifolia and C. orchioides but differs in the characters of rootstock, height of plant, leaves, bracts, capsules and seeds. Cytological parameters, Karyotype formula, total haploid chromosome length (THCL), Value of CVCL and MCA also supported the distinctness of C. konkanensis, C. brevifolia and C. orchioides. Based on plastid DNA data, the new species is placed in Curculigo orchoides subclade and shows phylogenetic affinity with Curculigo brevifolia.