Ranunculaceae in Assam and North East Frontier Agency

Abstract

The paper presents an enumeration of 11 genera with 34 species of the family Ranunculaceae, collected from Assam and N.E.F.A., furnishes important notes on the habit and habitat of each species together with exact localities of occurrence and abundance in the areas and classifies in a tabular form the altitudinal range of distribution of each species. It appears that Anemone rupestris Wall., Caltha palustris Linn. and Ranunculus brotherusi var. dasycarpus (Maxim.) Hand-Ma . are new records of species for Assam and N.E.F.A. and Coptis teeta Wall. turns up as endemic species to Eastern India. Whereas Caltha spp. and Ranunculus hirtellus Royle are restricted to temperate and suhalpine altitudes, a few genera, viz. Anemone, Clematis and Ranunculus are distributed over tropical, subtropical and temperate forests in the area. Anemone rivularis Hamilt. and Clematis munroana Wight are a few of the 8 species with widest distribution in the area and extend their range of distribution to the neighbouring countries, e.g., Ceylon, Java, Philippines, America, etc.