Impatiens stolonifera, a new scapigerous species of Balsaminaceae from the southern Western Ghats, is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically allied to Impatiens scapiflora, but differs by having a stoloniferous tuber and white flowers with conspicuously long and broad spur.

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2014), this genus remained unknown from the mainland India. During floristic exploration in the Idukki district of Kerala, which falls under the Anamalai phytogeographical region of the Western Ghats, we have collected a mycoheterotrophic species in the humus-rich soil in a patch of evergreen forest at medium elevation. After critical examination, it turned out to be an undescribed species of Thismia. We therefore report this finding as the first record of the genus from India and describe it as a new species here. Morphologically, the genus Thismia is characterized a reduced habit with scale-like leaves, and actinomorphic or rarely zygomorphic, urceolate to campanulate flowers. There are six perianth lobes, usually free or sometimes three inner lobes connivent at the apex forming an erect mitre with three openings (Jonker 1948).Uniquely for the genus, the new species has a mitre with only one opening, which is the major distinguishing character of the new species from other known species.

A new species in the Lauraceae, Litsea manilaliana Robi & Udayan, is described and illustrated from the Wagamon hills in India. The new species is similar to L. gorayana, from which it differs by its densely lenticellate branchlets, its elliptic leaves with cuneate base, obtuse apex and pale-glaucous undersurface, its adaxially flat midrib, its 5–7 pairs of lateral veins with abaxially prominent, scalariform-reticulate intercostae, its brachyblasts with 4–8 umbels, its umbels with 4 fragrant flowers, its ovate-oblong or oblong, gland-dotted, glabrous tepals, its slightly curved style, its globose ovary, its obovoid fruits with beaked apex and its glabrous fruiting pedicel.

S h o r tt C omm u n fi c a tt fi o n N o tt e s o n tt h e tt a x o n om y a n d d fi s tt r fi b u tt fi o n o f ttw o e n d em fi c a n d tt h r e a tt e n e d d fi p tt e r o c a r p tt r e e s f r om tt h e W e s tt e r n G h a tt s o f K e r a l a , I n d fi a M . S . S a n fi l , V . B . S r e e k um a r , K . A . S r e e j fi tt h ,