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A new species of Vigna Savi, subgenus Ceratotropis (Piper) Verdc., Vigna yadavii S.P. Gaikwad, R.D. Gore, S.D. Randive & K.U. Garad, sp. nov. is described and illustrated here. It is morphologically close to Vigna dalzelliana (Kuntze) Verdc. but differs in its underground obligate cleistogamous flowers on positively geotropic branches, hairy calyx, small corolla, linear style beak and dimorphic seeds with shiny seed coat.

for Maharashtra. Mishra and Singh (2001) have given detailed account of 215 endemic and threatened taxa from Maharashtra. Irwin and Narasimhan (2011) in a review of endemic genera have reported 49 endemic genera for India, of which 40 are from Peninsular India. As far as endemic flowering plants of the Northern Western Ghats are concerned, no detailed inventory was undertaken in the past. Many new taxa have been described from Northern Western Ghats in the last two decades and several taxa, which were earlier considered as endemic to only Sahyadri Ranges, have been reported from other part of Peninsular India. Hence, it has become necessary to assess the current position of endemic plants of the Northern Western Ghats. The present study is also necessitated due to the fact that endemism is one of the most important factors for determining the status of threatened plants. Several workers have categorized threatened plants of Northern Western Ghats using old IUCN categories. However, the criteria for categorizing the threatened plants have been revised by IUCN (2001). It has become necessary to assess the status of endemic plants in light of the revised IUCN criteria and categories. Materials and Methods Study site Northern Western Ghats of India is popularly known as 'Sahyadri'. It is the northern half of the Western Ghats of India, which is a global biodiversity hotspot and mega-biodiversity center. Sahyadri is a chain of flat top mountains of about 750 km in length running parallel to the West Coast of Peninsular India from the river Tapi, South Gujarat (21°3′59.62″ N, 73°39′8.44″ E) to Goa (14°50′19.00″ N, 74°14′44.10″ E). The biogeographical province of Northern Western Ghats covers about 6,500 km 2 of mountainous terrain. It straddles the states of South

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The endemic Indian genus Haplanthodes (Acanthaceae) is revised. Four species, viz. H. neilgherryensis, H. plumosa, H. tentaculata and H. verticillata and a new variety, H. neilgherryensis var. toranganensis are recognized. Lectotype is designated for Haplanthodes, Haplanthus plumosus and H. verticillaris. The nomenclature of the Linnaean name Ruellia tentaculata is also discussed. Micromorphology of seed using light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) is observed for the first time, and two types, reticulate and micro papillate, have been recognized based on surface sculpturing pattern. The genus differs from the related genera Andrographis and Haplanthus by distinctly two grooved seeds with hygroscopic hairs. Pollen grains of the genus are oblate or prolate spheroidal, distinctly triangular, trizonocolporate with reticulate exine ornamentation.