Despite an existing India-wide inventory of alien plant species, an inventory documenting the occurrence of naturalized alien plant species in each of the Indian states (including union territories) was not available yet. We compiled from the literature a list of naturalized alien vascular plant species with data on their occurrence in 33 Indian states, and related the richness of naturalized species per state to climate, socioeconomic parameters and human influence. In total, we report 471 naturalized species in India, which

The present study deals with pollen morphology of fifteen species of Commelinaceae belonging to three genera: Commelina (6 species), Cyanotis (7 species) and Murdannia (2 species), collected from different localities in Andhra Pradesh, India. Species have shown diversity in size, shape and ornamentation, but all share a common feature; heteropolar and monosulcate apertural nature. While all the six species of Commelina have echinate ornamentation, four of them with prolate shape and two others have spheroidal shape. Seven species of Cyanotis have granular ornamentation and prolate in shape, except Cyanotis axillaris which is perprolate. Both the species of Murdannia have granular ornamentation; but differ in shape: prolate in M. nodiflora and perprolate in M. nimmoniana. These observations are of immense value in taxonomical, melissopalynological and aeropalynological studies.

The extent of genetic diversity within a species is an important determinant of successful adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. Assessment of extent of genetic diversity/variability is also important to monitor genetic erosion within a species. In threatened plant species, genetic diversity assessment helps in selection of genetically diverse populations to enrich the genetically impoverished populations, thus minimizing the probability of genetic drift. Confirming taxonomic identity of threatened species, particularly those belonging to species complexes with dispute identity, is another essential task in the conservation of threatened species, which is best resolved through molecular approaches. The present study estimated the genetic variability within and among the populations of four threatened species, viz. Justicia beddomei (C.B. Clarke) Bennet (Acanthaceae), Embelia ribes Burm. f. (Myrsinaceae), Madhuca insignis (Radlk.) H.J. Lam (Sapotaceae) and Cycas beddomei Dyer (Cycadaceae) using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers for selecting the genetically diverse populations. The phylogeny was analysed through ITS (nrDNA) and matK (cpDNA) sequences to confirm the species identity.The phylogenetic analyses confirmed four distinct species of Justicia, which also revealed that J. beddomei and J. adhatoda were sister groups with a common ancestor showing rapid parallel speciation with J. gendarussa in one clade and J. betonica in another. Madhuca insignis with extremely small population in the Western Ghats (Karnataka to Kerala) might have undergone either extensive hybridization or incipient speciation. In case of Embelia species, a greater evolutionary closeness between E. subcoraceae and E. floribunda was revealed, while E. ribes had a distinct clad. Both ISSR and SSR markers distinguished various genotypes of Cycas beddomei.

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Dipcadi krishnadevarayae B.R.P.Rao (Asparagaceae), a new species from the Sri Krishnadevaraya University campus, Anantapuramu of Andhra Pradesh, India, is described and illustrated.  The novel species is distinct from all other species of Dipcadi in having distinctly 6-lobed stigma and shows close affinity to D. serotinum (L.) Medik. and D. montanum (Dalzell) Baker.  It differs from both allies in having a combination of up to 50cm long linear leaves, 85cm long 16–24 flowered scapes, greenish-yellow flowers, dark green band outside the outer tepals, distinctly 6-lobed stigma and up to 10 seeds in each locule.