ThefamilyAmaranthaceaeJuss.representsapproximately2,500 species across 179 genera worldwide.InIndia,46 genera and over 150 species have been reported, and in Karnataka, about 22 genera and 48 taxa, including intraspecific taxa (7), havebeenreportedsofar.ThegenusAchyranthesL.records33acceptedspeciesfromSouthEastMexicotoVenezuela,S.FloridatotheCaribbean,Tropical&SubtropicalOldWorld(5).InKarnataka,thegenusis representedbythreespeciesandtwovarieties(Achyranthesasperavar.asperaL.,A.asperavar.porphyristachya(Wall.exMoq.)Hook.,A.asperavar.rubrofusca(Wight)Hook.,A.bidentataBlume,A.coyneiSantapau).

            AchyranthescoyneiwasdescribedbySantapau(8) from Khandala, Maharashtra.Subsequently,thespecieswasrecordedfromdifferentdistrictsofMaharashtra, viz., Raigad, Sindhudurg, Thane, and Amaravati (10; 3), until it was reported from Karnataka (4). ItisconsideredendemictoMaharashtra.Sofar, the species is restricted to Maharashtra and Karnataka (7;6).As per Paiand allcategorized this species as Endangered; however, Punkear&Lakshminarsimhan considered it LeastConcern.Inrecentexplorationsinthe centralpartsofKarnataka, the species has been collected outside the district reported so far, and this report extends its distributionsouthwardsinKarnataka.Specimenshavebeencollected,processed, and prepared using the standard procedure (1) and deposited in the national herbarium, Herbarium UASB, of the University of Agricultural Sciences,Bangalore.Detailedcomparativeaccountsof seed and pollen morphometry for Achyranthescoynei and A. aspera var. aspera have been provided to facilitate distinguishing thespecies.

MATERIALSANDMETHODS

Studyarea:Thepresentstudywas conducted in the central and southern parts of Karnataka, with districts covering Chikkamangaluru, Davangere, Dharwad, Gadag, Hassan, and Haveri.Vegetationinthesedistrictsisofsemi-evergreen,moistdeciduousanddrydeciduoustypes (Figure 01).

Micro-morphology:Maturefruitsofbothspecies,A.coyneiandA.asperavar.aspera,werecollected, and the seeds were carefullyseparated.Theseedswerewashedwith98%alcoholandplaceddirectlyona stub(2).Theanthersofbothspecies, A. coynei and A. aspera var. aspera, were collected, and the pollen was carefully collected in a vial and dipped in 70% alcohol to remove unwanted gelatinous and fattysubstances.A 98% alcohol wash has been used to remove excess water content (11).Thesamplesweredriedtothe criticalpoint forSEMstudies.Microphotographs were taken using a JEOL JSM-IT500LA Scanning Electron Microscope (USIC-SAIF-DST, Karnatak University, Dharwad) with a mini-gold sputter, sputtering gold for 30 s at ~70 mTorr.Microphotographsweretakenatdifferentpowersettings, with 500 µm, 50 µm, and10µm(9).

RESULTS

Taxonomictreatment:Ataxonomickeyto distinguish closely related species, along with a detailed description of the species and micro-morphological details of the seed and pollen grains, has been provided, with a photoplateforeasyidentificationinthefield.

1a  Densepinkspike,flowers5mm,openserectorstraight                                                   A.coynei

1b  Lessdense,greenish-pink,flowers3mm,opensbent                                    A.asperavar.aspera

AchyranthescoyneiSantapau,KewBull.1948:488.1949;Mishra&Singh,End.Threat.Fl.Pl.MH.196,2001;Sandeepetal.,J.Threat.Taxa.3(6):1875,2011;Sanjappa&Sringeswara,Fl.Karnataka.2:57.2019;Ravikumaretal.,SeedPlantsofKarnataka.115.2021.                                                                                                                                   Figure03,04

Perennialsub-erectundershrubto1.5mhigh.Stemterete,woody;branchesquadrangular,youngeronespubescent,greenorwithpurplepatches,olderonesglabrousorglabrescent,browntopurple;nodesswollen.Leavesaredeciduous,dimorphic,withloweronesbeinglarger,15–22´9.6–10cm,whereasupperonesgraduallydecreasesinsize,ellipticorelliptic-lanceolate,acuteoracuminate,subglabrousabove,pubescentbeneath,slightlywavy;petiole1–3cmlong,channeled,pinkabove,andgreenbeneath.Flowersinspikes,dense,21–40cmlong,rachisdenselypubescentandwhitish.Bractpersistent,linearandmembranouswithdistinctmidrib,smallerthanthelongesttepal,upto5mmlongwithrosytingeatthebase;bracteolestwowiththinpaperywinglikestructureatthebase.Tepals5intwowhorls,8´1mm,glabrous,ribbed,marginscarious.Stamens5withfilamentsfusedatbase;staminodesfimbriate,halfthelengthofthefilaments,alternativelyplacedwithpink.Ovarytruncate;styleandstigmapink;style4mmlong,filiform;stigmacapitellate.Fruitacapsuleca.5mm,enclosedwithinpersistenthardenedtepals;seed1,cylindrical,smoothandbrown.

Phenology:Flowering:December;Fruiting:January.

Specimenexamined:India,Karnataka,Chikkamagluru District, Ajampura, 06/12/2025,ShreyasBetageri 06 (UASB5902); Davangere District, Channgeri road, 06/12/2025,ShreyasBetageri 05 (UASB5901); DharwadDistrict,Dhaneshwarinagar,JSScollegecampus,10/12/2025,ShreyasBetageri08(UASB5904);GadagDistrict,JalashankaraGudda,Nagavi,08/12/2025,ShreyasBetageri&PrashantKaradakatti 03(UASB5899); Hassan District, Belur road, 06/12/2025,ShreyasBetageri 07 (UASB5903);HaveriDistrict,Halgeri,06/12/2025,ShreyasBetageri04(UASB5900) (Figure 02).

Distribution:India[Gujarat(Kachchhdistrict),Maharashtra(Raigad,Sindhudurg,ThaneandAmaravati),andKarnataka(Earlierdistribution:Belgaum;Presentdistribution:Chikkamagluru, Davangere, Dharwad,Gadag, Hassan, Haveri)],Endemic.

Conservationstatus:According to the current survey across six districts, the population is abundant along road sides, but it is not continuous; it is fragmented.Thethreats to plants include roadside fires,cleaning,and road widening.Sinceitisan importantmedicinalplantandendemictoSouthernIndia,itneedstobeconserved,even though its population is relatively healthy.

Pollen morphology:

Pollen of A. coynei shows a unit as a monad, small, about 17.03 ± 0.33 × 16.2 ± 0.93 µm; the pollen parameter in A. aspera var. aspera is about 13.61 ± 0.54 × 13.80 ± 0.44 µm. The A. coynei pollen class is porate, isopolar. The Pollen and equatorial ratios showed the class as isodiametric; shape exhibits spheroidal; sparsely granulate, non-punctate; outline in polar view is circular; aperture number 8 or more; aperture type: porus; aperture condition: porate, pantoporate; aperture membrane ornamented, pantoaperturate. The pollen surface is psilate-scabrate. Pollen morphometry of both species shows variation in size, with a Verrucate shape (Figure 5).

Seed morphometry:

            A.aspera var. aspera shows a grey-blackish color with an oblong-obtuse seed shape. The seed is 2.2 ± 0.33 × 1.2±0.55 mm. Testa cells show reticulate streaks with a black dot. The testa cell is about 183.1 ± 1.23 × 43.67±2.54 µm(Figure 6).

            A. coynei shows a grey-blackish color with an oblong-obtuse seed shape. The length of the seed is 2.3 ± 0.81 × 1.8 ± 0.54 mm. Testa cells show reticulate streaks. The testa cell is about 163 ± 2.24 × 37.8 ± 5.44 µm (Figure 6).

Acknowledgement

AuthorsarethankfultoUSICDSTSAIFSEMAnalysis,KarnatakUniversity,Dharwad,forSEMphotographsandmeasurements.IalsothankDr.NikithaBetageri,Dr.P.R.BetageriandMissVeenaBetagerifortheircooperationduringthe collectionofspecies. Also thank Miss Vanaja G. Patgar for her assistance in preparation of Herbarium. Thank Miss SpoorthiDeshi and Mr. Shivanand, JSS college staff for her keen observation during field.

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