Taxonomic identity of Utricularia malabarica (Lentibulariaceae), a species endemic to the lateritic plateaus of the Western Ghats, India Kolte R.R.*, Deshpande A.S., Pillai P.M. & M.K. Janarthanam Department of Botany, Goa University, Goa – 403 206, India. *E-mail: rutuja24kolte@gmail.com Abstract: Utricularia malabarica Janarth. & A.N.Henry, previously considered conspecifc to U. praeterita P.Taylor, is reinstated here based on morphological characters. The diagnostic characters to separate them include the nature of pedicel, shape and lobation of lower lip of corolla and features of spur. Details of habitat, ecology, phenology, photographic and analytical evidences and notes are presented in this paper. Keywords: Bladderworts, Carnivorous plants, Utricularia praeterita. INTRODUCTION The genus Utricularia L. (Lentibulariaceae), also known as bladderworts, comprises of 220 species distributed worldwide (Mabberley, 2017). Taylor (1989) in his world monograph recorded 214 species while Janarthanam and Henry (1992) reported 35 species from India. Subsequently, four new species were added to the genus from the Western Ghats (Yadav et al., 2000, 2005; Naveen Kumar et al., 2018). Nayar et al. (2014) and Singh et al. (2015) reported 28 species from the Western Ghats, of which 13 are endemic to this region. One such endemic and habitat specifc species, U. malabarica Janarth. & A.N.Henry, was described from Kerala by Janarthanam and Henry (1989). This species was also reported from Maharashtra and Goa (Janarthanam, 1994; Nayar et al., 2014; Singh et al., 2015) and Karnataka (Pers. observation). It is closely allied to U. lazulina P.Taylor (Janarthanam & Henry, 1989, 1992) and belongs to the section Oligocista A.DC. Recently, Fleischmann (2012) reduced U. malabarica as a synonym of U. praeterita P.Taylor by stating that they show similarity in “all morphological characters including fruiting pedicel pattern and seed shape”. However, a critical analysis of diferent populations of both taxa in the feld and consultation of type specimens, enabled the authors to reinstate U. malabarica from the synonymy of U. praeterita. Materials and methods Fresh specimens of U. malabarica and U. praeterita were collected from Goa and Maharashtra states. Diferent populations along with published literature including type specimens were studied to understand their range of morphological variations, microhabitat preferences and phenological diferences. Photographs were taken under Nikon Stereo Binocular Microscope (SMZ745T). Voucher specimens were prepared and deposited in the herbarium of the Department of Botany, Goa University. Taxonomic treatment Utricularia malabarica Janarth. & A.N.Henry, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 86(1): 84. 1989, Bladderworts of India 69, f. 18. 1992; Janarth., J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 18: 230. 1994. Type: INDIA, Kerala, Kasaragod district, Mulleriya, 21.08.1985, M.K. Janarthanam 82924 (holo CAL!). Description & illustration: Janarthanam and Henry (1989 & 1992). Flowering & fruiting: July–September. Habitat: Grows on wet lateritic rocks and periphery of puddles in association with Eriocaulon kolhapurense Gaikwad, Sardesai & S.R.Yadav., Rotala spp., Smithia spp., Utricularia praeterita P.Taylor and U. reticulata Smith. Received: 25.03.2018; Revised & Accepted: 29.05.2019 Published Online: 30.09.2019 Vol. 29(3): 215–217 (2019) ISSN: 0971-2313 (Print edition) https://dx.doi.org/10.22244/rheedea.2019.29.3.04 Rheedea Journal of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy RESEARCH ARTICLE RESEARCH ARTICLE