RHYNCHOGLOSSUM BLUME (GESNERIACEAE): A NEW GENERIC RECORD FOR FLORA OF ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is rich in floral diversity and high rate of endemism due to the isolations of these islands group and several floral species have yet to be reported. In this paper, we report Rhynchoglossum obliquum Blume, which is a small flowering plant (Angiosperm) belongs to family Gesneriaceae, this genus till now unknown from these islands. We recently collected this specimen from the Limestone Cave area in Nayadera Village, Baratang Island, marking the first recorded instance of this genus in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The study includes a concise taxonomic description, photographs, a distribution map, conservation status and details on its ethnomedicinal uses.