Notes on the nomenclature and distribution of <i>Commicarpus</i> species (Nyctaginaceae) found in Indian region

While working on the family Nyctaginaceae, discrepancies were noticed in the number of Indian species enumerated in the genus Commicarpus Standl. by various authors and the accepted names were also different from each other. Recently, Pramanick & al. (2018) and Pramanick (2020, 2024) in their Nyctaginaceae account recognized only three species in India, but one of the accepted names provided in the work published in 2018 was different from that of 2020 and 2024 publications. A thorough scrutiny has been made by referring various literature and found, in India total five species can be recognized, whereas in Pakistan four species are recorded. In Myanmar and Sri Lanka only one species, the common Commicarpus chinensis (L.) Heimerl is only known, whilst in Nepal, Bhutan & Bangladesh no species of this genus reported so far. The species Commicarpus plumbagineus (Cav.) Standl. (syn. C. verticillatus (Poir.) Standl.) has been excluded from India. A key has been provided to easily distinguish the five species recognized to be found in our region along with the nomenclatural as well as distributional notes where ever required.