Research Article | Published: 31 December 2025

Gisekia pharnaceoides (Gisekiaceae): A new record for the Western Himalaya

Bhavana Joshi, Monika Mishra and Sushil Kumar Singh

Indian Journal of Forestry | Volume: 48 | Issue: 3 | Page No. 240-242 | 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2025-R816V7 | Cite this article

Abstract

Gisekia pharnaceoides L. is reported here as a new distributional record for the Western Himalaya from Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve, Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The species is earlier reported from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil, Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal in India. A brief taxonomic description and a field photograph are provided here for its easier identification and further collection in field.

Keywords

Aizoaceae, Gisekia, Gisekiaceae, Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve, Molluginaceae, Uttarakhand

Access Options

250/-

Buy Full Access in HTML Format

Instant access to the full article.

Get access to the full version of this article. Buy Full Access in HTML Format

References

1. Agarwal, S.K., 2017. Flora of Jaunsar Bawar (Chakrata Hills, Western Himalaya) with Ethnobotanical Notes. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun.

Google Scholar

2. Arisdason, W. and Vajravelu, E., 2025. Gisekiaceae. In C. Murugan, W. Arisdason, R. Manikandan, K.A. Sujana, M. Murugesan & A.A. Mao (eds), Flora of India Vol 11 (Cactaceae to Adoxaceae),  pp.81-83. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.

3. Babu, C.R.,  1977. Herbaceous flora of Dehradun. Publication and Information Division (CSIR), New Delhi.

4. Bhandari, M.M., 1990. Flora of The Indian Desert. MPS Repros, 39, BGKT Extension, New Pali Road, Jodhpur.

Google Scholar

5. Bissinger, K., Khoshravesh, R., Kotrade, J.P., Oakley, J., Sage, T.L., Sage, R.F., Hartmann, H.E.K. and Kadereit, G., 2014. Gisekia (Gisekiaceae): Phylogenetic relationships, biogeography and ecophysiology of a poorly known C4 lineage in the Caryophyllales. Am. J. Bot., 101, pp.499–509.  https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1300279

Google Scholar

6. Clarke, C.B., 1879. Ficoideae. In J.D. Hooker (ed.), The Flora of British India. Vol. 2. Reeve & Co. Ltd. Lloyds Bank Buldings, Bank Street, Ashford, Kent. London, Britain.

Google Scholar

7. Daniel, P and Umamaheshwari, P., 2001. The flora of the Gulf of Mannar, Southern India. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, India.

8. Duthie, J.F., 1903.  The Upper Gangetic Plain and of the adjacent Siwalik and Sub Himalayan Tracts. Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta.  https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.21629

9. Gaur, R.D., 1999. Flora of the District Garhwal, North West Himalaya (with Ethnobotanical Notes). Trans Media Srinagar, Garhwal.

Google Scholar

10. Gilbert, M.G., 1993. A review of Gisekia (Gisekiaceae). Kew Bull. 48 (2), pp.343–356.  https://doi.org/10.2307/4117942

Google Scholar

11. Gilbert, M.G., 2000. Gisekiaceae. In Edwards, S.B., Tadese, M.  Demisssew, S.  and Hedberg, I. (eds), Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The National Herbarium and Uppsala, The Department of Systematic Botany, Addis Ababa, pp.238–239.

12. Gupta, R.K., 1968. Flora Nainitalensis. Navyug Publication, New Delhi.

13. Hasan, N.M., Meve, U. and Liede- Schumann, S., 2005. Seed coat morphology of Aizoaceae- Sesuvioideae, Gisekiaceae and Molluginaceae and its systematic significances. Bot. J. Linn. Soc., 148, pp.189–206.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2005.00407.x

Google Scholar

14. Jeffrey, C., 1960. Notes on tropical African Aizoaceae. Kew Bull., 14(1), pp.235–238.  https://doi.org/10.2307/4114793

Google Scholar

15. Joshi, A.C. and Rama Rao, V.,  1936. The embryology of Gisekia pharnaceoides L. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. 3B, pp.7 1–92.  https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03047068

Google Scholar

16. Klaus, K., Rohwer, J.G. and Bittrich, V., 1993. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons: Magnoliid, Hamamelid and Caryophyllid families. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg. 653.

Google Scholar

17. Lee, J., Kim, S.Y., Park, S.H. and Ali, M.A., 2013. Molecular Phylogenetic relaeationship among members of the family Phytolacceae sensu lato inferred from internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Genet. Mol. Res., 12(4), pp.4515–4525.  https://doi.org/10.4238/2013.February.28.15

Google Scholar

18. Mao, A.A. and Dash, S.S., 2020. Flowering Plants of India Annotated Checklist Dicotyledons. Botanical Survey of India.

Google Scholar

19. Nakai, T., 1942.  Notulae ad Plantas Asiae orientalis. J. Jap. Bot., 18, pp.91–120.

20. Nair, N.C., 1978. Flora of the Punjab Plains. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.

21. Osmaston, A.E., 1927. A Forest Flora for Kumaun. Govt. Press. Allahabad 

22. Pusalkar, P.K. and Singh, D. K., 2012. Flora of Gangotri National Park, Western Himalaya, India.  Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.

Google Scholar

23. Pusalkar, P.K.  and Srivastava, S.K., 2018.  Flora of Uttarakhand, Vol. I. Botanical Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi.

24. Raizada, M.B. and Saxena, H.O., 1978. Flora of Mussoorie. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun.

25. Raizada, M.B., 1949. Some interesting plants from Orissa. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 48 (1&2).

26. Raizada, M.B., 1976.  Supplement to Duthie’s Flora of the Upper Gangetic Plain and of the adjacent Siwalik and subHimalayan tracts. Bisen Singh, Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun.

27. Rao, T.A., Banerji, L.K. and Mukherjee, A.K., 1967.  Some plant record for West Bengal. Sci. Cult., 33(3), pp.125.

28. Rohini Latha, K., 2022. Anemophily, entomophily and geophily in facultative xenogamous polychorous species, Gisekia pharnaceoides L. (Gisekiaceae). Species, 23(72), pp.620–630

29. Sathiyaseelan, R., Prabhu, S. and Murugan, C., 2016. Gisekiaceae- A family record for Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indian Journal of Forestry, 39(3), pp.293–294.  https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2016-665657

Google Scholar

30. Shetty, B.V. and Singh, V., 1987. Flora of Rajasthan. Botanical Survey of India.

31. Singh, G. and Rawat, G. S., 2011.  Ethnomedicinal survey of Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary in Western Himalaya, India. Indian J. Fundam. Appl. Life Sci., 1, pp.35–46.

Google Scholar

32. Singh, K.P., Khanna, K.K. and Sinha, G.P., 2016.  Flora of Uttar Pradesh.  Botanical Survey of India.

33. Singh, P.B., 2018. Flora of Mandi District Himachal Pradesh: North West Himalaya.  Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.

34. Srivastav, M., Kumar, A. and Hussain, T.,  2015. Diversity of angiospermic plants in Dhanaulti Region, Uttarakhand: an emerging tourist destination in Western Himalaya. Check list, 11(4).  https://doi.org/10.15560/11.4.1702

Google Scholar

35. Srivastava, S.K. and Shukla, A.N., 2015. Flora of Cold Desert Western Himalaya, India. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.

36. The Plant List, 2014. w.w.w. the plantlist.org. The plant list: working list of all known plant species. Royal Botanic Garden, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden (referred on 24-10-2014).

37. Uniyal, B.P., Sharma, J.R., Chaudhary, U. and Singh, D.K., 2007. Flowering plants of Uttarakhand (A checklist). Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Dehradun.

38. Wight, R., 1840-1856. Illustrations of Indian botany : or figures illustrative of each of the natural orders of Indian plants, described in the author's prodromus florae peninsulae Indiae orientalis. J.B. Pharoah, Madras

About this article

How to cite

Joshi, B., Mishra, M. and Singh, S.K., 2025. Gisekia pharnaceoides (Gisekiaceae): A new record for the Western Himalaya. Indian Journal of Forestry, 48(3), pp.240-242. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2025-R816V7

Publication History

Manuscript Received on 12 January 2025

Manuscript Revised on 09 December 2025

Manuscript Accepted on 17 December 2025

Manuscript Published on 31 December 2025

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: