GENUS CHARA LINN.

FROM NAVAPUR,
DISTRICT NANDURBAR, MAHARASHTRA
(INDIA)

Jaiswal A.G.
Arts, Commerce and Science College
Navapur;
Dist. Nandurbar 425 418 Maharashtra
(India)
navapuracs@gmail.com
 ABSTRACT
During the study of systematic account Charophytes of Sakri and
Navapur taluka, district Dhule and Nandurbar respectively,
Maharashtra the author collected three taxa of genus Chara Linn.

Out of three taxa Chara grovesii Pal. is recorded first time from
Maharashtra.

These genus Chara Linn from this region have not been studied
earlier. This is the first ever attempt to explore, enumerate and
taxonomically evaluate the algal component of the area. Distribution
of the taxa in India has been discussed. The quantitative availability of
species is also noted.

Key words: Charophytes, Systematic account, Sakri, Navapur.

 INTRODUCTION
• The good deal of literature is now available on Indian
Charophytes- Pundhir and Chauhan (1998), Pal et. al. (1962),
Pundhir et. al. (1993), Allen (1925, 1928, 1933, 1936), Pal and
Venkataraman (1962), Sarma (1977), Ramjee and Bhatnagar
(1978), Pundhir et. al. (1994), Anand and Langer (1988),
Pundhir and Gautam (1993), Gonzalves and Vidya (1963),
Bharati (1990), Sinha and Verma (1970), Mukherjee and Noor
(1980), Noor and Ahmed (1985, 1998), Das and Peters (1990),
Subramanian (1981, 1983a, 1983b, 1985), Chatterjee (1970,
1975), Bharathan and Sundarlingam (1984), Bharathan (1990).
No information exists on these genus Chara Linn. from Sakri
and Navapur taluka. Three taxa belonging to genus Chara Linn.
collected from different places. Out of three taxa one is reported
for the first time from Maharashtra.
 MATERIALS AND METHOD
• During study of algal flora of this region the survey of
Charophytes was carried out. The collections were made at
every fortnight from all possible places. The materials were
preserved in 4 % formaldehyde.
• The Charophytes were identified with the help of
available publications and monograph i.e. Pal et.al. (1962),
Sundarlingam (1959), Biswas (1980), Vaidya and Gonzalves
(1963), Vaidya (1967), Pundhir et. al. (1994) etc.
• Distribution of the taxa in India has been studied with
the available literature. The quantitative availability of
species is also noted. For quantitative abundance
abbreviations are used as: C- common; RC- rather common;
VC- very common; R- rare; RR- rather rare; VR- very rare.
 SYATEMATIC ACCOUNT

CHAROPHYTA
CHARALES
CHARACEAE
CHAREAE Leon.
CHAIRA Linnaeus.
Chara grovesii Pal.
(Fig.1 a-b-c)
Pal. B.P., Kundu B.C., Sundaralingam V.S. and
Venkataraman G.S., 1962, p. 102, f239-242.
• Monoecious, 400-600 µ in diam ; internodes 1-4 times
the length of branch lets; axis certificated, cortex
diplostichous; spine cells rudimentary; stipulates in
two series; blunt; branch lets 9-11; entirely ecortioate
with 5-6 segments; bract cells usually 2-4, well
developed, unequal in length; gametagia produced at
the two lowest nodes, antheridia 420-515 µ broad;
spiral cells showing 11-13 convolutions; coronula 70-
90µ high, 150-190 µ wide at the base, oospores black,
with 9-11 ridges, 500-525 µ long; 300-325 µ broad.
• Habitat: - In a pool (C)
• CBN: - 20. (Navagaon: 10.03.2016)
• Distribution:-Bi-Chaibasa (Das & Peters, 1990).
 Chara brachypus Braun.
(Fig. 2 a-b-c)

• Sundaralingam V.S., 1959; proc. Indian Acad. Sci., 49B; p.39

f83, 8486- 88.
• Pal B.P., Kundu B.C. Sundaralingam V.S. and Venkataraman
G.S., 1962; p. 111, f259-260.
• Biswas K, 1980; p.94, pl. 10, f.106.
• Monoecious, 18-20 cm. height, calcium incrusted, axis up to 550
µ in diam., internodes as long as or somewhat longer than the
branch lets, cortex triplostichous; primary cortical cells equally
developed as the secondary ones; spine-cells rather frequent
short, solitary, stipulates in a double whorl, twice as numerous as
the branch lets 9-12 in whorl, consisting of 5-8 segments, the
cate, bract cells 6-8; posterior pair reduced or rarely absent,
terminal segment short penultimate long, bracteoles similar to
but longer than the bracts, shorter or as long as oogonia;
gametagia at the lowest three nodes, antheridia 300-385 µ
diam , oogonia 600-900 µ long; 400-623 µ broad ; spiral cells
forming 13-15 convdutions; cornula 1 15-130 µ high ; 150-200 µ
wide at the base, oospores black with 12-13 ridges; 550-700 µ
long ; 325-500 µ broad membrane granulate.
• Habitat: - In a lake. (C)
• CBN: - 55. (Kondai Bari: 29.09.2016)
• Distribution - M.P-Sagar, UP. Kathiawar,
Gonda, Oudh, Saharanpur; & K Kashmir, T.N.
Tinnanus (Pal et.al., 1962); M.S. - Bombay,
Jogeswari, Boreveli (Dixit, 1937) Kolhapur
(Kamat, 1963) Alibag (Kamat, 1968).
Chara zeylanica Klein ex. Willd. Crow. var. zeylanica R.D.W. form zeylanica R.D.W. (Fig. 3 a-b-c)

• Vaidya B.S. and Gonzalves E.A., 1963;

Phykos, 20(1-2); 33-37
• Vaidya B.S. 1967; Hydrobiologia, 29 (1-
2), .258.
• Biswas K., 1980; p.94, pl. 10, f.105. Pundhir
H.S., Gautam A. and Vidyavati, 1994; Phykos,
33 (1-2);.3
• Plant monoecious 25.65 cm, high. Axis 540-656 µ in diam,
internodes 1-4 times as long as the branch let, 6.1 cm long, cortex
triple ostichlous, spine cell solitary, acute, 60-604 µ long, 30-92
µbroad, stipulates in two tiers, 2 sets per branch let, uppers
elongated, generally longer than basal bran let segment, rarely
smaller, 1% -2 times as long a lowers, acuminate, 498-900 µ long,
75-104 µ wide, lower acute or apiculate 190-515 µ long, 61-117 µ
wide, Branch let 8-11 in a whorls, 0.9 to 2.3 cm. long 260-482 µ
broad, segments 8-11 of which basal end segment ecorticate while
remaining 3 corticate, basal segment 1-3 times as long as wide,
581-698 µ long end segment 1 cells, acuminate. Bract cells 4-7, 90-
910 µ long, 48-142 µ broad gametagia conjoint at 3-5 lowest
branches let node. Oogonia 640-790 µ long excluding coronula,
405-582 µ. long 280-391 µ wide; striae of 9-12 ridges. Antheridia
261-350 µ in diam. Quadra serrate.
• Habitat: - On stream bank
• CBN: - 230 (Wadphali: 04.10.2016)
• Distribution :- M. S.-Mula-Mutha River, Poona
(Vaidya & Gonzalves, 1963) (Vaidya, 1967) ;
U.P.- Moradabad (Ramjee & Bhatnagar, 1978)
Sultanpur (Khan, 1985) Aligarh (Pundhir et.al.,
1994); Ra - Kutch (Vaidya & Gonzalves, 1963) ;
G.S.- Hari-Baroda, Viramga , Ankles war
(Vaidya & Gonzalves 1963); T.N. Madras
(Sundarlingam, 1954) Chidambaram
(Subramanian, 1983).
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