HYDROCOTYLE VERTICILLATA THUNB. (APIACEAE) - A NEW ANGIOSPERMIC RECORD FOR BANGLADESH

The genus Hydrocotyle L. belongs to the family Apiaceae consists of about 100 species distributed throughout temperate and tropical region of the world (Airy-Shaw, 1897). In the Indian subcontinent Clarke (1879) reported 5 species of Hydrocotyle from the British India, namely, H. javanica Thunb., H. burmanica Kurz, H. conferta Wight, H. rotundifolia Roxb. and H. asiatica L. Prain (1903) documented only 2 species of Hydrocotyle viz. H. rotundifolia Roxb. and H. asiatica L. from the then Bengal. This genus is represented by a single species Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides Lam. (H. rotundifolia Roxb.) in Bangladesh (Rahman, 2008). Recently a specimen of the genus Hydrocotyle was collected from Azimpur of Dhaka city. After critical study, it has been identified as Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. with the help of Britton and Brown (1913). Hydrocotyle verticillata is distinguished from H. sibthorpioides Lam. by having verticillate inflorescence, larger leaflets and longer petiole. Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. was not reported earlier from the areas that now falls under the present territory of Bangladesh by the workers of this region, viz. Clarke (1879), Prain (1903), Heinig (1925), Cowan (1926), Raizada (1941), Datta and Mitra (1953), Sinclair (1956), Khan and Afza (1968), Khan and Banu (1972), Khan and Hassan (1984), Khan et al. (1994), Mia and Khan (1995), Rahman and Hassan (1995), Uddin et al. (1998), Uddin and Rahman (1999), Khan and Huq (2001), Rahman et al. (2001), Rashid and Mia (2001), Uddin et al. (2003), Rahman (2004a, b), Hossain et al. (2005), Alam et al. (2006) and Islam et al. (2009). Hence, it is being reported here as a new record for Bangladesh. A detailed taxonomic account along with illustration of the plant has been made based on the fresh materials. The collected specimen has been preserved in the Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka (DACB).

The genus Hydrocotyle L. belongs to the family Apiaceae consists of about 100 species distributed throughout temperate and tropical region of the world (Airy-Shaw, 1897).In the Indian subcontinent Clarke (1879) reported 5 species of Hydrocotyle from the British India, namely, H. javanica Thunb., H. burmanica Kurz, H. conferta Wight, H. rotundifolia Roxb. and H. asiatica L. Prain (1903) documented only 2 species of Hydrocotyle viz.H. rotundifolia Roxb.and H. asiatica L. from the then Bengal.This genus is represented by a single species Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides Lam.(H.rotundifolia Roxb.) in Bangladesh (Rahman, 2008).
A detailed taxonomic account along with illustration of the plant has been made based on the fresh materials.The collected specimen has been preserved in the Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka (DACB).
Ecology: Grows in moist and waste places, by the side of drains of sewerage line and in shady moist soil.
Economic value: Used as background in aquarium, garden pond, sometimes used as indoor plant in America.
Distribution: Native of North and South America, distributed in Canada, Denmark, France, Puerto Rico and Hawaii.