Dr. Avishek Bhattacharjee​​​​​​​​​​​

IMPORANT CONTRIBUTIONS:

I. New taxa described: 8

1. Amitostigma pathakianum Av. Bhattacharjee

2. Asystasia indica H.J. Chowdhery & Av. Bhattacharjee

3. Asystasia venui Anant Kumar, G. Krishna & Av. Bhattacharjee

4. Gastrochilus pseudocalceolaris S. Dey, L. Phom, Av. Bhattacharjee, Moaakum & K. Eshuo

5. Rhomboda monensis Odyuo, D.K Roy, Av. Bhattacharjee & Ormerod

6. Strobocalyx mastersii B. Bhattacharjee, Lakshmin., S.K. Mukherjee & Av. Bhattacharjee

7. Zeuxine chowdheryi Av. Bhattacharjee & C.M. Sabap. 

8. Zeuxine pantlingii Av. Bhattacharjee & H.J. Chowdhery  

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II. New combinations: 5

1. Odontochilus tetrapterus (Hook. f.) Av. Bhattacharjee & H.J. Chowdhery

2. Goodyera alveolata Pradhan var. medogensis (H.Z. Tian, Y.H. Tong & B.M. Wang) Av. Bhattacharjee, Tsering, Layola, Farheen Banu & Anant Kumar

3. Goodyera schlechtendaliana Rchb. f. var. robusta (Hook. f.) Av. Bhattacharjee & H.J. Chowdhery

4. Rhomboda pulchra (King & Pantl.) Ormerod & Av. Bhattacharjee

5. Tainia megalantha (Tang & F.T. Wang) R.C. Srivastava & Av. Bhattacharjee

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III. New distributional records for India: 13

1. Anoectochilus medogensis H.Z. Tian & Y. Jin

2. Bulbophyllum medioximum J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel

3. Calanthe hancockii R. Br.

4. Calanthe lemellosa Rolfe

5. Cheirostylis tortilacinia C.S. Leou

6. Eria merguensis Lindl.

7. Gastrochilus yei J.W. Li & X.H. Jin

8. Goodyera alveolata Pradhan

9. Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R. Br. var. africana (P. Beauv.) J.K. Morton [also a new record for Asia]

10. Herminium humidicola (K.Y. Lang & D.S. Deng) X.H. Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & Lu Q. Huang

11. Zeuxine agyokuana Fukuy.

12. Zeuxine  grandis Seidenf.

13. Zeuxine parvifolia (Ridl.) K. Schum. & Fedde

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IV. New distributional records for China: 2

   1. Anoectochilus griffithii Hook.f.

    2. Gastrochilus sessanicus A.N. Rao

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V. Taxa excluded from India: 5

1. Anoectochilus papillosus Aver.

2. Anoectochilus regalis Blume

3. Anoectochilus setaceus Blume

4. Gastrochilus changjiangensis Q. Liu & M.Z. Huang

5. Rhomboda abbreviata (Lindl.) Ormerod

 

VI. Taxa synonymised: 23

1. Anoectochilus annamensis Aver.

2. Anoectochilus dulongensis Ormerod

3. Cheirostylis chinensis Rolfe var. glabra M. Bhaumik & M.K. Pathak

4. Cheirostylis seidenfadeniana C.S. Kumar & F.N. Rasm.

5. Erythrodes seshagiriana A.N. Rao

6. Gastrochilus jeitouensis Ormerod

7. Gastrochilus carnosus Z.H. Tsi

8. Gastrochilus corymbosus A.P. Das & S. Chanda

9. Gastrochilus garhwalensis Z.H. Tsi

10. Gastrochilus minimus J.W. Li, D.P. Ye & X.H. Jin 

11. Gastrochilus nepalensis Raskoti

12. Goodyera dongchenii Lucksom

13. Goodyera dongchenii var. gongligongensis X. H. Jin & S. C. Chen

14. Phalaenopsis arunachalensis K. Gogoi & K. Rinya

15. Vernonia pothigaiana Chellad. & Gopalan

16. Vernonia shevaroyensis Gamble

17. Vernonia subsessilis DC. var. macrophylla Hook. f.

18. Zeuxine assamica I. Barua & K. Barua

19. Zeuxine bidupensis Aver.

20. Zeuxine dhanikariana Maina, Lalitha & Sreek.

21. Zeuxine hainanensis H. Xu, H. J. Yang & Y. D. Li

22. Zeuxine pantlingii Av. Bhattacharjee & H.J. Chowdhery

23. Zeuxine seidenfadenii Deva & H.B. Naithani

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VII. Taxa reinstated/ excluded from synonymy: 7

1. Anoectochilus chapaensis Gagnep.

2. Anoectochilus griffithii Hook.f.

3. Anoectochilus regalis Blume

4. Anoectochilus tridentatus Seidenf.

5. Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl.

6. Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus (Hayata) Hayata

7. Vrydagzynea viridiflora Hook.f.

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VIII. Typification of names: 34

1. Anoectochilus grandiflorus Lindl. [= Odontochilus grandiflorus (Lindl.) Benth. ex Hook.f.]

2. Calanthe alpina Hook. f. ex Lindl.

3. Calanthe biloba Lindl.

4. Calanthe lemellosa Rolfe

5. Calanthe trulliformis King & Pantl.

6. Calanthe whiteana King & Pantl.

7. Calanthe yunnanensis Rolfe [= Calanthe lemellosa Rolfe]

8. Cheirostylis tortilacinia C.S. Leou

9. Cirrhopetalum nodosum Rolfe [= Bulbophyllum nodosum (Rolfe) J.J. Sm.]

10. Chrysobaphus roxburghii Wall. [= Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl.]

11. Championia multiflora Clarke [= Leptoboea multiflora (Clarke) Benth. ex Gamble]

12. Erigeron jaeschkei Vierh.

13. Gastrochilus affinis King & Pantl.

14. Geodorum laxiflorum Griff.

15. Goodyera affinis Griff. [= Hetaeria affinis (Griff.) Seidenf. & Ormerod]

16. Goodyera hemsleyana King & Pantl.

17. Goodyera hirsuta Griff. [= Erythrodes hirsuta (Griff.) Ormerod]

18. Goodyera macrantha Maxim. ex Regel [= Goodyera biflora (Lindl.) Hook. f.]

19. Habenaria dyeriana King & Pantl. [= Platanthera dyeriana (King & Pantl.) Kraenzl.]

20. Herminium gracile King & Pantl. [= Androcorys gracilis (King & Pantl.) Schltr.]

21. Herpysma longicaulis Lindl.

22. Hetaeria albida Blume [= Vrydagzynea albida (Blume) Blume]

23. Hetaeria fusca Lindl. [= Goodyera fusca (Lindl.) Hook. f.]

24. Neottia viridiflora Blume [= Goodyera viridiflora (Blume) Lindl. ex D. Dietr.]

25. Odontochilus tortus King & Pantl.

26. Psychechilos gracile Breda [= Zeuxine gracilis (Breda) Blume]

27. Saccolabium pseudodistichum King & Pantl. [= Gastrochilus pseudodistichus (King & Pantl.) Schltr.]

28. Stenactis multiradiata Lindl. ex DC [= Erigeron multiradiatus (Lindl. ex DC) Benth. ex C.B. Clarke]

29. Vernonia fysonii Calder

30. Vernonia shevaroyensis Gamble [= Vernonia vivekanathanii Uniyal]

31. Zeuxine agyokuana Fukuy.

32. Zeuxine pulchra King & Pantl.

33. Zeuxine reflexa King & Pantl.

34. Zeuxine rolfiana King & Pantl.

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IX. Rediscovery: 4

1. Erigeron jaeschkei Vierh. [after >150 years}

2. Goodyera alveolata Pradhan [after 49 years]

3. Sonerila squarrosa Wall. [after 110 years]
4.  Zeuxine rolfiana King & pantl. [after 121 years]

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X. Proposals (published) to amend the Code (ICN): 23

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XI. Proposals included in the main volume of Code (ICN): 7 [3 (Shenzhen) + 4 (Madrid)]

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XII. IUCN Red Listing (published on IUCN website): 4

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As Assessor: 2

   1. Anoectochilus elatus Lindl.

   2. Zeuxine rolfiana King & Pantl.

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As Contributor: 3

1. Dalbergia sissoides Wight & Arn.

2. Dalbergia tinnevelliensis Thoth.

3. Dalbergia wattii C.B. Clarke

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XIII. Other contributions:

i) Represented India as a member of Indian Delegation to the 27th meeting of the CITES Plants Committee held in Geneva from 8 – 13 July, 2024. Drafted India's position on the agenda items of the meeting; actively participated in different In-session Working Groups  relevant to India's interest.  

Aquilaria malaccensis (Agarwood) was selected for the stage 2 of RST process for India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand during the CITES 26th PC Meeting. However, the MoEF&CC (WL) took immediate action and commissioned the Non-Detriment Findings (NDF) study of Aquilaria malaccensis through the Botanical Survey of India (PI: Dr Avishek Bhattacharjee) in October 2023. Based on the NDFs report submitted to the CITES Secretariat by MoEF&CC(WL) in May 2024,  the CITES Secretariat recommended (PC27 Doc. 15.4) removal of India from the RST for A. malaccensis.

During this CITES PC27 Meeting, the Indian delegation made intervention in support of the recommendation by the Secretariat favouring India’s removal from RST. An ‘In-session Working Group’ was established during the meeting for reviewing the ongoing cases of species selected following CoP18 (Agenda 15.3), and for reviewing the recommendations by the CITES Secretariat with respect to eight taxa concerning 29 Parties (Agenda 15.4), i.e. Species selected following CoP19. No objection was raised from the floor against the Secretariat’s recommendation for removal of India w.r.t. Aquilaria malaccensis as India submitted the NDFs by establishing a zero export quota from wild and also established proper export quota from non-wild sources, and therefore, the RST for A. malaccensis–India species-country combination was not put further in the WG. Hence, India was removed from RST w.r.t. Aquilaria malaccensis.

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ii) The annual export quota of Aquilaria malaccensis (Agarwood) from India (from plants under cultivation/ plantation) was increased from increase the export limit from 25,000 kg (chips and powder) and 1,500 kg (oil) to 1,51,080 kg and 7,050 kg respectively based on the Non-Detriment Findings (NDF) study conducted by the Botanical Survey of India (PI: Dr Avishek Bhattacharjee). Lakhs of Indian farmers/ growers were benefited in exporting Agarwood after India increased the quota for exports, which was notified on the CITES website in May, 2024. Based on the report, the government also established ‘zero’ export quota of Agarwood from the wild. 

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iii) Represented India in the CITES ‘International Expert Workshop on Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs)’ held in United Nations Complex, UN Avenue in Nairobi, Kenya from 4 to 8 December, 2023 as a member of ‘Indian Delegation’; actively contributed to the Working Group 10  (NDFs of Plants; Module 11) as a WG member to develop/improve the NDF guidance.

iv) Represented India in the 18th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP18) to the CITES held in Geneva, Switzerland in August 2019 as a member of ‘Indian Delegation’; advocated in favour of delisting of Dalbergia sissoo from Appendix II of CITES/ amendment of Annotation #15 of CITES with respect to Dalbergia spp. and some Guibourtia spp. Participated in ‘Working Group’ to develop further revisions of Annotation #15. Due to this amendment, finished products to a maximum weight of wood of the listed species (including D. sissoo) of up to 10 kg per shipment (from 500 gm per item), and finished musical instruments, finished musical instrument parts, and finished musical instrument accessories were allowed to export without CITES control. Successfully prevented inclusion of the entire genus Cedrela under CITES Appendix II; rather, CITES control was allowed by amendment and by adding Annotation #6 to restrict the trade to non-plantation species and only neotropics range species. 

v) As per instruction of MoEF&CC (WL), a proposal for delisting of Dalbergia sissoo from CITES Appendix II was which was accepted by Govt. of India and submitted (co-proponent: Nepal) to CITES for CITES CoP 19 (Panama City, USA). 

vi) As per instruction of MoEF&CC (WL), a proposal for delisting of Dalbergia sissoo from CITES Appendix II was prepared which was accepted by Govt. of India and submitted (co-proponents: Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka) to CITES for CITES CoP 18 (Geneva, Switzerland). 

vii) Four proposals to amend the main volume of the ‘International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)’ have been have been accepted for inclusion in the main volume (upcoming) of ‘Madrid Code’ (2025, in press).

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viii) Three proposals to amend the main volume of the ‘International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN)’ have been included in the ‘Shenzhen Code’.

ix) Among the 19 taxa listed under the Schedule III of ‘THE WILD LIFE (PROTECTION) AMENDMENT ACT, 2022’ of Govt. of India, 7 species [Aenhenrya rotundifolia (Blatt.) C.S. Kumar & F.N. Rasm., Odontochilus grandiflorus (Lindl.) Benth. ex Hook. f., Odontochilus tetrapterus (Hook. f.) Av. Bhattacharjee & H.J. Chowdhery, Podophyllum hexandrum Royle, Rhomboda pulchra (King & Pantl.) Ormerod & Av. Bhattacharjee, Vrydagzynea viridiflora Hook. f., Zeuxine andamanica King & Pantl.] were included based on my proposal through the Botanical Survey of India.

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x) Prepared comments (India’s stand) on plant related agenda items for 70th meeting of Standing Committee of CITES held at Sochi, Russia (from 1st to 4th October, 2018) which were accepted by Govt. of India.

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xi) Prepared comments (India’s stand) on plant related Agenda Items for CITES CoP18 held in Geneva, Switzerland (17 to 28 August 2019) which were accepted by Govt. of India.