New Additions to the Flora of Orissa: An Updated Checklist on New Distributional Records of Plant Species to the State of Odisha from 1996 Onwards- A Literature Synthesis

Abstract

Among the eastern Indian states, Odisha plays a vital role in the study of floristic diversity due to its unique geographical location, variation in geological factors, and diversity in floristic composition. The monumental work of H. O. Saxena & M. Brahmam during 1994-1996 documented a total of 2,727 species in the Flora of Orissa. In the present review, an attempt has been made to prepare a database of new distributional records of plant species in the flora of Odisha from 1996 onwards. To compile a comprehensive account of new distributional records, literature from the last 30 years (1996-2025) was searched in databases such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Wiley Online Library, JSTOR, Scopus, and Springer Nature using keywords such as “new additions to the flora of Odisha”, “new distributional record to Odisha flora”, “new records to the flora of Odisha”, “new records to Eastern Ghats”, and “note on the identity”. In addition, herbarium consultations were conducted at CSIR-IMMT, Bhubaneswar, RPRC-Bhubaneswar, and CNH-Kolkata. A total of 176 papers were accessed, of which 165 provided information on new distributional records of 222 plant species belonging to 71 families during the last three decades; consequently, the documented plant species composition has been updated to 2,949. Among the recorded plants, angiosperms were dominant, with 209 species (147 dicotyledons and 62 monocotyledons), followed by 11 pteridophytes in 5 families and 2 gymnosperms in 1 family. The authors of these studies deposited herbarium specimens in the herbaria of CNH, RPRC-Bhubaneswar, Utkal University, MSCB University, Berhampur University, RRL-B, CSIR-NBRI, and NBPGR. This literature synthesis serves as reference material for policymakers and conservation biologists regarding habitat protection and species conservation.