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Our Bureau

First of five volumes released covers 687 species

Thiruvananthapuram , Aug. 18

The Botanical Survey of India has brought out the first of a five-volume planner that seeks to prepare an inventory of Kerala's plant diversity.

Dr J. B. Jayaprakash, Pro Vice-Chancellor, the University of Kerala, released the book at a function held here on Friday, and hosted jointly by the Department of Botany, University of Kerala; the Thiruvananthapuram Chapter of the Public Relations Society of India; and the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.

DIVERSE TYPES

Delivering the keynote address, Dr G.V.S. Moorthy, Joint Director, Botanical Survey of India, stated that Kerala is endowed with highly complex and diverse types of vegetation that vary from the coastal strand and estuarine to tropical evergreen, subtropical montane, montane temperate, moist and dry deciduous and thorn forests. `Myristica swamps' and large tracts of wetlands are also a significant feature.

The rich floristic diversity in the State is evidenced in the presence of 4,674 `taxa' of flowering plants in 1,360 `genera' belonging to 212 `families.' Of these, 3,423 are dicots, 1,247 monocots and nine gymnosperms. There are 1,637 peninsular Indian endemics in the State, of which, 263 are exclusively endemic to the State. About 492 species are listed under various vulnerable categories of the `Red List' maintained by the IUCN.

The first volume covers 687 species in 265 genera, falling under 59 families from rananculaceae to connaraceae with citations of correct names followed by literature pertinent to all published floras from this region. "It is hoped that the remaining parts will be published in the coming four volumes that would cover almost 1,000 species of flowering plants per volume," Dr Moorthy said.

CONSERVATION EFFORT

Being part of one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world and forming one of the 25 globally recognised hotspots, the species-rich areas of the forests of this State have been sought to be conserved by establishing two Biosphere Reserves, three national parks and 11 wildlife sanctuaries, the book articulates.

Mention has been made about Van Rheed's (1678 - 1703) Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, a monumental treatise in 12 volumes with 794 copper plate engravings covering 780 species of plants of this area. This work became popular with Prof. Manilal of the Calicut University bringing about an English translation in recent times.

Contribution

Another important contribution was made by two British surveyors who published two monumental volumes of the results of their survey, The Memoir of the Surveys of Travancore and Cochin (1863, 1901). They shed light on geographical, topographical, socio-economic and political conditions of Travancore and Cochin.

Others who collected plants in Kerala include Buchunan - Hamilton, Wight, Beddome, Cullen, Drury, Johnson, Lawson, Cleghorn, and Fisher Bourdillon.

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