FLORA IN INDIA

Get enchanted by the rich diversity of India flora on your Eco tour to India. The natural beauty and fragility of the Indian flora is one of the most pristine in the whole world. There is virtually no area of India without its particular treasure or species of special beauty or interest. Due to the wide range of climatic conditions, India holds rich variety of flora that no other country can boost of. India covers more than 45,000 species of flora, out of which there are several species that are not found anywhere else. Since ancient times, use of plants as a source of medicines has been the inherent part of life in India. There are more than 3000 officially documented plants in India that holds great medicinal potential. India comprises of seven percent of world's flora. Indiais divided into main eight floristic regions namely Western Himalayas, Eastern Himalayas, Assam, Indus plain, Ganga plain, the Deccan, the Malabar and the Andamans. TREES Trees in India known for their grandeur and majesty are like the green pearl in the Indian crown. Trees occupy the important place in the history of India. Trees have always been associated with wisdom and immorality in India. Hindu literature describes a celestial tree as having its roots in the heaven and its branches in the underworld that unites and connects beings of every kind. Banyan is the National Tree of India. India's medicinal are no less diverse. Peepal, banyan (Bodhi tree), banana, and Tulsi are some of the plants that holds special cultural and religious significance in India. Indian Rosewood, Kikar, Aleo Vera, Ashwagandha, Cork, Brahmi, Sal, Khair and Garden Asparagus are some of the popular trees grown in India. Banyan Tree

Banyan is the National Tree of India. It has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, easily covering several hectares. It is said that at one time more than 10, 000 people can sit under its shade at one time.

Peepal Tree

Hundred of trees are protected as living natural monument in India and Peepal or is one of them. It is popularly known as the Bodhi Tree in India, under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. It is the sacred tree of India.

Neem Tree

Neem tree is popularly known as the Miracle Tree. It is a useful tree in rehabilitating the waste land areas. Even today Neem Tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meetings under the shade of this huge huge tree. Garden Asparagus

Garden Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial and is well known for its edible young shoots. Garden Asparagus is known to have more than 250 species all over the world. The delicate flavour of Asparagus make it favourite among the vegetable lovers. Arjuna Tree

Arjuna is the large size deciduous tree. Terminalia Arjuna tree is common throughout India especially in the sub Himalayan tracts and Eastern India. In Indian mythology, Arjuna is supposed to be Sita's favourite tree.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is the popular herb with the botanical name of Aloe barbadensis. Aloe Vera is used as the source of medicines for thousand of years. It is believed to have been used for the preservation of the body of the Jesus Christ

Tulsi Plant

Tulsi is the sacred plant of India dearer to the Lord Vishnu. Tulsi symbolises purity. Many people wears the Tulsi beads, which is said to have certain physical and medicinal properties. It is known as Holy Basil in English and Tulasi in Sanskrit. Amla Plant

Amla is the wonder plant, a unique gift of the mother nature to the mankind. Its fruit is the richest source of Vitamin C. It holds the special reputation of being the most powerful rejuvenating herb. It is popularly known as Indian Gooseberry Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub that grows up to the height of 0.5 m to 1.5 m. Ashwagandha is the powerful herb that is believed to increase health and longevity. One can find this medicinal plant in the Ranthambore National Park in India. Brahmi

Brahmi is the small creeping herb with the numerous branches. Herpestis monniera is the other known specie of Brahmi plant. It is rich in Vitamin C. Brahmi is the name derived from the Lord Brahma. Brahmi represents the creative energy of this earth. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is the tall evergreen tree. There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus all over the world. Eucalyptus is mainly used as the pulpwood in the manufacture of the paper as well as raw material. Indian Mahogany

Indian Mahogany is a fast upright growing tree with a broad rounded symmetrical crown. Swietenia mahagoni is the scientific name given to the Indian Mahogany. It is mostly propagated through seeds. . Indian Rosewood

Indian Rosewood holds many medicinal properties. Indian Rosewood is mostly propagated through the root suckers and seeds. Many people in India grow Rosewood because they believe harvesting the wood denudes the rain forests. Indian Tulip Tree

Indian Tulip or the Portia Tree is a very large tree with heart shaped leaves and the cup shaped flowers. The fruits, flowers and young leaves of the Indian Tulip tree are edible. It is also known as the Scarlet Bell tree and the Fountain tree. Khair Tree

Khair is the moderate size deciduous tree, which is widely grown in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, Corbett National Park and Ranthambore National Park in India. It is propagated through the stumps or seed and is useful in the dental problems. Kikar Tree

Kikar is the small thorny tree. It is cultivated for erosion and fuel wood. Its wood is used for the paper production. It is mainly grown in the cold temperature. Kikar is widely found in the State of Haryana in India. Sal Tree

Sal is a large sub deciduous tree. It is worshiped among the Buddhist and Hindus in India. It is mentioned in many scriptures that the Buddha was born and died under the Sal tree. It is found in almost all the parts of India. Cork Tree

Found in the tropical forests of India, Cork is the tall deciduous tree. Stem and roots of the Cork tree have great medicinal value. The bark of the Cork tree is used in the production of yellow dye. Its flowers are used in rituals in India. Teak Tree

Teak or Tectona Grandis is one of the most popular tree of India. It is mainly used in the making of furniture and doors. Teak also holds the medicinal value. The bark is bitter tonic and is considered useful in fever. Turmeric Plant

The plant of Turmeric is a herbaceous perennial, which is 60 -90 cm high. The powered rhizome of this plant is used as an condiment and as an yellow dye. The rhizome of the turmeric plant is highly aromatic and antiseptic.

FLOWER PLANTS OF INDIA The exotic and natural beauty of the flower pants has always affected the travellers and tourists across the world. There are around 15,000 flowering plant species in India. Lotus is the National Flower of India. The North -East -India has the profuse growth of orchids and marigold plants. Spring and summer are the best time to visit India as flowers are in full boom during these seasons to welcome the visitors with the burst of colours. Most of the flowers of India are used for several purposes such as for decoration, for medical purposes etc. The scented flower plants of India add charm to the natural beauty of the country. Bougainvillea, Rose, Jamine, Orchid, and Lotus are some of the popular flowering plants of India.

Lotus

Of all the spectacular Flowering plants found in India, Lotus is the one that eloquently conjures up the spirit of typically religious India. Lotus is the National Flower of India. It is the aquatic plant with broad floating leaves and beautiful pinkish flower Rose

The scented smell and beautiful petals of Rose plant give it a complete distinctive appearance. There are more than 120 species of rose plant all over the world. Rose plants are generally used for beautifying the gardens and walkways Marigold

Among all the major plants of India, Marigold is the most identical. The Marigold Flower holds the great religious significance. The Marigold flower is offered to God and Goddess in India. It is also used for making garlands. Jasmine

Jasmine is a evergreen semi vining shrub. In India the Jasmine plant is related to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Jasmine plant is mostly propagated in summer season through the softwood cuttings, semi hard wood cuttings and through simple layering Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea is a popular woody scandent shrub. It is popularly known as the paper flower. Bougainvillea is widely grown in the Eravikulam National Park in India. Bougainvillea spinosa is the another popular specie of Bougainvillea found in India Orchids

Orchids are one of the prominent plant species that cover whole of north-east India. Roots of Orchids are edible and are even cooked. Dancing ladies, dancing dolls, Butterflies orchids are some of the popular names of the Orchids

FAUNA
India has some of the world's most biodiverse regions. The political boundaries of India encompass a wide range of ecozones desert, high mountains, highlands, tropical and temperate forests, swamplands, plains, grasslands, areas surrounding rivers, as well as island archipelago. It hosts three biodiversity hotspots: the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas, and the hilly ranges that straddle the IndiaMyanmar border. These hotspots have numerous endemic species.[1] India, for the most part, lies within the Indomalaya ecozone, with the upper reaches of the Himalayas forming part of the Palearctic ecozone; the contours of 2000 to 2500m are considered to be the altitudinal boundary between the Indo-Malayan and Palearctic zones. India displays significant biodiversity. One of eighteen megadiverse countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian, 11.7% of all fish, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species.[2] The region is also heavily influenced by summer monsoons that cause major seasonal changes in vegetation and habitat. India forms a large part of the Indomalayan biogeographical zone and many of the floral and faunal forms show Malayan affinities with only a few taxa being unique to the Indian region. The unique forms includes the snake family Uropeltidae found only in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Fossil taxa from the Cretaceous show links to the Seychelles and Madagascar chain of islands.[3] The Cretaceous fauna include reptiles, amphibians and fishes and an extant species demonstrating this phylogeographical link is the Purple Frog. The separation of India and Madagascar is traditionally estimated to have taken place about 88 million years ago. However there are suggestions that the links to Madagascar and Africa were present even at the time when the Indian subcontinent met Eurasia. India has been suggested as a ship for the movement of several African taxa into Asia. These taxa include five frog families (including the Myobatrachidae), three caecilian families, a lacertid lizard and freshwater snails of the family Potamiopsidae.[4] A fossil tooth of what is believed to be of from a lemur-like primate from the Bugti Hills of central Pakistan however has led to suggestions that the lemurs may have originated in Asia. These fossils are however from the Oligocene (30 million years ago) and have led to controversy.[5][6] Lemur fossils from India in the past led to theories of a lost continent called Lemuria. This theory however was dismissed when continental drift and plate tectonics became well established. The flora and fauna of India have been studied and recorded from early times in folk traditions and later by researchers following more formal scientific approaches (See Natural history in India). Game laws are reported from the third century BC. [7] A little under 5% of this total area is formally classified under protected areas. India is home to several well known large mammals including the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard and Indian Rhinoceros. Some of these animals are engrained in culture, often being associated with deities. These large mammals are important for wildlife tourism in India and several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries cater to these needs. The popularity of these charismatic animals have helped greatly in conservation efforts in India. The tiger has been particularly important and Project Tiger started in 1972 was a major effort to conserve the tiger and its habitats.[8] Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection.[9] Most of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park. Other well known large Indian mammals include ungulates such as the Water Buffalo, Nilgai, Gaur and several species of deer and antelope. Some members of the dog family such as the Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox, Golden Jackal and the Dhole or Wild Dogs are also widely distributed. It is also home to the Striped Hyaena. Many smaller animals such as the Macaques, Langurs and Mongoose species are especially well known due to their ability to live close to or inside urban areas.

Asian Elephant

Tiger

Asiatic Lion

Indian Rhinoceros
DIVERSITY There is insufficient information about the invertebrate and lower forms of India with significant work having been done only in a few groups of insects notably the butterflies, odonates, hymenoptera, the larger coleoptera and heteroptera. Few concerted attempts to document the biodiversity have been made since the publication of The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma series. There are about 2546 species of fishes (about 11% of the world species) found in Indian waters. About 197 species of amphibians (4.4% of the world total) and more than 408 reptile species (6% of the world total) are found in India. Among these groups the highest levels of endemism are found in the amphibians. There are about 1250 species of birds from India with some variations depending on taxonomic treatments accounting for about 12% of the world species.[10] There are about 410 species of mammals known from India which is about 8.86% of the world species.[11] The World Conservation Monitoring Centre gives an estimate of about 15,000 species of flowering plants in India. BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS The Western Ghats The Western Ghats are a chain of hills that run along the western edge of peninsular India. Their proximity to the ocean and through orographic effect, they receive high rainfall. These regions have moist deciduous forest and rain forest. The region shows high species diversity as well as high levels of endemism. Nearly 77% of the amphibians and 62% of the reptile species found here are found nowhere else.[12] The region shows biogeographical affinities to the Malayan region, and the Satpura hypothesis proposed by Sunder Lal Hora suggests that the hill chains of Central India may have once formed a connection with the forests of northeastern India and into the IndoMalayan region. Hora used torrent stream fishes to support the theory, but it was also suggested to hold for birds. [13] Later studies have suggested that Hora's original model species were a demonstration of convergent evolution rather than speciation by isolation.[12] More recent phylogeographic studies have attempted to study the problem using molecular approaches.[14] There are also differences in taxa which are dependent on time of divergence and geological history. [15] Along with Sri Lanka this region also shows some faunal similarities with the Madagascan region especially in the reptiles and amphibians. Examples include the Sibynophis snakes, the Purple frog and Sri Lankan lizard genus Nessia which appears similar to the Madagascan genus Acontias.[16] Numerous floral links to the Madagascan region also exist.[17] An alternate hypothesis that these taxa may have originally evolved out-of-India has also been suggested.[18] Biogeographical quirks exist with some taxa of Malayan origin occurring in Sri Lanka but absent in the Western Ghats. These include insects groups such as the zoraptera and plants such as those of the genus Nepenthes.

The Eastern Himalayas

The Indian Rhinoceros is one of the 45 species of globally threatened mammals found in the Eastern Himalayas. The Eastern Himalayas is the region encompassing Bhutan, northeastern India, and southern, central, and eastern Nepal. The region is geologically young and shows high altitudinal variation. It has nearly 163 globally threatened species including the One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), the Wild Asian Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis (Arnee)) and in all 45 mammals, 50 birds, 17 reptiles, 12 amphibians, 3 invertebrate and 36 plant species. [19][20] The Relict Dragonfly (Epiophlebia laidlawi) is an endangered species found here with the only other species in the genus being found in Japan. The region is also home to the Himalayan Newt ( Tylototriton verrucosus), the only salamander species found within Indian limits.[21] EXTINCT AND FOSSIL FORMS During the early Tertiary period, the Indian tableland, what is today peninsular India, was a large island. Prior to becoming an island it was connected to the African region. During the tertiary period this island was separated from the Asian mainland by a shallow sea. The Himalayan region and the greater part of Tibet lay under this sea. The movement of the Indian subcontinent into the Asian landmass created the great Himalayan ranges and raised the sea bed into what is today the plains of northern India.

Elephas ganesa a fossil elephant from the Siwaliks Once connected to the Asian mainland, many species moved into India. The Himalayas were created in several upheavals. The Siwaliks were formed in the last and the largest number of fossils of the Tertiary period are found in these ranges. [22] The Siwalik fossils include Mastodons, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, Sivatherium, a large four-horned ruminant, giraffe, horses, camels, bison, deer, antelope, gorillas, pigs, chimpanzees, orangutans, baboons, langurs, macaques, cheetahs, sabre-toothed cats, lions, tigers, sloth bear, Aurochs, leopards, wolves, dholes, porcupines, rabbits and a host of other mammals.[22] Many fossil tree species have been found in the intertrappean beds [23] including Grewioxylon from the Eocene and Heritieroxylon keralensis from the middle Miocene in Kerala and Heritieroxylon arunachalensis from the Mio-Pliocene of Arunachal Pradesh and at many other places. The discovery of Glossopteris fern fossils from India and Antarctica led to the discovery of Gondwanaland and led to the greater understanding of continental drift. Fossil Cycads[24] are known from India while seven Cycad species continue to survive in India.[25][26] Titanosaurus indicus was perhaps the first dinosaur discovered in India by Richard Lydekker in 1877 in the Narmada valley. This area has been one of the most important areas for paleontology in India. Another dinosaur known from India is Rajasaurus narmadensis,[27] a heavy-bodied and stout carnivorous abelisaurid (theropod) dinosaur that inhabited the area near present-day Narmada river. It was 9 m in length and 3 m in height and somewhat horizontal in posture with a double-crested crown on the skull. Some fossil snakes from the Cenozoic era are also known.[28]

Some scientists have suggested that the Deccan lava flows and the gases produced were responsible for the global extinction of dinosaurs however these have been disputed.[29] [30] Himalayacetus subathuensis the oldest-known whale fossil of the family Protocetidae (Eocene), about 53.5 million years old was found in the Simla hills in the foothills of the Himalayas. This area was underwater (in the Tethys sea) during the Tertiary period (when India was an island off Asia). This whale may have been capable of living partly on land. [31] [32] Other fossil whales from India include Remingtonocetus approximately 43-46 million years old. Several small mammal fossils have been recorded in the intertrappean beds, however larger mammals are mostly unknown. The only major primate fossils have been from the nearby region of Myanmar. RECENT EXTINCTIONS

Illustration of a Himalayan Quail from A. O. Hume's work. Last seen in 1876 The exploitation of land and forest resources by humans along with hunting and trapping for food and sport has led to the extinction of many species in India in recent times.[citation needed] Probably the first species to vanish during the time of the Indus Vally civilisation was the species of wild cattle, Bos primegenius nomadicus or the wild zebu, which vanished from its range in the Indus valley and western India, possibly due to inter-breeding with domestic cattle and resultant fragmentation of wild populations due to loss of habitat. [33] Notable mammals which became or are presumed extinct within the country itself include the Indian / Asiatic Cheetah, Javan Rhinoceros and Sumatran Rhinoceros.[34] While some of these large mammal species are confirmed extinct, there have been many smaller animal and plant species whose status is harder to determine. Many species have not been seen since their description. Hubbardia heptaneuron, a species of grass that grew in the spray zone of the Jog Falls prior to the construction of the Linganamakki reservoir, was thought to be extinct but a few were rediscovered near Kolhapur.[35] Some species of birds have gone extinct in recent times, including the Pink-Headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) and the Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa). A species of warbler, Acrocephalus orinus, known earlier from a single specimen collected by Allan Octavian Hume from near Rampur in Himachal Pradesh was rediscovered after 139 years in Thailand.[36][37] Similarly, the Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus), named after the zoologist Thomas C. Jerdon who discovered it in 1848, was rediscovered in 1986 by Bharat Bhushan, an ornithologist at the Bombay Natural History Society after being thought to be extinct. Taxonomic lists and indices

A praying mantis

Harpegnathos saltator

An Idiopid spider endemic to India

Deccan Mahseer Tor khudree

This section provides links to lists of species of various taxa found in India. ANIMALS. Invertebrates Molluscs o List of non-marine molluscs of India Arachnids o Spiders of India Insects o Coccinellidae Ladybird beetles of India o Odonata Dragonflies and damselflies of India o Lepidoptera Butterflies of India Papilionid butterflies of India Pierid butterflies of India Nymphalid butterflies of India Lycaenid butterflies of India Hesperid butterflies of India Riodinid butterflies of India Moths of India o Hymenoptera Ants of India

Vertebrates Fish in India Amphibians of India Reptiles of India o Snakes of India Birds of South Asia Mammals of India

PLANTS Threatened species Many plants and animals are threatened or endangered due largely to habitat loss and population pressure apart from hunting and extraction. India stands out as one of the few countries with high human populations as well as a high number of threatened species.[39]

THREATENED PLANT SPECIES Threat Category (IUCN) Extinct Extinct/Endangered Endangered Endangered/Vulnerable Vulnerable Rare Indeterminate Insufficiently Known No information Not threatened TOTAL Number of species 19 43 149 2 108 256 719 9 1441 374 3120

Threatened Animal species Number of species per group according to IUCN threat categories (1994)

Threat categories Source: WCMC

Asian Elephant

Tiger

Asiatic Lion

Indian Rhinoceros

Illustration of a Himalayan Quail from A. O. Hume's work. Last seen in 1876

A praying mantis

Harpegnathos saltator

An Idiopid spider endemic to India

Deccan Mahseer Tor khudree

Threat categories Source: WCMC