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Plant Diversity and Conservation Practices in

the Swayambhu Hillock
Conference Paper March 2004

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Sailesh Ranjitkar

Bidur Prasad Chaulagain

Consultative Group on International Agricu

Himalayan College of Agricultural Sciences

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Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

March 23-26, 2004

Plant Diversity and Conservation Practices

in the Swayambhu Hillock
S. Ranjitkar1 and B.P. Chaulagain2
1

Central Department of Botany

Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu
(sailesh_ranjitkar@yahoo.com)
2
Tri-Chandra M. Campus
Ghantaghar, Kathmandu

Abstract
Swayambhu hillock serves as one of the important destinations for the plant collectors of early
19th Century such as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (1802 1803), Nathaniel Wallich (1820
1821), etc. Present paper is based on a short duration of work on Swayambhu. The paper deals
with enumeration of plant diversity, analysis of floristic composition (including vegetation
analysis at North-western slope) of Swayambhu hillock and some conservation practices
adopted in Swayambhu hillock. Altogether 104 plant species were enumerated during April
2001 to June 2001.
Key word: plant diversity, conservation practice

Introduction
Beside the worlds highest peak, Mt. Everest, there are numerous other things, which describes
Nepal amidst the world. Among them Swayambhu hillock also known as Go-puchha hill
has its own significance. Its origin is contemporary to the origin of Kathmandu City.
Swayambhu-nath is a precious pearl from the expensive garland of Nepals heritage and
UNESCO has listed it under world heritage site.
Furthermore, the hillock ranges from about 1350m to 1405m of altitude, harbors numerous subtropical flora and fauna. The flora of Swayambhu has its own importance as it was one of the
important plant collection site since the beginning of Botanical exploration in Nepal at 1802/03
AD. Swayambhu hillock serves as one of important destination for the plant collectors of early
19th Century such as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (1802 1803), Nathaniel Wallich (1820
1821), etc. Shrestha et al. (2000) listed 57 type specimens from the hillock, which mainly
comprises of collection of Buchanan-Hamilton and many of them were designated as new to
science. This made the hillock equally important site of plant diversity as its religious
importance.
The hillock was said to be extension of Nagarjun Mountain but at present it is invaded by
human encroachment such as developmental activities and extension of residential area, and the
land area of forest (including monuments) congested to about 35ha in the hillock. The major
part of the forest, at present is occupied by exotic and naturalized species mainly toward
southern slope. North and northwestern part of hillock is still rich in indigenous species and

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Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

March 23-26, 2004

present paper mainly focuses on the enumeration of floral species on the northwestern slope of
the hillock but also include flora of other parts.

Material and Methods

In the present work enumeration of plant diversity, analysis of floristic composition (including
vegetation analysis at North-western slope) of Swayambhu hillock and some conservation
practices adopted in Swayambhu hillock was studied. For the study, keen and careful
observations were made several times throughout the whole Swayambhu hillock. For ease of
study the hillock is categorized arbitrarily into eight areas (Map 1) and in each area floristic
composition was observed with main focus on northwestern side (area 5 in Map 1). During the
study qualitative and quantitative methodology was carried out.

Map 1. Swayambhu area (not in scale)

Qualitative analysis: Whole hillock was arbitrarily categorized into eight areas (Map 1). Each
was keen and carefully observed and a list of the flora present in those areas was prepared (only
angiosperm and gymnosperm). Plant specimen from each area was collected and herbarium was
prepared for identification.
Required information about the collected plant species were accumulated through interviews
with goatherds met in the forest, guards of the forest, local people (from Ichangu, Sitapaila side)
and from monks. The collected information mainly consists of ethno-botanical information.
Quantitative analysis: Quantitative analysis of the forest was carried out at area no. 5 (as in
map 1) covering north-west part using point-centered quarter method (Ref. Zobel et al. 1987).

Results and Discussion

From the survey it was revealed that principle vegetation of the hillock was made up of Schima
wallichii, Pinus roxburghii, Pyrus pashia, with dominant ground layers of Eupatorium
adenophoram, Lantana camara, Justicia adhatoda, etc. The hillock comprise of most disturbed
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Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

March 23-26, 2004

forest with lot of cultivated exotic as well as naturalized species. The natural forest seems to be
replaced by secondary, afforested species in much part. Total 104 species was identified which
includes 98 angiosperm and six gymnosperm, these includes the plant species planted under
afforestation program also. These total species belongs to 87 genera and 52 families of
angiosperms and five genera and three families of gymnosperm, which are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Plant Species (angiosperm) recorded in Swayambhu Hillock during April 2001 to
July 2001.
S.

Botanical name

Family

Occur in area (as map 1)

1

1 Acer oblongum Wall. ex DC

Aceraceae

Habitat
7

8
Tree on shady slope in the
forest

2 Aconogonum molle (D. Don) Polygonaceae +

Hara

Herb at edge of forest on

sunny place

3 Ageratum conyzoides L.

Compositae

4 Alnus nepalensis D. Don

Betulaceae

5 Amaranthus spinosus L.

Amaranthacea +

Herbs on open places as weed

Herb on open places

Tree (introduced?)

e
6 Amorphophallus

campanulatus Araceae

Blume

Herb on moist shady place in

forest

7 Ardisia macrocarpa Wall.

Myrsinaceae

Tree on moist slope in the

forest

8 Argemone mexicana L.

Papaveraceae +

9 Artemisia indica Willd.

Compositae

10 Basella alba L.

Basellaceae

11 Bauhinia variegata L.

Leguminosae

12 Bidens pilosa L.

Compositae

13 Boehmeria platyphyla D.Don #

Urticaceae

14 Bougainvillea glabra Choisy

Nyctaginaceae +

15 Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd.

Nyctaginaceae +

16 Bryonopsis laciniosa (L.)

Cucurbitaceae

Herb on open sunny place

Herbs on open places

Climber (intro - accidentally?)

Tree (planted Afforestation.)

Herb on open place as weed

Cultivated shrub in the hillock

Herb on shady place

Naudin

forest

17 Buddleja asiatica Lour.

18 Callistemon

Cultivated shrub in the hillock

Climber on shady place in the

citrinus

Buddlejaceae

(Curtis) Myrtaceae

Small tree on sunny slope

Tree Introduced

Skeels
19 Cannabis sativa L.

Cannabaceae

20 Cassia floribunda Cav.

Leguminosae

21 Cassia occidentalis L.

Leguminosae

22 Cassia tora L.

Leguminosae

Herb on open place as weed

Herb on open place

Herb at edge of forest

23 Castanopsis tribuloides (Sm.) A. Fagaceae

Herb at edge of forest

Tree on shady slope

DC. #
24 Cautelya spicata (Sm.) Baker

Zingiberaceae +

25 Celtis australis L.

Ulmaceae

26 Centella asiatica (L.) Urban

Umbelliferae

+
+

+
+
+

773

Herb on moist shady place

Tree on shady place

Creeper on open sunny place

Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

27 Cestrum nocturnum L.

Solanaceae

March 23-26, 2004

Small shrub on partly shaded

place

28 Chenopodium album L.

Chenopodaceae

29 Circium wallichii DC.

Compositae

30 Clerodendron fragrans

Verbenaceae

31 (?) Colocasia sp.

Araceae

32 Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.

Convolvulaceae

Herb on open sunny place

+

Herb on open place

Small shrub on shaded place
Herb on moist place
Parasitic

herb

(intro

accidentally?)
33 Cyathula

tomentosa

(Roth.) Amaranthaceae

Herb at edge of forest

Moquin
34 Cyanodon dactylon (l.) Pers.

Graminae

35 Datura stramonium L.

Solanaceae

Herb frequently occurring in

the hillock
Herb growing as weed on
open place

36 Datura

suaveolens

Humb.

& Solanaceae

Shrub at edge of forest

Bonpl. ex Willd.
37 Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees. Graminae

Woody grass on sunny place

& Am. Ex Munro

38 Dioscorea bulbifera L.

Dioscoreaceae

39 Drymaria diandra Blume.

Caryophyllace

Climber on shady moist place

Creeper on open place

ae
40 Durenta repens L.

Verbanaceae

41 Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC.

Compositae

42 Eucalyptus robusta

Myrtaceae

43 Eupatorium

Compositae

adenophorum

Thorny shrub (introduced?)

+

+
+

Tree (planted Afforestation.)

+

Spreng.

Herb throughout the hillock as

weed (intro - accidentally?)

44 Euphorbia hirta L.

Euphorbiaceae

45 Euphorbia sp.

Euphorbiaceae +

46 Fagopyrum

Herb on open place

esculentum

Polygonaceae +

Prostrate herb on open place

+

Herb on partly shaded place

Herb at edge of forest

Moench
47 Ficus benghalensis L.

Moraceae

48 Ficus lacor Buch-Ham.

Moraceae

49 Ficus religiosa L.

Moraceae

+
+

Tree at edge of forest

Tall tree in the forest

Tree occasionally occurring in

the forest

50 Fraxinus floribunda L.

Oleaceae

51 Galinsoga parviflora

Compositae

52 Gonatanthus pumilus (D. Don) Araceae

Tall tree in the forest

+

Common herb in the forest

Herb on shady and moist place

Cultivated tree at edge of

Engler & Kras

53 Grevillea robusta A Cunn. ex Proteaceae

R.Br.

forest

54 Grewia optiva J.R. Drumm. ex Tiliaceae

Tree on shaded place

Aquifoliaceae +

Tree on shaded place

Burret #
55 Ilex excelsa (Wall.) Hook

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Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

56 Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don

Bignoniaceae

57 Jasminum humile L.

Oleaceae

March 23-26, 2004

+

Cultivated tree at edge of

forest

58 Justicia adhatoda L.

Acanthaceae

59 Lagerstroemia indica L.

Lythraceae

60 Lantana camara L.

Verbanaceae

61 Ligustrum nepalense Wall. #

Oleaceae

Shrub (introduced?)
+

Shrub on sunny slopes

Cultivated shrub at edge of

forest

Shrub throughout the hillock

(intro - accidentally?)

Tree on shaded place in the

forest

62 Lithocarpus grandifolius (DC.) Fagaceae

Tree on shady slope in the

S.N. Biswas #

forest

63 Maclura cochinchinensis (Lour.) Moraceae

Giant climber on shady place

Corner
64 Melia azederach L.

Meliaceae

Tree in the adjoining area to

forest

65 Mirabilis jalapa L.

Nyctaginaceae +

66 Myrsine (?) semiserrata Wall.

Myrsinaceae

Herb throughout the hillock on

open place

Small tree on shady moist

slope

67 Nicotiana tabacum L.

Solanaceae

68 Oenothera rosea L.

Onagraceae

Tall herb at the edge of forest

as weed
+

Herb at edge of forest on

sunny place

69 Oxalis corniculata L.

Oxalidaceae

70 Oxalis latifolia H.B.K.

Oxalidaceae

Creeper on open place

Herb at edge of forest on

sunny place

71 Persea

odoratissima Lauraceae

Tree on shady slope

(Nees)Kosterm.
72 Persicaria capitata (Buch-Ham.) Polygonaceae

H. Gross
73 Persicaria

Herb at edge of forest on

sunny place

pubescens

(Blume) Polygonaceae

Hara

Herb at edge of forest on

sunny place

74 Persicaria viscosa (Buch-Ham. ex Polygonaceae +

D. Don) Nakai

Herb at edge of forest on

sunny place

75 Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Graminae

Tall herb on sunny place

Steudel

adjoining to hillock

76 Phyllathus neuri

Euphorbiaceae +

77 Plantago major L.

Plantaginaceae +

78 Prunus cerasoides D. Don

Rosaceae

Tree on shady slope

Tree on shady slope

79 Pyrus pashia Buch-Ham. ex D. Rosaceae

Herb on open place

Herb on open place

Don
80 Ranunculus (?) scleratus L.

Ranunculacea

775

Herb on open place

Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

81 Rhamnus virgatus Roxb. #

Rhamnaceae

82 Ricinus comminus L.

Euphorbiaceae

83 Rubus ellipticus Smith.

Rosaceae

84 Sambucus hookeri Rehder

Caprifoliaceae

March 23-26, 2004

+
+

Tree on open place

+

Shrub at edge of forest on

sunny place

Shrub on sunny place

Shrub

in

the

forest

(introduced?)
85 Sapindus mukorossi Gaerth.
86 Sarcococca

coriacea

Sapindaceae

(Hook.) Buxaceae

+
+

Tall tree in the forest

Shrub on shaded place

Sweet
87 Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth. #

Theaceae

88 Sida acuta Burm. f.

Malvaceae

89 Solanum aculeatissimum Jacq.

Solanaceae

Common tree in the forest

Herb on open place at edge of
forest

Herb

frequently

growing

throughout the hillock

90 Solanum nigrum L.

Solanaceae

Herb

frequently

growing

throughout the hillock

91 Stranvaesia

nussia

(D.

Don) Rosaceae

Tree on shady slope of forest

Decne
92 Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels

Myrtaceae

Tree on partly open slope in

the forest

93 Trifolium repens L.

Leguminosae

94 Urena lobata L.

Malvaceae

95 Urtica dioca L.

Urticaceae

Herb on open place in the

forest

Herb on open place in the

forest

Herb throughout the hillock on

open place

96 Veronica anagalis-aquatica L.

Scrophulariace

ae
97 Wendlandia

coriaceae

(Wall.) Rubiaceae

Herb on open place at edge of

forest

Tree on shady place in the

DC.
98 Zizyphus incurva Roxb.

forest
Rhamanceae

Tree on open as well as shady

place in the forest

Note: # Type specimen from Swayambhu hillock (Source: Shrestha, K. K. and Press, J. R., 2000.
Catalogue of type Specimen from Nepal. The Natural History Museum, London.)

List of Gymnosperms (introduced) in the hillock:

1. Araucaria cookii
2. Araucaria imbricata
3. Criptomeria japonica
4. Juniperus sp.
5. Pinus roxburghii
6. Thuja oriantalis
The study of floristic composition reveals that in different part of the hillock different species
are dominant. The floristic compositions are as follow (Refer map 1):
Area 1 Schima wallichii with rich herb and shrub layer (natural but disturbed)
Area 2 Schima wallichii with rich herb and shrub layer (natural but disturbed)
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Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

March 23-26, 2004

Area 3 Mixed type with many tree and rich herb layer including cultivated species
Area 4 Mixed type with many tree as well as ground vegetation (natural)
Area 5 Pinus roxburghii (Cultivated?) with poor ground layer vegetation
Area 6 Mostly open area suitable for ground layer vegetation with few tree species
Area 7 Mainly comprising of cultivated trees (e.g. Eucalyptus) and rich herb layer
Area 8 Mixed type comprising of cultivated as well as few native species; area protected by
fencing
Areas 5, 6, 7 and 8 are seems to be most disturbed part of the hillock mainly with secondary
floristic character.
D i stri bu tion of Pl ant spe ci e s (an gi ospe rm )
on basis of e n um e rati on
40
30
20
Nu mb er
o f sp ecies

10
0
1

A re a (a s pe r m a p 1)

Tree/S hrub

Herb

Chart 1
Numbers of species (angiosperm) listed from categorized areas are as follow.
Plant group/Area 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Tree/Shrub
17
17
27
23
6
11
14
16
Herb
29
23
23
26
20
32
28
27
Quantitative findings
Analysis of the vegetation in the northwest direction of the hillock was done, by using Pointcentered quarter method. The findings of the quantitative study are as follows:
Mean area occupied by an individual tree = 39.47 m2
Density (trees per ha) =253.37
Average Basal Area per tree = 0.208
Total Basal Area per hectare = 52.701
Total Basal Area of all Species = 2.3029 Total density = 258.65
Total frequency = 450
Basal area per ha (for species) = 52.71

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Proceedings of IV National Conference on Science and Technology

March 23-26, 2004

Conservation Practices in Swayambhu area

Exotic, cultivated species are predominant, especially Pinus roxburghii, Eucalyptus sp.
Herbaceous layer is dense again with naturalized species like Eupatorium sp., Mirabilis jalapa
but species such as Inula cappa (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) DC [Conyza cappa Buch.-Ham. ex D.
Don] seems now extinct from this area. Different organizations are working for rehabilitation of
natural environment of this area.
Peoples participation and awareness for the conservation of this world heritage site has been
known significant by the involvement of more than 23 NGOs working in Swayambhu area to
conserve and develop it. Federation of Swayambhu Management and Conservation has been
found to be the main body to carry out the management and conservation practices in the
Swayambhu area. Some conservations practice adopted by the Federation are to stop land
encroachment and provide security guard to watch the forest; developing habitat for wild
animals and plants; prohibiting of felling of trees, bushes in the jungle area, and maintaining
forest atmosphere.

Conclusion
After field visits and working in the Swayambhu hillock it can be concluded that this type
locality area, at present stands for very good example of one of the most disturbed forest area.
In this area secondary plant species that are planted after destruction of forest, are predominant,
especially Pinus roxburghii, Eucalyptus sp. and so on. At present this area serves as flourishing
ground for weed flora especially naturalized species such as Eupatorium adenophorum,
Mirabilis jalapa, etc.

Acknowledgements
We express our sincere thanks to the Authorities of Tri-Chandra Multiple College, Ghantaghar
for their official help, especially to Prof. Dr. S. B. Karmacharya [President Ecological Society
(ECOS) & former Campus Chief (TC college)]. We also acknowledge Authority of Federation
of Swayambhu Management and Conservation; Late R. B. Bajracharya (former president of the
Federation) and Dr. K. Shrestha (Chief, Natural History Museum) for their help during the
work.

References
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Karyaharu. In: K. Shrestha (Ed.) Swayambhu Batabaran Smarika 5:12, Senid, Kathmandu.
Don, D. 1825. Prodromus Florae Nepalensis. London
Shakya, A.R. 1995. Swayambhu Mahachaitya Ra Tyahako Jungleko Batabarniya Awastha In K. Shrestha
(Ed.) Swayambhu Batabaran Smarika 5:3-4, Senid, Katmandu
Shrestha, K. 1995. Swayambhuma Maulik Banaspatiharu . In: K. Shrestha (Ed.) Swayambhu Batabaran
Smarika 5:39-43, Senid, Kathmandu.
Shrestha, K.K. and J.R. Press. 2000. Catalogue of Type Specimens from Nepal. The Natural History
Museum, London.
Wallich, N. 1824 1826. Tentamen Florae Nepalensis. Asiatic Lithographical Press, London.
Zobel, D.B., J.R. Jha, U.K.R. Yadav, and M.J. Behan. 1987. A practical manual for ecology. Ratna Book
Distributors, Kathmandu.

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