Diversity of flowering plants in Kurusumala of Thiruvanandhapuram district, Kerala, India

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1 BOTANICAL Diversity of flowering plants in Kurusumala of Thiruvanandhapuram district, Kerala, India Selvamony Sukumaran¹,*, Thankappan Sarasabai Shynin Brintha¹, Solomon Jeeva² 1 Department of Botany and Research Centre, Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam, Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu, India. 2 Department of Botany and Research Centre, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu, India. *Corresponding author. sukunmcc@gmail.com Abstract SURVEY Scientific investigation of floristic diversity is an essential prerequisite for its conservation, management and sustainable utilization. In the Western Ghats of the Kurusumala (Thiruvananthapuram district) mostly of tropical deciduous forest, based on a year, monthly surveys of flowering and fruiting occurrence of different taxa. In the present study we found a total of 327 taxa (238 genera and 77 families). The families most represented were Fabaceae, Poaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Of these, 37 families were monogeneric and 30 families were monospecific. In addition, we also found economic utility of local inhabitants (medicinal, fodder, green manure, edible, ornamental and other utilities). Of these, 58 taxa were considered as rare, endemic and threatened category. At present the floristic diversity of the Kirusumala pilgrim centre forests are under threat due to the anthropogenic and extraction of non-timber products. This information could be useful in future researches that evaluate floristic diversity, vegetation and phonological studies and species conservation. Introduction Accepted: 08 ember 2018 Published: 20 uary Sukumaran et al. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Disclaimer: I3 Press discourages plagiarism, falsification and exaggeration of contents. We welcome valid and constructive criticisms/ complains on our published articles, which will be published on upcoming issues without any processing charge or APC. Biodiversity promotes economic well being and enhances ecosystem functionality and stability of forest has been traced to be the reservoirs of a variety of species, habitats and genetic diversity (Noble & Dirzo, 1997). It is the greatest treasure of resources meeting all essential needs to mankind. Granting natural resources to be infinite, man depleted them thoughtlessly resulting in irreparable loss of considerable biodiversity even before it was fully known Only 1.5 million of the estimated 30 million species are known to man and about ¼ of this risk extinction within the next 30 years (Dutta, 2000). Understanding species diversity and distribution patterns is crucial for evaluating the complexity and resources of forests (Kumar et al., 2006). Floristic inventory is a prerequisite not only for fundamental research in tropical community ecology, but also for such advanced applications as modelling species diversity or understanding species distributions (Phillips et al., 2003). Tropical forests are ecosystem having the highest species richness and are of special interest because of the many complex environmental factors responsible for the spatial distribution patterns of plant species, high frequency occurrence (Anbarashan & Parthasarathy, 2012; Laurance et al., Citation: Sukumaran, S., Brintha, T.S.S. & Jeeva, S. (2019) Diversity of flowering plants in Kurusumala of Thiruvanandhapuram district, Kerala, India. I3 Biodiversity. 3, 303.

2 2012; Naidu & Kumar, 2016). Variations in plant community structure and species composition over short distances may reflect a remarkable heterogeneity of the physical environment (Richards, 1952; Whitmore, 1984) which is the basis for the complexity and diversity of any ecosystems. Forest ecosystems currently occupy nearly 31% of the earth s surface (Clark & Covey, 2012). Of these, tropical forest cover only 7% of the earth s land surface, but harbour more than half of the worlds species (Wilson, 1988) and are currently disappearing at an overall rate of 0.8-2% per year ( & Stumpf, 2000; Sagar et al., 2003; Pragasan & Parthasarathy, 2010). Fast-paced conversion of forest lands for commercial purposes and destruction of tropical forests have led to an unprecedented decline in biodiversity and disruption of ecosystem services (Dierick & Hölscher, 2009). Anthropogenic activities such as over grazing, deforestation, bush fires, shifting cultivation and developmental activities like mining, urbanization and dam and road construction inside protected areas were found to be the major causes of deterioration of biodiversity. And many forests are under great anthropogenic pressure and require intervention, so that the overall biodiversity, productivity and sustainability of the forest can be maintained (Kumar & Sequiera, 2008; Anitha et al., 2010). The importance of such diversity related studies were identified only recently and apart from inventory, disturbance intensity on regeneration (Kennard et al., 2002; Denslow, 1995). Phonological assessment (Frankie et al., 1974) composition of species diversity (Pitman et al., 2002) monitoring (Sukumar et al., 1992). Species area and species individual relationship (Condit et al., 1996) have been studied by researchers through floristic analysis. Floristic study of smaller areas is more important in comparison with that of larger areas. Smaller areas can be explored thoroughly with critical field observations to find out any additional species which might have been left out from earlier studies. Due to fragmentation of habitats and ecosystems because of various developmental activities many earlier reported taxa might have become extinct, rare and endangered. Study of the existence, size, structure and locality of such taxa deserves more importance. Floristic exploration of Thiruvanadhapuram districts was done by several workers (Drury, 1864; Mohanan, 1981, 1985; Mohanan et al., 1982a,b; Mohanan & Henry, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994; Mohanan & Sivadasan, 2001; Thomas, 1962, 1976; Shareef et al., 2015). Based on the above literature it can be seen that the rich biodiversity of Thiruvananthapuram district has been explored upto certain extent. However, still many places are unexplored or underexplored, and most of the tracts are virgin in nature. Studies on the floristic diversity of Kurisumala are lacking. Hence, it is imperative to document the floristic resources for the sustenance of the environment as well as human society in an era of climate change and large scale deforestation. In view of this fact, the present study was planned to document the floristic wealth of 2 / 23

3 Kurisumala of Thiruvanandhapuram District, Kerala, of Southern Western Ghats. Materials and Methods Study area Thiruvananthapuram district is one of the smallest districts in Kerala, bounded on the east by Tirunelveli district, south by Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu, north by Kollam district and west by the Arabian Sea. The present study was conducted in Kurisumala of southern Western Ghats, which comes under Vellarada Panchayat of Neyyatinkara taluk, Trivandrum district, Kerala state. Topographically, the Panchayat varies from mountain regions, low lying plains and rocky area. The total area of the Vellarada panchayat is Sq. Km. It is situated between 84 01' and 65 7' North latitudes and 77 08' and 71 10'9 East longitudes, which is situated nearly 52 Km from the southeast of Thiruvananthapuram city, bordering east Tamilnadu (Figure 1). The population of the area is 31,839, incorporating 15,702 males and 16,137 females. The people belong to Nadar, Nair, Eezhavas, Muslim, Chokkala, Ashary, Sheduled cast and Scheduled tribe. Among these, the dominant community is Nadar. The language here is a mixture of Malayalam and Tamil. Major cultivated crops are rubber, coconut, plantain, vegetables and tapioca. Vellarada is also known for its hill top shrine Kurisumala Pilgrim Centre (also called Thekkan Ksurisumala). The word Kurisumala literally means Mount of the Cross and it is one of the most prominent pilgrim centres in South India. From 1940s the History of Kurisumala were started, Fr. John Baptist OCD (Order of Carmelite Discord), a Belgium Missionary established a wooden cross in the top of the mountain. It lies about 3000 feet (more than 900 m) above the sea level on the Western Ghats. In Sangamavedi (meeting place) the shrine of Gethsamana and shrine of Pieatha were built. The way of Kurisumala had fourteen small crosses which indicate the journey to crucification of Jesus Christ Golgotha. There is discrimination for the pilgrims to visit Kurisumala thousands of devotees from various parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in every year. The pilgrims seasons five days in and Good Friday of. The climate of this area is moderately humid, means annual rainfall is mm and varies from 70 mm (minimum during ruary) to 435 mm (maximum - ). However, there is no rainfall in the month of uary and ruary. The mean monthly temperature varies from a maximum of 32.5 C in the month of to a minimum of 22.6 C in ember. Geographically, rocks were the oldest which comes under the narrow belt of Pleistocene of late tertiary and a high mountain belt of crystalline rocks. The soils are the combination of sandy loam and black 3 / 23

4 Figure 1. Location of the study Area. soil with laterite grave in the hill slopes. The natural vegetation of the Vellarada Panchayat has a broad sense of tropical deciduous forest in which most species characteristic the deciduous forest of the Western Ghats. Kurusumala is undergoing rapid changes in vegetation and is facing large scale anthropogenic activities, sporadic tree felling, and extraction of minor forest products. Besides on the top of the mountains and elevated ground which are subjected to heavy runoff, laterite grave and broken pieces of rocks at different stages of disintegration are found in a large proportion. Due to these activities the forest cover is continuously declining and the remnant forest patched cover occurring in the view of fragments of different sizes. Field collection and floristic identification Fortnightly pedestrian surveys were conducted from 2015 to August Collection trips were organized during all seasons covering the entire study area. Trails and trail-less portions of the study area were walked randomly. The structural formation and vegetation association at each location were also recorded. As a precaution, where similar species 4 / 23

5 were difficult to determine in the field, vouchers were collected as replicates. The plants were collected in different reproductive stages (flowering and fruiting stages) to prepare herbarium specimens. All vouchers were taken to the laboratory for identification, detailed field data were collected during the field trips. Information such as binomial and family, habit, local name, category, armed and unarmed, economic utility, flowering and fruiting, voucher number, conservation status of the voucher plant and those characteristics which cannot be observed from the pressed specimens were recorded. For the preservation of vouchers brought from the study area. Processed herbarium specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam. Plants which can be identified in the field were recorded and all other specimens were critically observed; flowers of unidentified plants were preserved and dissected. They were checked with descriptions available in Gamble & Fischer ( ), Mohanan & Henry (1994) and Nayar et al. (2014). Identification was further confirmed after matching the specimens with authentic or type sheets available at Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Palode, Kerala. Citations and nomenclature of the taxa were obtained from the databases such as the International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ( Tropicos ( and The Plant List ( available online. Rare, endangered and threatened (RET) species were assessed as per the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, and also after consulting various floras and taxonomic literature. The plants of the study area are tabulated along with scientific name, family, habit, local name, category, armature, cultivated, endemic, economic uses, medicine, flowering and fruiting and herbarium voucher specimen number (Appendix 1). Results During the present study a total of 327 flowering plants belonging 238 genera and 77 families were reported from the study area. Of the 327 taxa, dicots were represented by 268 species belonging to 65 families and monocots by 59 species from 12 families (Figure 2, Figure 3). Of the 268 dicot taxa, 141 species with 32 families under the sub-class polypetalae, 87 species with 21 families were gamopetalae and 40 species belonging to 12 families were represented by the sub-class monochlamydeae (Figure 4). Analysis of life-form floristic diversity of the study area showed that herbaceous species exhibited maximum species constituting 125 taxa of the total flora, followed by shrubs 68 taxa, trees 72 and climbers, twiners and lianas 62 taxa (Figure 5). Of the 77 familes, Fabaceae and Poaceae were the dominant families represented by 40 and 36 species each under 24 and 27 genera, 5 / 23

6 Number of species Figure 2. Distribution of sub class in species and families. respectively. The co-dominant family in the study area was Euphorbiaceae represented by 17 species under 13 genera. The other dominant families were Mimosaceae with 16 species under 7 genera, Caesalpiniaceae with 15 species 7 genera, Rubiaceae with 12 species under 8 genera Asteraceae with 11 species under 11 general, Asclepiadaceae with 9 speices and 9 genera, Acanthaceae with 10 species from 8 genera and Malvaceae with 10 species under 6 genera were well represented in the study area. These ten families comprise 54% and 50% of all observed species and genera respectively (Figure 6). Fabaceae was the supreme species in the dicotyledonous family in the study area with 40 species belonging to 24 genera represented by 13 shrubs, 10 herbs, 9 trees and 8 climbers. The trees of upper canopy were Dalbergia sissoides, D. latifolia, and Pterocarpus marsupium. Some of the climbers in the study area were Abrus precatorius, Butea parviflora, Mucuna pruriens, etc. The largest genus was Crotalaria with 6 species, Figure 3. Habit-wise distribution of plant species in the study area. 6 / 23

7 (a) (b) Figure 4. Taxonomic representativeness of enlisted flowering plants in Kurusumala. (a) Percentage of species by family Fabaceae and Poaceae comprised 12 % of all species while 46. % correspond to taxa with less (or equal) to 8 species per family. (b) Number of genera by family. We observe the same tendency with Fabaceae and Poaceae comprising major number of genera (21%), while 49.57% correspond to general with less (or equal) to 6 genera per family. In paranethses is show the number of species and general respectively. followed by Alysicarpus and Desmodium each with 3 species. Poaceae was the largest in the monocotyledonous family with 36 species belonging to 27 genera. Among the 27 genera, Setaria had the highest representation with 3 species, followed by Chloris, Eragrostis, Panicum and Themeda which were represented by 2 species each. The remaining 23 genera were monospecific. Euphorbiaceae was the co-dominant family in the study area with 16 species belonging to 9 genera; they were represented by 6 herbs, 4 trees and 3 shrubs. The upper canopy includes tree species like Artocarpus hirsutus, A. heterophyllus, Mallotus tetracoccus, Phyllanthus emblica, etc. The common herbs in the study area belonged to the genus Phyllanthus and Euphorbia. The most species-rich families in descending order are Fabaceae (40 taxa), Poaceae (36 taxa), Euphorbiaceae and Figure 5. Family-wise distribution of plant species in the study area. 7 / 23

8 Figure 6. Economic important of plant species in the study area. Mimosaceae (16 taxa each), Caesalpiniaceae (15 taxa), Rubiaceae (12 taxa), Asteraceae (11 taxa), Acanthaceae and Malvaceae (10 taxa each) and Asclepiadaceae (9 taxa), of these, 37 families were monogeneric and 30 families were monospecific (Figure 5). Out of 327 taxa collected from the study area 58 (24.47%), Rare Endemic and Threatened (RET) species were recorded. Around 191 (58.40%) of plants present in the study area have medicinal properties. Local people of the area use the medicinal plants from the forest for treating mild ailments. Seed, root, fruit, bark, leaf, tuber, rhizome and the whole plant are used for medicinal purposes. Whole plants and leaves are largely used in the study area. So Kurusumala forest is the cradle of medicinal plants. It is also observed that entire plants are extracted for medicinal purposes including RET taxa. Usually seeds, flowers, leaves and bark of trees are also used for medicinal purposes. Twentynine plants in the study area are considered as fodder plants, cattles of nearby villages graze in the area. Fruits, leaves and seeds of around 82% of the plants that grow in the study area are consumed by the local people. Fruits of Annona, Carissa, Capparis, Pithecellobium, Phyllanthus, Artocarpus, Artocarpus, Mangifera, Tamarindus, Anacardium, etc are collected from this area by locals for their own use and also for sale in retail markets. Areca catechu, Borassus flabellifer, Coccus nucifera, Ceiba pentandra, Cassia fistula and Myrraya koenigii are the economically important species present in the study area. Calotropis gigantea, Crotalaria sps., Tephrosia purpurea and many other herbs and shrubs are used as green manure for cultivated plants. Coconut groves and mango orchards are common along the foothills of the study area (Figure 6). 8 / 23

9 Discussion India, being a tropical country is very rich in floristic diversity as well as endemism; this country accounts for 8% of the global biodiversity (Ahmedullah & Nayar, 1986). Of the 34 Biodiversity Hotspots (Conservation International, 2005) identified, two are located in India. Among the 17,672 angiosperms recorded in India, 4000 species have been registered in the state of Kerala. The total number of Angiosperm species in the study area, Kurisumala, is around 10% of the species recorded in the entire Thiruvananthapuram (4000 taxa) district of Kerala state, India. In the study area, dicots outnumber monocots by about 5 times. The ratio of genera to species (1:1.5) is rather lower in the study area when compared to the corresponding ratio for the whole of India (1:7) as indicated by (Hooker, 1904). The environmental conditions are probably responsible for the low proportion of genera to species in Kurisumala. A comparison of the top 10 families in order of their species richness and order of their dominance with that of Flora of India (Hooker, 1904), Flora of Madras Presidency (Gamble & Fischer, ), Flora of Western Ghats (Subramanyam & Nayar, 1974), Flora of Thiruvananthapuram District shows that many of the families are well represented in the Kurisumala. The top ten families of the study area and the other studies are almost the same except Orchidaceae which was not reported in the study area. Fabaceae was the most dominant family in the Madras Presidency (Gamble & Fischer ), Flora of Thiruvananthapuram district as well as in the study area; it was in the second position in the Western Ghats (Subramanyam & Nayar, 1974). Except Orchidaceae, all the other families are more or less same in the order of top 7 families in Flora of Western Ghats and 6 families in Flora of Thiruvananthapuram District. Mimosaceae and Caesalpiniaceae which occupy the 4 th and 10 th positions in the study area are not included in the list of the top 10 families of all the compared floras. Angiosperm in India is usually dominated by herbaceous families about 71% of the genera are herbaceous. The present observation in the study area corroborates the same, herbaceous species accounts for 40% of the total species. Herbaceous vegetation plays an important role in nutrient conservation and as a source of food for herbivores (Yadav & Gupta, 2006; Subitha et al., 2016; Felix et al., 2017). The presence of large number of herbaceous in the study area depicted that the area is under various anthropogenic threats required conservation measures. The present study also shows that diversity of flowering and fruiting plant species in different rate of attitudes. This information also useful for future researches to assess ecological, biological processes and light to pollination ecology. Furthermore, the diversity of biological spectrum, that, depending of the vegetation type, are represented by trees, shrubs, lianas, twiners, climbers and herbs and some other cases are considered as vital role of functional 9 / 23

10 groups. In this observation is closely correlated by the previous studies (Adriano et al., 2016). Peninsular India is the richest endemic centre that harbours nearly 82% of the total endemic genera of the country. Nearly 40% of the endemic species are herbs, followed by trees (35%), shrubs (14%) and climbers (12%). Although the shrub community is very rich in the understory of Western Ghats, endemism among the shrub genera is very poor (Krishnan & Davidar, 1996). When analysed for their rarity and threats based on the on the Red Data Book Plants of India (Nayar & Sastry, 1987), about 58 endemic species also reported in the study area, among the 1270 endemic species present in the Western Ghats. High endemic species richness in this region is due to wide variations in latitudinal and altitudinal gradients and rainfall and temperature patterns prevalent in this region, mountain top provide excellent environment for endemism, populations of many endemic taxa are fragmented. If the dispersal rate of the fragmented population is not as quick as the change in landscape, its survival is at stake (Fahring & Merriam, 1994). Continuous monitoring of these fragmented populations is required for better conservation (Ramesh & Pascal 1997; Sukumaran & Raj, 2008; Sukumaran et al., 2005). Kurusumala is a fragment of Western Ghats which harbours lots of endemic plants and efficient conservation measures are necessary to save them. Medicinal plants have been used for millennia in virtually all cultures and serve both as a source of income and affordable healthcare (Bank, 1997). The present study clearly indicate that Kurusumala is an act as a treasure trove of medicinal taxa, however about 191 (58.4%) plants have observed medicinal properties, utilized in formal traditional medical system of the rural communities. The people of Kurusumala and its vicinity area to use medicinal plants trial and error basis, with great lack of scientific research to conform effectiveness of varies plants they employ in treating illness. Most of the medicinal plants are harvested (whole plants, seed, roots, fruits, rhizome, etc.) to cure primary disease like headache, dysentery, jaundice, skin disease, wounds, snake bites, hair growth etc. The World Health Organization estimates that 70-95% of people living in developing countries rely chiefly on medicinal plants for their primary healthcare needs (World Health Organization, 2011) and that their sale accounts for 15-30% of the total income of poorer households (Hamilton, 2004). However, an estimated 10,000 medicinal plants are currently threatened on the global scale most of the medicinal plants that available in the market or pharmaceutical/herbal industries are extracted from natural forests (Ahmad, 2003). Many medicinal plants are being extracted from the Kurisumala by pharmaceutical companies, people of nearby villages collect the medicinal plants for meagre wages. This observation was in line with the findings of Sukumaran & Jeeva (2012a). Diversity of plants in the study area is affected mainly devotees using the mountain to reach pilgrims in every year. That time certain developmental programs are made to deforestation, man-made fires, 10 / 23

11 collection of fuel wood in the forest. Human actions have also fragmented habitats via conversion of native ecosystems to agricultural lands, urban or suburban lands, roads, power line rights-of-way, etc. Developmental and anthropogenic activities deteriorating at an alarming rate due to changes in socio-economy and cultural values of the indigenous people with the advent of modernization (Sukumaran & Jeeva, 2012b; Sukumaran & Parthiban, 2014). Fragmentation is likely to escalate as population and per capita incomes increase globally. Habitat destruction can cause immediate extinction of those species that lived only in area destroyed, and delayed extinction of poorly dispersing, perhaps competitively superior, species of extant ecosystems (Tilman et al., 1994). So the extinction of reforestation to further areas of the hills and the other mountainous areas together with the active involvement of local people in management activities is necessary to conserve the forest wealth. Uniqueness and richness of ecosystem and floristic diversity of Kurusumala needs capacity building and awareness campaign were required to ensure that the mountain is will managed and sustainably conserved for future generation. Acknowledgements We thank Dr. K. Paulraj, Head, Department of Botany, Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam for his help and support. We also thank all the reviewers who gave their precious time and comments which greatly improved the paper. References Adriano, C.A.M., Jaimes, A.A. & Castelazo, C.D. (2016) Floristic survey of flowering plants in a tropical coastal ecosystem in Veracruz, Mexico. Botanical Sciences. 94(1), Ahmad, H. (2003) Capacity building for cultivation and sustainable harvesting of medicinal and aromatic plants. In: Conservation and Sustainable Uses of Medical and Aromatic Plants of Pakistan. Ethnobotany Project, World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-P). Islamabad, Pakistan. pp Ahmedullah, M. & Nayar, M.P. (1986) Endemic Plants of the Indian region. Vol. 1. Calcutta, India, Botanical Survey of India. Anbarashan, M. & Parthasarathy, N. (2012) Tree diversity and forest stand structure along disturbance gradients in Indian tropical dry evergreen forest. Ecotropica. 18(2), Anitha, K., Joseph, S., Chandran, R.J., Ramasamy, E.V. & Prasad, S.N. (2010) Tree species diversity and community composition in a human-dominated tropical foest of Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India. Ecological Complexity. 7(2), / 23

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15 Sukumaran, S. & Parthiban, B. (2014) Vascular plant diversity of Udayagiri fort, Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu, India. Bioscience Discovery. 5(2), Sukumaran, S. & Raj, A.D.S. (2008) Rare and endemic plants in the sacred groves of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Forestry. 31, Thomas, K.J. (1962) A survey on the vegetation of Veli (Trivandrum) with special reference to ecological factors. Journal of Indian Botanical Society. 41(1), Thomas, K.J. (1976) Observations on the aquatic vegetation of Trivandrum, Kerala. In: Proceedings of the Regional Seminar on Noxious Aquatic Vegetation. New Delhi. pp Tilman, D.,, R.M., Lehman, C.L. & Nowak, M.A. (1994) Habitat destruction and the extinction debt. Nature. 371(6492), 65. Whitmore, T.C. (1984) Tropical rain forests of the Par East. Oxford, Clarendon Press. Wilson, J.B. (1988) Shoot competition and root competition. Journal of Applied Ecology. 25, World Health Organization (2011) World Health Statistics. Geneva, Switzerland, WHO Press. Yadav, A.S. & Gupta, S.K. (2006) Effect of micro-environment and human disturbance on the diversity of woody species in the Sariska Tiger Project in India. Forest Ecology and Management. 225(1-3), Appendix 1. Economic importance of the plants of the study area Botanical name /Family Habit Local Name Category Armature Economic Importanc e Floweri ng and Fruiting Voucher Number Abelmoschus moschatus Medic. / Malvaceae S Vendaikay Cul UA Ed Ty 1685 Abrus precatorius L./Fabaceae C Gundumani Oc UA M 1768 Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet/ Malvaceae H Paniyarattutti C UA M Aug Sept Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex. Benth./Mimosaceae T Australian C UA Ot wattle Acacia caesia (L.) Willd./ Mimosaceae C Karijindu C UA Ot Acacia ferruginea DC./ Mimosaceae T Velvelam C A Ot _ 1712 Acacia hohenackeri craib/ Fabaceace L - R A Ot Acacia mangium Willd./ Mimosaceae T Mangium C UA Ot Ty 1556 Acacia planifrons Wight & Arn. / Mimosaceae T - C UA Ot Oct Acacia torta (Roxb.)Craib/ Mimosaceae C - Oc UA M Sept Acalypha indica L./Euphorbiaceae H Kuppamani C UA M Ty 1517 Achyranthes aspera L./ Amaranthaceae H Nayuruvi C A M Ty 1742 Achyranthes bidentata Blume/ Amaranthaceae H Shemainayuruv R A Of Ty 1522 i Acmella paniculata (Wall. ex DC.) R.K. sen/asteraceae H _ C UA Ot Oct Adenanthera pavonina L./ Mimosaceae T Anikundumani Oc UA Ot / 23

16 Botanical name /Family Habit Local Name Category Armature Economic Importanc e Adenia hondala (Gaertn) W. J. de Willd./ Passifloraceae L Mithappan- Kizhangu Floweri ng and Fruiting Voucher Number R UA M _ 1713 Adhatoda zeylanica Medik/ Acanthaceae S Adathodai Oc UA M Oct Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Serr./ Rutaceae T Vilvam R A M # Aerva lanata (L.) Juss ex Schult./ Amaranthaceae H Sirupulai E UA M Sept Albizia amara (Roxb.)Boivin/ Mimosaceae T Narlinga C UA Ot Albizia chinensis (Osbeck)Merr./ Mimosaceae T Pattavaka C UA Ot Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth./ Mimosaceae T Kattuvaka C UA Gm Albizia odoratissima (L.f.) Benth./ Mimosaceae T Karuvangai R A M Allamanda cathartica L./ Apocynaceae L _ Cu UA M _ # Alloteropsis cimicina (L.) Stapf./ Poaceae H _ C UA Fg Ty 1686 Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f./ H Chottukathalai C A M Sept Liliaceae Alpinia calcarata (Haw.) Roscoe/ Zingiberaceae H Chittarathai Oc UA M Aug Oct Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.Br.ex DC. / Amaranthaceae H Kodupai Oc UA M Sept Alysicarpus monilifer (L.) DC./ Fabaceae H - C UA Ot Alysicarpus rugosus (Willd.) DC./ Fabaceae H - Oc UA Ot Sept - # Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC./ Fabaceae H - Oc UA Ot Amaranthus viridis L./ Amaranthaceae H Kuppaikeerai C UA M Ty 1688 Ammannia baccifera L./ Lythraceae H Nirumel - Oc UA Ot Sept neruppu Anacardium occidentale L./ Anacardiaceae T Kollamavu C UA M Sept- 162 Ananas comosus (L.) Merr./ Bromiliaceae H Akkirakaram C A M Ty 1767 Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wallich ex Nees/Acanthaceae H Nilaveembu R UA M Ty 1629 Anisomeles malabarica (L.) R. Br. ex Sims./ Lamiaceae S Peyameratti Oc UA M Ty 1512 Annona muricata L./ Annonaceae T Mullanjakka Cul A M Annona reticulata L./ Annonaceae T Ramachita C UA M Sept Annona squamosa L./Annonaceae T Sitapalam C UA Ed Oct Antidesma ghasembilla Gaertn./ Euphorbiaceae S Pulichchamara Oc A Ed 1603 m Areca catechu L./Arecaceae T Kamugu C UA Ot Ty 1502 Aristida hystrix L.f./ Poaceae H Thudappanpull Oc UA Ot 1551 u Aristida setacea Retz./Poaceae H Thudappampull C UA Ot Ty 1725 u Aristolochia india L.Ari/ Aristolochiaceae C Isvaramuli En UA M Ty 1596 Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam./ Moraceae T Pilamaram Oc UA Ot Artocarpus hirsutus Lamk./ Moraceae T Anjali E A Ed Arundinella ciliata (Roxb.) Nees ex Miq./ Poaceae H Masapul E UA Ot Oct Asparagus racemosus Willd./ Liliaceae C Shatavali En A M - # Asystasia gangetica (L.)T. Anderson/ Acanthaceae H Medday Keerai C UA M Asystasia travancorica Bedd./ Acanthaceae S _ E UA Ot Oct Atalantia monophylla (L.) Correa / Rutaceae T Kattunaragam R A M Sept Averrhoa bilimbi L./Averrhoaceae T Pilimbi _ UA Ot _ 1673 Axonopus compressus (Sw.)P. / Beauv./Poaceae H Lawn grass C UA Fg - Azadirachta india A. Juss./ Meliaceae T Vembu C UA M - Sept Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss./ Poaceae H Moongil C A M Aug Barleria prionitis L./ Acanthaceae H Chembulli C A M Bauhinia purpurea L./ Caesalpiniaceae S Mandarai C UA Ot # # 16 / 23

17 Botanical name /Family Habit Local Name Category Armature Economic Importanc e Floweri ng and Fruiting Bauhinia Malabarica Rox./ Fabaceae T Arampuli R UA Ot Aug Bauhinia racemosa Lam./ Caesalpiniaceae T Sallagi C UA Ot Sept Begonia floccifera Bedd./ Begoniaceae T _ Oc UA Ot Ty 1632 Biophytum sensitivum (L.)DC./ Oxalidaceae H Jalapushpam C UA M Sept Oct Blepharis maderapatensis (L.)Roth./ Acanthaceae H Artilaiporuthi C A M Aug Boerhavia diffusa L. / Nyctaginaceae H Thazhuthama C UA M - Oct 1675 Boerhavia erecta L./ Nyctaginaceae H Mukaratte Oc UA Ot 1782 Bombax ceiba L./ Bombacaceae T Pulamaram Oc A Ot 1689 Borassus flabelifer L./ Arecaceae T Panaimaram C A M Aug Brachiaria ramosa (L.) Stapf/ Poaceae T Sanam pullu C UA Fg 1769 Brachiaria reptans (L.) C.A. Gardner & C.E. Hubb./ Poaceae H Shanipullu C UA Fg 1744 Brachiaria semiundulata (Hochst.) Stapf/ Poaceae H _ R UA Ot Breynia retusa (Dennst.) Alston/ Euphorbiaceae H Mukkayini C UA M - # Bridelia stipularis (L.) Blume/ Euphorbiaceae S Cherukolpanac Oc UA Ed Oct hi Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub./ Fabaceae T Chamatha R UA M Butea parviflora Roxb./ Fabaceae L Kodipurash R UA Ot Sept 1549 Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam./ Caesalpiniaceae C _ R A Ot # Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. / Caesalpiniaceae C Rangunmalligai Oc A Ot Ty 1597 Calophyllum inophyllum L./ Clusiaceae T Punnaimaram En UA M Oct Calopogonium mucunoides Desv./ Fabaceae T _ Oc UA Ot Aug Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br./ Asclepiadaceae S Erukka C UA M Oct Capparis sepiaria L./ Capparaceae C Karunchurai R A M 1550 Capparis zeylanica L./ Capparaceae C Adondai Oc A M - # may Capsicum annum L./ Solanaceae S Mulagony C UA M Ty 1710 Capasicum frutescens L. / Solanaceae S - Cul UA M Caralluma umbellata Haw. / Ascelepiadaceae S Kalmulaiyaan R A Ot Cardiospermum halicacabum L./ Sapindaceae H Mudukottan En UA M Carica papaya L. / Caricaceae T Papalipazham Cul UA Ed Ty 1745 Carissa carandas L./ Apocynaceae S Kalaaha C A Ot Ty 1770 Caryota urens L./ Arecaceae T Ulatti Oc UA Or Ty 156 Casuarina equisetifolia L./ Casuarinaceae T Chavukku C UA Ot - # Catharanthus pusillus ( Murray) G. Don./ Apocynaceae H _ Oc UA M 1511 Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don./ Apocynaceae H Sudukattumalli C UA M Ty 1606 gai Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. / Bombacaceae T Pannimaram C A M Oct Centella asiatica (L.) Urban/ Apiaceae H Vallarai C UA M Centrosema pubescens Benth./ Fabaceae H Butterfly pea C UA M Sept Ceropegia evansii Mc Ann./ Asclepiadaceae TW Paaraipandam En UA Ot Sept Chamaecrista mimosoides (L.) Greene/ Caesalpiniaceae S _ Oc UA Ot Oct Chassalia curviflora Thw./ Rubiaceae S Vellakurinji R UA M _ 1633 Chloris inflata Link./ Poaceae H Kodai pullu C UA Fg Ty 1784 Chloris wightiana Nees ex Steud./ Poaceae H _ E UA Fg Ty 1607 Chrysopogon fulvus (Spreng.)Chiov./ Poaceae H Cholapullu Oc UA Fg Aug - Cinnamomum verum J.Presl. / Lauraceae T Jlavangam Oc UA M - Cissampelos pareira L./ Menispermaceae Tw Appata C UA M - Voucher Number / 23

18 Botanical name /Family Habit Local Name Category Armature Economic Importanc e Floweri ng and Fruiting Cissus quadrangularis L./ Vitaceae C Pirandi C UA M - # Cleome rutidosperma DC./ Capparaceae H - Oc UA M Cleome viscosa L./ Capparaceae H Peykaduyu C UA M Ty 1547 Clerodendrum infortunatum L./ Verbinaceae S Perugilai C UA M Clerodendrum serratum (L.)Moon/ Verbinaceae S Cherutekku Oc UA M Clitoria ternatea L./ Fabaceae S Sangupushpam C UA M Sept Coccinia grandis (L.) J. Voigt./ Cucurbitaceae C Kovaikai C UA Ed Ty 1658 Cocos nucifera L./ Arecaceae T Thennai Cul UA Edi Ty 1548 Codariocalyx motorius (Houtt.) H. Ohashi./ Fabaceae S - C UA Ot Oct - # Coffea arabica L./ Rubiaceae T Coffee Oc UA M Ty 1625 Coix lacryma- jobi L./ Poaceae H Kattukunduman C UA Fg 1736 i Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott/ Araceae H Kattuchembu C UA Ed Combretum indicum (L.)Defilipps/ Combretaceae C Vella- Kovandi C UA M 1562 Commelina benghalensis L./ Commelinaceae H Kanavazhai C UA Ot Ty 1771 Commelina longifolia Lam. / Commelinaceae H - Oc UA Ot Ty 1608 Corchorus aestuans L./ Tiliaceae H - C UA Ot 1746 Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S. Moore / Asteraceae H Fireweed Oc UA Ot Sept - # Crotalaria juncea L./ Fabaceae H Sannapu C UA Ot Crotalaria linifolia L.f. /Fabaceae H - Oc UA Ot Aug Crotalaria mysorensis Roth./Fabaceae H - C UA M Crotalaria pallida Dryand var. pallid / Polhill /Fabaceae H - C UA Ot Aug Crotalaria paniculata Willd. / S - R UA Ot - # Fabaceae Oct Crotalaria umbellata Wight ex Wight. & Arn./ Fabaceae S - Oc UA Ot Sept Cryptolepis buchananii R. Br.ex Roem & Schult. / Asclepiadaceae H Pal - valli Oc UA M Curculigo orchioides Gaertn./ Hypoxidaceae H Nilappanai - C UA M Kizhangu Curcuma longa L./ Zingiberaceae H Manjal Cul UA M Cuscuta reflexa Roxb./ Convolvulaceae H - Oc UA Ot Cyanthula prostrata (L.) Blume/ Amaranthaceae Tw - Oc UA Ot Ty 1656 Cyclea pelata (Lam.) Hook. f. Thomas/ Menispermaceae Tw Padaithazhi Oc UA M Sept Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W. Watson/ Poaceae H Sukkunaarippill Oc UA M u Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers./ Poaceae H Arugampullu C UA M Ty 1708 Cynometra travancorica Beddome./ Caesalpiniaceae T - E UA Ot Sept Cyperus rotundus L./ Cyperaceae H Karaikizhangu C UA M Ty 1657 Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd./ Poaceae H - C UA FG Ty 1591 Dalbergia latifolia Roxb./ Fabaceae T Itti En UA Ot # Dalbergia sissoides Wt. & Arn./ Fabaceae T Sisu En UA Ot Aug Oct alepis arayalpathra (J.Joseph & V. Chandras.) Venter/ S Araiyal E UA M 1735 Asclepiadaceae Dendrophthoe falcata (L.f.) Ettingsh/ Loranthaceae Epi Ithi Oc UA Ot Sept Derris heyneana (Wight & Arn.)Benth./ Fabaceae L - R UA Ot Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth./ Fabaceae S Takil Oc UA Ot - # Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC./ Fabaceae S Pulladi C UA M 1610 Desmodium laxiflorum DC./ Fabaceae S Chimbattai C UA M Sept 1635 Desmodium triflorum ( L.) DC./ Fabaceae H Sirupulladi C UA M Ty 1748 Digitaria bicornis (Lam.) Roem. & Schult./ Poaceae H Fodder C UA Fg - Voucher Number / 23

19 Botanical name /Family Habit Local Name Category Armature Economic Importanc e Floweri ng and Fruiting Dillenia pentagyna Roxb./ Dilleniaceae T Naytekku R UA Ot - # Dioscorea alata L./ Dioscoreaceae C Kaichilkizhang Cul UA Ed. Aug u Dioscorea bulbifera L./ Dioscoreaceae C - Cul UA Ed. Aug Dioscorea oppositifolia L./ Dioscoreaceae C Kottakaichil Oc A Ot Aug Oct Dioscorea pentaphylla L./ Dioscoreaceae C Karunaikizhang Oc A Ot Aug u Diospyros ebenum J. Konig ex Retz./ Ebenaceae T Karimaram R UA M Aug Eclipta prostrata L./ Asteraceae H Garuga C UA M Aug Elephantopus scaber L./ Asteraceae H Aaanaichavadi C UA M Aug Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC./ Asteraceae H Muldhevi Oc UA M Aug Entada rheedii Spreng / Mimosaceae L Chillu E UA M _ # Eragrostis amabilis (L.) Wight & Arn. / Poaceae H Poopul C UA Fg Sept Eragrostis japonica (Thumb.) Trin./ Poaceae H - C UA Fg Ty 1721 Eriochloa procera (Retz.).Hubbard/ Poaceae H Tadambaran Oc UA Fg Aug pullu Erythrina stricta (Retz.) Hubbard / Fabaceae T Mullumirukku Oc A M Erythrina variegata L./ Fabaceae H Kaliyanamuruk Oc UA M August 1734 ku Euphorbia hirta L./ Euphorbiaceae H Ammanpachari Oc UA M ci Evolvulus nummularis L./ Convolvulaceace H Vishnukiranthi C UA M Ficus benghalensis L./ Moraceae T Alamaram C UA M Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr./ Flacourtiaceae T Sottaikala Oc UA M Gardenia resinifera Roth / Rubiaceae S - Oc UA Ot - # Garcinia gummi gutta (L.) N. Robson / Clusiaceae T Kodampuli E UA M - Oct 1693 Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp./ Fabaceae T Cheemai Kontai OC UA Ot Gomphrena celosioides Mart/ Amaranthaceae H - C UA Ot Aug Gomphrena globosa (L.)/ Amaranthaceae H - C UA M - # Grewia serrulata DC./ Tiliaceae H - Oc A Ot Helicteres isora L./ Sterculiaceae S Varampuri Oc UA M Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. var. indicus Hook. f./ TW Nanari En UA M Sept Asclepiadaceae Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex. Roem. & Schultes/ H - C A Ot Poaceae Aug Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A. Juss.)Mull. Arg./ Euphorbiaceae T Rubber Cul UA Ot - # Hibiscus hispidissimus Griff. / Malvaceae S - C UA Ot ruary 1749 Hibisuc rosa sinensis L. / Malvaceae S Chemparuthi Cul UA M Ty 1566 Hibiscus sabdariffa L. Malvaceae S C UA Ot ruary 1771 Holostemma ada kodien Schult./ Asclepiadaceae Tw E UA M Holigarna arnottiana Hook.f./ Anacardiaceae T Chera E UA M - Hydnocarpus pentandra (Buch.- Ham.) Oken/ Flacourtiaceae T Maravetti E UA M - Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Pot./ Lamiaceae T Kanathulasi C UA M Oct - Impatiens auriculata Wight./ Balsaminaceae H Valsam R UA Ot Aug - Impatiens ccordata Wight./ Balsaminaceae H - Oc UA Ot - Impatiens floribunda Wight./ Balsaminaceae H - Oc UA M - Impatiens tomentosa B. Heyne/ Balsaminaceae H - R UA Ot - Sept Indigofera colutea (Burm.f.) Merr./ Fabaceae S - Oc UA Ot Sept - Indigofera linifolia (L.f.) Retz./ Fabaceae S - C A M Jul - Voucher Number # 1585 # / 23

20 Botanical name /Family Habit Local Name Category Armature Economic Importanc e Floweri ng and Fruiting Ipomoea obscura (L.) Ker- Gawl/ Convolvulaceae Tw Cherulati C UA M Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth / Convolvulaceae Tw Morning glory C UA M Ipomoea sepiaria Koen. ex Roxb./ Convolvulaceae Tw Talikkirai C UA M Ixora coccinea L./ Rubiaceae S Oletty Oc UA M Ixora malabarica (Dennnst.) Mabb./ Rubiaceae S Kattuthetty E A Ot Oct Ixora nigricans R.Br.ex Wight & Arn./ Rubiaceae S Moshagani Oc UA M Jasminum angustifolium (L) Willd. var.angustifolium/ Oleaceae L Kattumallika Oc UA M Jasminum auriculatum Vahl./ Oleaceae L Udigai Oc UA M Jasminum grandiflorum L. / Oleaceae L Semmalligai Oc UA M - # Justica glauca Rott. / Acanthaceae H - Oc UA Ot Ty 1788 Justicia vahlii Roth. / Acanthaceae H - Oc UA Ot Kolanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers./ Crassulaceae H Malaikalli C A M Knoxia sumatrensis (Retz.) Dc. / Rubiaceae H - Oc UA Ot Kyllinga nemoralis (Forster & forster f.) Dandy ex Hutch. & H - C UA Ot Ty # Dalziel/ Cyperaceae Lantana camara L./ Verbinaceae S Arippu C A M Ty 1789 Leea indica (Burm.f.) Merr. / Leeaceae T Manipirantai E UA M Ty 1569 Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link./ Lamiaceae H Thumbai C UA M Sept Leucas biflora (Vahl.) R. Br. / Lamiaceae H _ Oc UM M Aug Oct Lobelia nicotianifolia Roth ex Schult./ Companulaceae H Kattuppaiyilai Oc A M - # Mallotus tetracocus (Roxb.) Kurz./ Euphorbiaceae T Vattakumbil Oc UA M Ty 1584 Mangifera indica L./ Anacardiaceae T Maamaram C UA M Manihot esculenta Crantz./ Euphorbiaceae S Maravalli Cul A Ot Manisuris myuros L./ Poaceae H Waritsira pullu E UA FG Ty 1652 Melastoma malabathricum L. / Melastomaceae S Katali Oc UA M Oct Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka/ Poaceae H Aazhag pullu C UA FG Ty # Melochia corchorifolia L. / Sterculiaceae H Kuppundu C A Ot Memecylon angustifolium Wight./ Melastomaceae S Vellaikkaya Oc UA M 1538 Mimosa diplotricha Sau./ Mimosaceae H - Oc A Ot Sept Mimosa pudica L./ Mimosaceae H Thottalvaadi C A M Ty 1779 Morinda reticulata Gamble./ Rubiaceae T Manjanathi C UA M Oct Moringa oleifera Lam./ Moringaceae T Muringai Cul UA M Ty 1516 Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC/ Fabaceae S Punaikkali Oc UA M - # Mukia maderaspatana (L.)M. Roem./ Cucurbitaceae C - C A M Mundulea sericea (Willd.) A. Chev./ Fabaceae S Kadupporasu C UA M Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng./ Rutaceae T Karivepilai C UA M Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack / Rutaceae S Kattukarivepilai Oc UA Or jan Musa paradisiaca L. /Musaceae H Vaazhai Cul A Ot Ty # Mussaenda tomentosa Wall. ex.g. Don. / Rubiaceae S Parathole C UA Ot Sep Myristica malabarica Lam./ Myristicaceae T Kattujathikay R UA M Naregaia alata Wt. & Arn./Meliaceace H Nilanaragam E UA M Aug Ocimum bassilicum L./ Lamiaceae H Tirunitru C UA M TY 1814 Oldenlandia herbacea ( L.) Roxb./ Rubiaceae H Chayaver C UA M - Oldenlandia unmbellata L. Rubiaceae H Chaya C UA M - Oplismenus compositus (L.) P. Beauv./Poaceae H Kozhipul C UA Fg - Voucher Number / 23