International Journal of Botany and Research (IJBR) ISSN (P): 2277–4815; ISSN (E): 2319–4456 Vol. 10, Issue 2, Dec 2020, 65–72 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

MACROPHYTES OF THE WETLANDS OF LAKHIMPUR DISTRICT, ASSAM

K. PAGAG1* & S. K. BORTHAKUR2 1 Botanical Survey of , ISIM, Kolkata, India 2Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, India ABSTRACT

Macrophytes are emergent, submergent or floating . Since wetlands are occupied by macrophytes and proper assessment of macrophytes is necessary to estimate the value of a wetland. Therefore the work on the study of the macrophytes of wetlands of Lakhimpur district, Assam was carried out and found out that there are 237 taxa belonging to 159 genera and 76 families which included rare, useful and medicinal species. And these plants help out rural people in their economic crisis.

KEYWORDS: Macrophytes, wetland, Lakhimpur, Assam.

Received: Nov 08, 2020; Accepted: Nov 28, 2020; Published: Dec 11, 2020; Paper Id.: IJBRDEC20208 Article Original

INTRODUCTION

Macrophytes are emergent, submergent or floating. Thus macrophytes include aquatic angiosperms, pteridophytes and bryophytes. According to Arber (1920), water plants are all species that grow in water and many considered that to be the first recognition of water plants. Aquatic plants are the primary producers of the wetlands. They also provide shelter to the invertebrates, provide food and nesting habitats. Aquatic plants influence the wetland structure and dynamics. These plants participate in the production of organic matter and nutrient cycling in the water; constitute the base of the food chain as the primary source of energy, protect the margins of the rivers, ponds, lakes against erosion. Along with the aquatic plants some non-aquatic marshy and/ or amphibian plants grow in the catchment area making a unique ecosystem around the wetlands. These floristic elements have great influence in the formation of the ecosystems. Actually plant species are the main productive units of the ecosystem and they contribute largely in the functional aspect of the wetlands. The importance of wetland plant diversity for sustainable life support system is acceptable throughout the world; one of the most important criteria for management of the wetland is to access the biological diversity by which we can estimate the values of a particular wetland (Banerjee and Kumar, 2000).

In India different workers did works on wetlands subsequently. Kanjilal (1901), Biswas and Calder (1937) contributed to the water plants from British India. Subramanyam (1962 a, b) documented aquatic plant wealth of India with good illustrations. In the later period Cook (1996) described 685 species from Indian sub continent. Naskar (1990) enumerated 270 species of aquatic plants only from Lower Gangetic delta.

In Assam, works have been done in hydrophytic plants in Assam which contributed to the hydrophytic flora of Assam by Joseph and Naik (1959), Satyanarayana (1962), Rao and Verma (1969), (Islam 1990), Gogoi et al. (2002), Gogoi (2003), Malakar (1995), Naik (1964), Pathak (1993), Hazarika and Borthakur (2012, 2014), Das (2013). Pathak (2014) had documented 117 dicotyledonous species from wetlands of Assam in his recently published “Aquatic and marsh plants of Assam”. In North-Lakhimpur subdivision, Rao and Verma (1969) enumerated 604 www.tjprc.org [email protected] 66 K. Pagag* & S. K. Borthakur species of vascular plants, which include aquatic plants.

METHODOLOGY

The total wetland area in the Lakhimpur district is 27307 ha that includes 458 small wetlands which are less than 2.25 ha (National Wetland Atlas, Assam, 2010). River or stream occupies 89.34% of wetlands of the district and the other major wetland type is Ox-bow lakes (3.8%), Lake or pond (2.39%) and Waterlogged - natural (1.92%). Diverse aquatic plants and animals inhabit all these wetlands. They also have a significant impact on human life in day-today life. The study on macrophytic diversity of wetlands of Lakhimpur district included all the vascular plants including Pteridophytes present in the territorial boundary of the wetlands and collection of plant species have been done from 2010-2013. The work included regular intensive fieldwork to collect plant specimens, which also include exploration covering all the seasons. The information on uses of the plants was obtained from the local peoples inhabiting in nearby areas of the wetlands. In the whole process of collection, processing and preparation of herbarium specimen, the conventional herbarium techniques were followed (Jain and Rao, 1977). The herbarium sheets and the herbarium specimens incorporated with the field data will be deposited in the herbarium of the Botany Department, Gauhati University for future reference. By consulting herbarium specimens of Gauhati University, (GUBH), Botanical Survey of India (ASSAM), Shillong and Central National Herbarium, (CAL), provisional identification of the collected plant species were made. Identification of the specimens was verified by comparing own field descriptions and observations with the descriptions available in authentic literature and herbarium have been consulted.

RESULT

In the present study macrophytic studies include 237 taxa belonging to 159 genera and 76 families (Fig. 1). Out of these 237 taxa 48 taxa (63.15%) belong to dicotyledon families, 17 taxa (22.36%) to families, 11 taxa (14.47%) to pteridophytes. Again 92 (57.86%) taxa belong to dicotyledon genera, 56 (35.22%) taxa to monocotyledon genera and 11 (14.47%) taxa to pteridophytes genera (Fig.2). 137 (57.8%) taxa are dicotyledon, 88 (37.13%) taxa are monocotyledon and 12 (5.06%) taxa are pteridophytes. The dominant family is followed by Cyperace and Polygonaceae. The dominant 3 genera which are found in wetlands are Polygonum, Cyperus and Fimbristylis with 14 (2 varieties), 12, 8 species. The genera , Desmodium, Ipomoea are in fourth position with 3 species each.

Figure 1: Chart of Analysis of Wetland Flora of Lakhimpur District

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.9387 NAAS Rating: 4.08 Macrophytes of the Wetlands of Lakhimpur District, Assam 67

Figure 2: Pie-Diagram Representing Species Diversity of Wetland Flora of Lakhimpur District

1.1 Addition to the Flora of Lakhimpur District

The following 29 species were not listed by Rao and Verma (1969) and hence these plants were recorded as new to the district Enhydra fluctuans, Nymphoides hydrophylla, Desmodium polycarpum, Desmodium laxiflorum, Ficus heterophylla var. assamica, Phyllanthus pseudoparvifolius, Polygonum dichotomum var. angustissisima, Polygonum dichotomum var. dichotomum, Polygonum microcephalum, Oxystelma esculentum, Dysophylla auriculata, Ammania multiflora, Blyxa japonica, Vallisneria spiralis, Monochoria vaginalis, Cyanotis axillaris, octandrus, Cyperus michelianus, Naja gramminea, Naja minor, Hymenachne assamica, Ischaemum timmorense, Ischaemum ciliaris, Eragrostis atrovirens, Echinochloa colonum, Echinochloa stagnina, Eleocharis acutangula, Hygroryza aristata, Brachiara mutica, Leersia hexandra.

1.2 Pure Aquatic Plants

Marsilea minuta, Azolla pinnata, Salvinia cucullata, Salvina natans, Nelumbo nucifera, Trapa bispinosa, Sphenoclea zeylanica, Nymphoides hydrophylla, Nymphoides indicum, Limnophila chinensis, Limnophila heterophylla, Limnophila sessiliflora, Utricularia aurea, Ceratophyllum demersum, Blyxa japonica, Hydrilla verticillata, Otellia allismoides, Vallisneria spiralis, Pistia stratiotes, Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna aequinoctialis, Spirodela polyrhiza, Sagittaria guayanensis, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton octandrus, Potamogeton pusilus, Najas graminea, Najas indica, Hygroryza aristata.

1.3 Useful Plants

There are many wetland plants, which are of economic importance, and these plants have integrated well in the culture of the people and people valued them economically. Commercial jute fibres are obtained from Corchorus capsularis, Corchorus olitorius. Commercial mats and baskets are prepared from elephantina, tenuis, Cyperus iria, Desmodium heterocarpon, Desmodium triflorum. Outside temples, flowers of plants like Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea pubescens, Nymphaea rubra are being sold for offering to deities. Amaranthus viridis, Centella asiatica, Hydrocotyle

www.tjprc.org [email protected] 68 K. Pagag* & S. K. Borthakur javanica are sold regularly in the market during vegetative season as wild vegetables. Ricinus communis is cultivated for breeding of silkworm. Following plants are useful for making useful things such as mats, ropes, cordage viz. Alpinia nigra, Eleocharis acutangula, Eichhornia crassipes, Eleusine indica, Hibiscus tricuspis, Melastoma malabathricum, Nelumbo nucifera, Corchorus capsularis, Corchorus olitorius, Vetiveria zizianoides, Polygonum hydropiper, Rhynchospora corymbosa, Sagittaria sagittifolia, Tamarix dioica, Urena lobata. Plants like Hydrilla verticillata, Pistia stratiotes are used for aquarium decoration. Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea rubra, Nymphaea pubescens, Canna sp., Crinium sp. are used as ornamental in public parks and household.

1.4 Wild Edible Plants

Oenanthe benghalensis, Oxalis corniculata, Oxalis corymbosa, Portulaca oleracea, Scoparia dulcis, Solanum nigrum, Sphenoclea zeylanica, Spilanthes acemella, Alpinia nigra, Alocasia macrorrhizos, Colocasia esculenta, Alocasia indica, Centella asiatica, Hydrocotyle javanica, Lasia spinosa, Polygonum chinense, Polygonum microcephalum, Polygonum plebeium, Portulaca oleracea, Rumex maritimus, etc. are used by the local inhabitants as supplementary vegetables.

1.5 Medicinal Plants

Many herbs and shrubs which have medicinal importance were found in the wetland and these are Oxystelma esculentum, Rotala baccifera, Spilanthes acemella, Typha elephantina, Alpinia nigra, Acorus calamus, Commelina benghalensis, Cyanotis axillaris, Cynoglossum wallichii var. glochidiatum, Desmodium heterocarpon, Desmodium triflorum, Equisetum ramosissimum subsp. delbile, Euphorbia hirta, Oldenlandia verticillata, Oldenlandia corymbosa, Heliotropium indicum, Hypericum japonicum, Lasia spinosa, Mollugo stricta, Vandellia crustacea, Melastoma malabathricum, Ricinus communis, Melothria heterophylla, Monochoria hastata, Nelumbo nucifera, Monochoria vaginalis, Hedyotis herbacea, Otellia alismoides, Phyllanthus urinaria, Physalis minima, Polycarpon indicum, Polygonum orientale, Ranunculus sceleratus, Ricinus communis etc.

1.6 Fodder Plants

Following plants are used as fodder plants- Brachiara mutica, Calamus tenuis, Echinochloa colona, Echinochloa crusgalli, Echinochloa stagnina, Eichhornia crassipes, Leersia hexandra, Oplismenus burmannii, Panicum antidotale, Polygonum chinense, Setaria glauca.

CONCLUSIONS

The wetlands of Lakhimpur district are rich in macrophytes which included rare plants for the region. People are dependent on these macrophytes for their livelihood. The outcome of the present study on macrophytic diversity of wetlands of Lakhimpur district revealed that one new distributional record for Northeast India (Pagag & Borthakur, 2013). There are 29 species, which were not listed by Rao and Verma (1969) and hence new addition to the district flora. Two species were recollected after long period (Pagag & Borthakur, 2012, 2014). The study recorded economical, wild-edible vegetables, medicinal, useful, ethnobotanical plants of the wetland.

An overall analysis of the findings of the present work revealed that the wetlands of Lakhimpur district has diverse and rich flora with many useful, economical, edible, medicinal plants which are significant and form the database information to assist in the management as well as conservation of the wetlands and biological diversity of the area.

Impact Factor (JCC): 5.9387 NAAS Rating: 4.08 Macrophytes of the Wetlands of Lakhimpur District, Assam 69

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The first author is grateful to the Director, Botanical Survey of India for providing facilities and encouragement and also thankful to the H.O.O., ISIM for encouragement.

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Impact Factor (JCC): 5.9387 NAAS Rating: 4.08 Macrophytes of the Wetlands of Lakhimpur District, Assam 71

APPENDIX

Figure 1: A. An aquatic Wetland B. Nymphaea rubra Roxb. C. Nymphaea pubescens Willd. D. Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. E. Schoenoplectus juncoides (Roxb.) Palla F. Utricularia aurea Lour.

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