Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print) 0976–1098(Online)

OBSERVATION ON AQUATIC AND WETLAND

DIVERSITY IN SIPU RIVER BED NEAR SIPU DAM,

BANASKANTHA DISTRICT, GUJARAT

*BHASKER PUNJANI, BALDEV PANCHAL, Universal Impact Factor 2012:0.9285; NIKUNJ PATEL, BHAVESH MALI, ANKIT PATEL AND 2013:1.2210 VINOD PANDEY Index Copernicus Value 2011:5.09, 2012:6.42, PG CENTRE IN BOTANY, SMT. S M PANCHAL 2013:15.8, 2014:89.16, 2015:78.30 , 2016:91 SCIENCE COLLEGE, TALOD-383215, GUJARAT, INDIA.

NAAS Rating Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] 2012:1.3; 2013-16: 2.69 2017-18: 3.98 ABSTRACT: SJIF With an aim to make an inventory of aquatic and wetland plant diversity, 2012: 3.947, 2013:4.802 field explorations were undertaken during November-2016 to April-2017 in InfoBase Index 2015:4.56 Sipu river downstream area near Sipu dam, district Banaskantha, Gujarat, India. The climate of the district is arid and semi-arid, with tropical dry Cosmos Impact Factor 2015: 4.366 deciduous and thorny forests. This floristic survey conducted for the first

Received on: time in the study area showed the wealth of aquatic and wetland flora of the 20th May 2018 region under study. A total of 22 species in 18 genera and 12 Angiosperm Revised on: families were recorded for the first time during present survey conducted in 22nd May 2018 Accepted on: the area under study. Of the total recorded species Dicotyledons consisted of th 24 May 2018 58% whereas, of 42%. The family turned out Published on: 1st June 2018 as dominant and genus considered as dominant genus in the present Volume No. study. An aquatic Pteridophyte - Azolla pinnata R. Brown recorded during Online & Print field exploration from the study area. From the present study, it can be 100 (2018) Page No. concluded that the study area contains a significant proportion of varied 53 to 71 aquatic and wetland plant species, and well adapted to special edaphic and Life Sciences Leaflets is climatic conditions; but their frequency, abundance, etc. were observed poor an international open access print & e may be due to uncontrolled anthropogenic practices in the area. journal, peer reviewed, worldwide abstract KEY WORDS: Aquatic and wetland , Sipu river, Banaskantha, listed, published every Gujarat. month with ISSN, RNI Free- membership, INTRODUCTION: downloads and access. The definition of ‘aquatic’ presented by Cook in 1990. Vascular aquatic http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 53

Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print) 0976–1098(Online) plant are interpreted as all Pteridophytina and Spermatophytina whose photosynthetically active parts are permanently or, at least, for several months each year partly or wholly submerged in water or which float on the surface of water. Wetlands are the ‘lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water’.

India has over 27000 wetlands of which over 23000 are inland wetland while around 4000 are coastal wetlands. Wetland occupy 18.4% of country`s area of which 70% are under paddy cultivation. Further, out of an estimated 4.1 million hectares of wetlands, 1.5 million hectares are natural, while 2.6 million hectares are manmade. This implies that majority of the wetlands in India are manmade. The coastal wetlands occupy an estimated 6750 km, and are largely dominated by mangrove vegetation. Out of 27000 wetlands, only 26 of these numerous wetlands have been designated as Ramsar site (National Wetland Atlas, 2011).

Gujarat is dry state climatically but very rich in wetlands. The most striking aspect is that Gujarat has the maximum amount of land identified as wetland in the country which, is about 34.74 lakhs ha, total wetland area estimated is 3474950 ha, which accounts for about 17.56 % of geographical area of the state. The major wetland types include Intertidal mud flats (2260365 ha), River/Stream (275877 ha), Reservoirs/Barrages (248979 ha), Creeks (149898 ha) and Salt Marsh (144268 ha). The coastal wetlands dominate in the state. Some of the unique wetlands like corals and mangroves are found in Gujarat state. The water spread of wetlands is low during pre-monsoon, particularly; it is significant in case of Inland wetlands indicating rain fed nature of the wetlands. (National Wetland Atlas, 2010).

District Banaskantha is located in the northeast of the state. The district gets its name from the Banas River which, runs through the valley between Mount Abu and Aravalli Ranges, entering into the plains of Gujarat in this region and flowing towards the Rann of Kachchh. Rajasthan bound the district in the north, Sabarkantha district in east, Kachchh in west and Patan and Mehsana district in the south. Banaskantha covers an area of 10,757 sq. km with a total population of 25, 02,843 according to 2001 census. In the year 2000, Banaskantha was divided into two districts, one is Banaskantha and the other is Patan district. There are many scattered studies on the aquatic and wetland plants of Gujarat. In Sabarkantha district of Gujarat state work on wetland flora was reported by Patel S K et al., 2014, Punjani and Patel, 2014, Punjani and Chaudhary, 2014 and Jangid M S, 2011. There is no detailed report available on aquatic and wetland flora in any area of Banaskantha district. Moreover, no attempt has been made to study floristically Sipu river bed area near Sipu Dam in Banaskantha district. Hence, for the first time aquatic and wetland plant diversity study was undertaken to prepare a list of Angiosperm plants growing in the area under study.

STUDY AREA: http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 54

Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print) 0976–1098(Online)

Sipu is the principal tributary of the Banas rising from Sirohi and Mount Abu hills in Sirohi district of Rajasthan state. Abu hills fall between the Banas and Sipu sub-basin. About 30% of Mount Abu hills direct runoff drains into Sipu river while about 70% of mount Abu hills direct runoff flows into Banas river. The confluence of Sipu river and Banas river is 12 km downstream of Dantiwada dam.

Sipu dam is constructed on Sipu river in Banaskantha district (Fig. 1), Gujarat state (24° 23' 57.88" north latitude and 72° 18' 31.02" east longitude). The dam is perennial and the water level recedes considerably during summer. The bed is composed of Mostly uniform fine sand and rock exposure. The wetland is predominantly used for fishing and farming. Banas River originates from Aravalli Hills, Rajasthan and meets into little Rann of Kachchh. Its length is 266 km. & total catchment area is 8674 sq.km. Sipu is right bank’s main tributary and Khari is left bank’s main tributary of Banas. Sukli, Balaram, Suket, Sevaran and Batriya are another tributary of Banas on left bank. There is Dantiwada Dam on Banas river at 105.00 km. distance. Its catchment area is 2862 sq.km. On Sipu river, Sipu Dam has 1222 sq.km. catchment area.

METHODOLOGY: The present study was carried out in the wetland of Sipu river bed near Sipu Dam downstream area, district Banaskantha, Gujarat. The field trips were organized during the year November-2016 to April- 2017. The study area was visited frequently and floristic survey was done for collecting aquatic and wetland plants. The specimens were observed, photographed in their natural condition with high- resolution camera. The specimens were collected and then pressed by using blotting papers. The specimens were taken to the laboratory of the Botany department, Smt. S. M. Panchal Science College, Talod. Where their morphological characters were observed and identified up to genus/species level with the help of Flora of Gujarat State (Shah, 1978). Cyperaceae of Western Ghats (Wadoodkhan, 2015), Aquatic and Wetland Plants of India (Cook, 1996). Some specimens of wetland species needed microscopic observation for the morphological species identification too. The dried specimens were numbered and mounted on the standard herbarium sheets by using Fevicol. All the herbarium sheets were poisoned with the 1% mercury chloride and then sent to Botany Department. The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara for the confirmation of identified species especially Cyperaceae members.

APG-III system was followed to classify the species (http://www.npsoregon.org/documents /APG_III_Oregon.linear.pdf), Author citation and binomial of collected plant species were verified with International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (http://www.ipni.org/ipni /plantnamesearchpage.do) and (www.The Plant list.org). Preserved herbarium specimens with voucher number were deposited with college herbarium, Botany Department, Smt. S. M. Panchal Science College, Talod with taxonomical information. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 55

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ENUMERATION OF PLANT SPECIES: The recorded plant species are arranged as per classification given by APG-III, 2009. The brief out line of classification has been shown in the Table 1. Botanical name: - Vellisneria spirilis L. Family: Hydrocharitaceae Hydrophyte types: Submerged, anchored/ bottom-rooted hydrophytes, leaves in a rosette Life-forms: Annual, but sometime perenneting. Growth-forms: Rosulate Flowering & Fruiting: - Oct.-Feb. Habitat: Found in lakes, ponds, and in slow moving streams and rivers. Salient features: dioecious fresh water herb. Roots unbranched. Leaves strap-shaped, the margins usually with unicellular spines. axillary, spathe or 2 united . Male flower very small, numerous, opening on the water surface. Female flower solitary, long pedicellated, floating on the surface at maturity.

Botanical name: - Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle Synonym: Serpiculata verticillata L.f. Family: Hydrocharitaceae Hydrophyte types: Submerged, bottom rooted, leaves cauline. Life-forms: Annual, but sometimes perenneting. Growth-forms: Vittate. Flowering & Fruiting:- Oct.-Dec. Habitat: Plants anchored and submerged in young stage but later get detached from their roots and lie below the surface of the water, cannot survive in fast flowing water, restricted to stagnant ponds, lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Salient features: The leaves, which are about 1-2 cm in length, are sessile and verticillate (located in whorled pattern) about the stem. There are usually three to eight blades per node and the apical stem usually has tightly clustered nodes. Each blade is serrated, which visible teeth or irregular spines along the margin and the on underside along the reddish mid-vein. Each leaf also has a small spine and at the base of the leaf, there are small nodal scales that are lanceolate, haline and densely fringed with orange- brown frimbre-squamulae intravaginales.

Botanical name: - Najas marina L. Synonym: - Najas major All. Family: - Najadaceae Hydrophyte types: - Submerged bottom-rooted, leaves cauline. Later get detached from their roots and lie below the surface of the water. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 56

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Life-forms: - Annual, but sometimes perenneting. Growth- forms: - Vittate Flowering & Fruiting:- Jan.-Apr. Habitat: - Mostly annual, cannot survive in fast flowing water, restricted to stagnant ponds tanks. Salient features: - Dioecious, robust, very spiny on stem. Leaf base rounded not auriculate, entire or serrulate with 0 or 1(-3) spines on each side. Leaf blades fleshy, margins serrulate, with conspicuous spiny teeth.

Botanical name: - Potamogeton pectinatus L. Family: Potamogetonaceae Hydrophyte types: Submerged, bottom-rooted, leaves cauline. Life-forms: perennial Growth form: Vittate Flowering & Fruiting:- Dec.-Feb. Habitat: Found in standing or running water areas such as lakes, ponds, and backwater areas of rivers and streams. Salient features: Stolons whitish. Stems almost terete, usually repeatedly branched. Stipules arising from the leaf sheaths, transparent, up to 1 cm long, leaf sheaths wrapped around the stem. Leaves filiform. Peduncles flaccid, floating up to 25 cm long. Spikes interrupted with up to 5 pairs of whorls of flowers.

Botanical name: - Potamogeton perfoliatus L. Family: - Potamogetonaceae Hydrophyte types: - Submerged, bottom-rooted, leaves cauline. Life-forms: - Perennial Growth- forms: - Vittate Flowering & Fruiting:- Dec.-Feb. Habitat:- Found in deep, permanent, rather nutrient- rich, still or slowly running water areas such as lakes, ponds, and backwater areas of rivers and streams. Salient features: Stolons rhizomatous, stems usually less terete, usually branched above. Stipules membranous, deciduous, 1-2 cm long; leaves sessile, pale green, elongate-ovate to lanceolate, rounded to cordate at the base. Peduncles rigid, erect, emergent, 2-5 (-6) cm long. Spikes many flowered, dense, up to 3 cm long. Botanical name: - Typha domingensis Pers. Synonym: Typha angustata Bory & Chaub. Family: - Typhaceae http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 57

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Hydrophyte types: - Inhabit shallow stagnant water. Emergent-anchored hydrophytes, lower parts almost always in water but produce aerial shoots projecting well above water. Life-forms: - Perennial Growth-forms: - Hyperhydate Flowering & Fruiting:- Oct.-June. Habitat: - Fresh and brackish marshes, backwaters, lagoons, pools and along water courses. Salient features: - Photosynthetic leaves 1-3 (4) m long, abaxially convex, adaxially flat with a single and central row of gas chambers. Leaves in T.S. lens-shaped. stalks 1-2.5 m tall. Female inflorescences light cinnamon brown,5-20(-35) cm long, Male up to 35 cm long, interrupted by 4-9 caducous spathes. hairs in male flowers simple or branched.

Botanical name:- Fimbristylis bisumbellata (Forsskal) Bubani Synonym: Scirpus bisumbellatus Forssk Family: - Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: - At the edges of drying pools, in wet flushes, springs, along streams and rivers on sandy river bars. It is also a common weed of rice fields. Life-forms: - Annual Growth-forms: - Tenagophyte/Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- July.- Dec. Habitat: - At the edges of drying polls, in wet flushes, springs, along streams and rivers on sandy river bars. Salient features: - Culms densely tufted, smooth, glabrous. Leaf sheaths loose, membranous, blades flat or sometimes folded, glabrous or pubescent, scabrid at the apex. Involucral bracts 1-3, hairy. Inflorescence corymbose, rarely simple or compound. 10-40 spikelets; 10-to 30-flowered, rachilla elongating in fruit. Glumes membranous, broadly ovate, Stamen 1. Style flat, 1-1.5 mm long, 2-cleft, hairy above. Nuts biconvex, obovoid to broadly-obovoid, 0.5-0.8 mm long, 0.4-0.7 mm broad, with (5-) 7 (-9) longitudinal stripes on either face, straw-coloured, outer layer transparent, shortly stipitate.

Botanical name: - Cyperus nutans Vahl Family: - Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: - Swamps, wet rice fields, margins of pools, river banks and seasonally wet habitats. Life-forms: - Perennial Growth-forms: - Tenagophyte /Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- Sep.- Feb. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 58

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Habitat: - It is found growing commonly in swamps, near riverbanks, pools, streams and flooded areas. Salient features: - Rhizomes corm-like, very short. Culms solitary or 3- sided. Leaves few; sheaths purplish, blades flat or the larger ones plicate, margins scabrous towards tip. Involucral bracts 4-6. Inflorescence compound, paniculate, primary rays 6-12, bearing spikelets in corymbs. Spikes clustered, almost sessile, narrow, 8-14 flowered, hyaline, persistent, Glumes closely appressed to the rachilla, oblong, obtuse, Stamens 3. Nuts 3-sided, oblong to oblong-ovoid, apiculate, brown.

Botanical name :- Schoenoplectus mucronatus L. Synonym: Scirpus triangulatus Roxb. Family: -Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: - Mostly found in shallow water pools and ditches, on river banks, also in marshes and swamps. Life-forms: - Perennial Growth-forms: - Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- Nov.-May. Habitat: - it grows in moist and wet terrestrial habitat and in shallow water. Salient features: - Rhizomes horizontal, elongated, but without stolons. Culms tufted or in a row along the rhizome, leaves reduced to 1-3, bladeless sheaths and lighter brown with a triangular apex or mucro, much shorter than Inflorescence pseudolateral, congested, hemispherical, spikelets sessile, ovoid to oblong- ovoid, terete, densely many-flowered, when fruiting. Glumes firm, tightly appressed, shortly mucronate, brielly awn-like and often incurved at the tip, Perianth bristles (5) 6, Stigmas 2 or 3. Nuts 3-sided or biconvex, strongly dorsoventrally flattened.

Botanical name:- Cyperus laevigatus L. Synonym: Juncellus laevigatus (L.) C.B. Clarke Family: - Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: - Wet places, particularly on the shores of lakes and tanks, mostly on sandy substrates, sometimes standing in brackish water. Life-forms: - Perennial Growth-forms: - Tenagophyte/Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- Aug.-Jan. Habitat:- It is found growing commonly in swamps, near river banks, pools, streams and flooded areas. Salient features: - Rhizomes short or long and creeping. Culms rows or solitary along the creeping rhizome, Involucral bracts 1 or 2, the longer erect and culm-like. Inflorescence pseudolateral, a single cluster of spikelets, sessile, 10-30 flowered; rachilla straight, persistent, hardly winged. Glumes http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 59

Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print) 0976–1098(Online) broadly elliptic to ovate, subapiculate or rarely mucronate, Stamens 3. Style 2-cleft. Nuts plano- or concave- convex, obovoid, stipitate, apiculate, surface smooth.

Botanical name:- Pycreus flavidus Retzius Synonym: Cyperus flavidus Retz. Family: - Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: - In open, wet places, swamps, marshes, margins of pools and ditches, in rice fields and other irrigated areas. Life-forms: - Annual/Perennial Growth-forms:-Tenagophyte/Helophyte/ Hyperhydate Flowering & Fruiting: - Dec.-Feb. Habitat: - At the edges of drying polls, in wet flushes, springs, along streams and rivers on sandy bars. Salient features: - Rhizomes inconspicuous, roots yellow. Culms densely tufted, smooth. Leaves few shorter, sheaths elongated, tinged. Involucral bracts 2-4, Inflorescence simple or partly compound. Spikelets spreading, linear with 20-40 flowers, rachilla straight. Glumes oblong-ovate, hyaline margin whitish but very narrow. Stamens always 2. Style slightly shorter than the nut.Nuts biconvex, laterally flattened.

Botanical name :- atropurpurea (Retzius) Presl: Family: Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: Frequently gregarious in shallow water and in seasonally flooded places, often grows in rice fields. Life-forms: Annual Growth-forms: Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- Sep.- Dec. Habitat: - This species typically grows in marshy areas and along ditches. Salient features: Culms 1-10 (-15) cm tall, 0.2-0.4 mm in diameter. Sheaths 2, mucronate, purplish below, pale above. Spikelet ovoid to broadly lanceolate, 2-4 mm long, brown turning fuscous-dark in fruit. Glumes all fertile, ovate, the sides purplish or hyaline, nerve-less; keel green. Perianth bristles white, 3-4 or rarely vestigial or absent. Styles 2-cleft. Nuts obovoid, very shiny, black, stipitate at base, truncate at apex with a grayish and flattened appendage.

Botanical name:- Cyperus rotundus L. Synonym: Cyperus tuberosus Rottb. Family: -Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: Found on river banks, in dried up pools and ditches and in rice fields. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 60

Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print) 0976–1098(Online)

Life-forms: Perennial Growth-forms: Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting: December-February. Habitat: - Found in a wide variety of habitats including cultivated fields, waste areas, roadsides, pastures, riverbanks, sandbanks, irrigation channels, river and stream shores and natural areas. Salient features: - Stolons slender, globose or ellipsoidal tubers; Culms corm-like at the base, usually solitary, Leaves crowded at the base; sheaths, blades flat, gradually acuminate, usually shorter than the culm. lnvolucral bracts 2-4, very unequal, usually short, the lowest sometimes Just overtopping the Inflorescence simple or compound, of 1 sessile and 1-10 stalked spikes, with 8-40 flowers, glumes membranous, ovate, Stamens 3; connective appendage reddish, style 3-cleft, nuts very rarely maturing, 3-sided, oblong-obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.3-2 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diameter, apiculate, shining, brownish to black.

Botanical name:- Cyperus difformis L. Family: Cyperaceae Hydrophyte types: Often found in shallow water in seasonally flooded areas, ponds, ditches, frequently in rice fields. Life-forms: Annual Growth-forms:- Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte/Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- Sep.-Dec. Habitat: This species typically grows in marshy areas and along ditches. Salient features: Culms tufted, smooth. Leaves usually slightly shorter than the culm; sheaths yellowish to brown; blades folded, lnvolucral bracts 2-4, unequal. Inflorescence simple or in part compound, globose cluster of spikelets; rays 3-9, unequal, Spikelet clusters aggregated into spherical heads. Spikelets sessile, linear, 5- to 30-flowered; rachilla straight, not winged. Glumes very small, nearly orbicular. closely imbricate, at first green, becoming reddish; keel green becoming yellowish, faintly 3-nerved, not prolonged. Stamens 1 (2 or 3). Style ± half as long as the nut. Nuts 3-sided, ellipsoid, yellowish to pale brown.

Botanical name:- octovalvis Jacq. Synonym: Jussiaea suffraticosa L. Family: Hydrophyte types: Found in wet and swampy places rivers, ditches, canals or tanks, mostly near cultivated fields. Life-forms: Annual/Perennial Growth-forms: Helophyte http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 61

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Flowering & Fruiting:- Aug.-Jan. Habitat: This species is found in wide range of humid and wet places, including marshes, lakes and streams, ditches, on gravelly riverbeds and sandy or silty food banks. Salient features: Stems robust, usually much branched, often becoming woody at the base. Leaves with petioles up to ± 1 cm long but usually less; leaf blades linear to sub ovate. Flowers solitary in leaf axils; bracteoles reduced, borne above the base of the sepal tube, persisting on the capsule. Sepals 4, ovate or lanceolate. 4, broadly obovate, emarginate, yellow. Stamens 8. Capsule terete or nearly so, thin- walled, pale brown with 8 darker ribs, regularly dehiscent. Seeds in several rows in each valve, free, rounded.

Botanical name:- baccifera L. Synonym: Ammannia salicifolia Hiern Family: - Hydrophyte types: - In wet or regularly inundated places such as marshes, river banks, rice fields. Life-forms: - Annual Growth-forms: -Helophyte/Tenagophyte Flowering & Fruiting: - Throughout the year Habitat: - Found in marshes, swamps, rice fields and water courses at low elevations. Salient features: - Stems glabrous, decumbent or erect, usually much branched, the branches ascending and shorter than the main axis. Leaf blades linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, mostly longer than the stem internodes. Cymes compact globose, sessile or nearly so; Sepal tube broadly bell-shaped or obpyramidal, sepals 4. Petals minute or absent. Stamens 4, Style. Fruits bright red to purple. Capsules globose.

Botanical name:- Polygonum barbatum L. Synonym(s): -Polygonum serrulatum L. Family: - Polygonaceae Hydrophyte types: - Gregarious and often forming distinct clumps. It is found by streams and rivers, in marshes or in shallow water in pools and ditches or in floating mats of vegetation. Life-forms: - Annual/Perennial Growth-forms: Helophyt/Hyperhydate/Pleustophyte Flowering & Fruiting: - Nov.-Apr. Habitat: Found in stream sides, wet areas and the sides of water. Salient features: Stems erect, Ochreas membranous, tubular, truncate, leaf blades shortly petiolate. Flowers in terminal and axillary, spike-like ; bracts closely overlapping oblong, Perianth white, segments 5-7; anthers 0.25 mm long, styles 2-3. Nut rhomboid in outline, 3-sidedor some on the same plants occasionally convex. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 62

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Botanical name: - esculentum L. Synonym: esulenta L. f. Family: Hydrophyte types:- found in swamps, lakes and ponds, often rooting in water then straggling over emergent aquatic plants such as Typha and various sedges. Life-forms: perennial Growth-forms: Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting:-Aug.-Oct. Habitat: The species grown in marshy area on the margins of open water in swamps, ponds, lakes, often rooting in the water and scrambling over emergent vegetation. Salient features: Branched straggler. Leaves oblong to linear. Flowers usually paired, in lax racemes. Sepals cup-like. Petals purplish-pink to pink or white, lower half united; lobes triangular. Corona double; the inner staminal. Gynostegium ± 7 mm long. Follicles ellipsoidal, inflated. Seeds bearing hairs.

Botanical name :- Bacopa monnieri L. Synonym: Lysimachia monnieri L. Family: Scrophulariaceae Hydrophyte types: Gregarious and often forming dense mats in marshy places, the banks of pools and along streams and ditches. Life-forms: Annual/perennial Growth-forms: Helophyte/Pleustophyte/Hyperhydate Flowering & Fruiting:- Throughout the year Habitat: It grows gregariously and often forms dense mats in marshy places, the banks of pools and along streams and ditches. Salient features: Stems creeping with erect branches. Leaves decussate, sessile or nearly so, usually somewhat succulent, oblong-cuneate to obovatet, margin, entire, apex obtuse. Flowers pedicellate; bracteoles 2, linear. Sepal lobes divided, to the base, imbricate, somewhat succulent, glabrous, punctuate, unequal; the outer 2 larger, ovate; the inner 2 linear-lanceolate, the median 1 oblong. Petals white to pink or pale violet, usually with green bands inside the throat, lobes sub equal or weakly 2-lipped. Stamens 4, all fertile; filaments one pair; anther locules united and parallel. Capsules oblong- globose, 2- or 4-valved, septicidally dehiscent. Seeds ovoid-oblong, reticulate but also longitudinally striate.

Botanical name:- Limnophila indica L. Synonym: Hottonia indica L. Family: - Scrophulariaceae

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Hydrophyte types: - From the point of view of habit it is a very plastic species. In shallow water it has dissected leaves under water and normal ± entire ones above. Life-forms: - Annual/Perennial Flowering & Fruiting: - Dec.-Apr. Growth-forms:- Vittate/Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte Habitat: -The species occurs in low- lying marshy areas, swamps, on the margins of ponds. Salient features: -Submerged stems, branching, glabrous or hairy; aerial stems erect or creeping below, Submerged leaves compound-pinnate or pinnatisect, margin finely spinulose-serrate. Flowers pedicellate, solitary, axillary, sometime single, mostly in decussate pairs. Sepal tube 1.5-3 mm long, glabrous or hispid, bearing sessile glands. Petals 6, petal tube usually greenish- white, glabrous or slightly pubescent entire. Capsules subovoid, the apex below the stigma. Seeds cylindrical, 4- or 5- angled, muricate.

Botanical name:- Phyla nodiflora L. Synonym: Verbena nodiflora L. Family: Verbenaceae Hydrophyte types: Found in regions regularly flooded, flowering as the water recedes, particularly common on the banks of irrigation ditches and ponds but also found in moist grassland and regularly watered lawns. Life-forms: Annual/Perennial Growth-forms: Helophyte Flowering & Fruiting:- Throughout the year. Habitat: The plant is marshy herb which grows in open and wet places near, strems, ponds, paddy fields, ditches, backwater, brackish water. Salient features: Stems creeping and rooting at nodes; flowering shoots sometimes ascending. Leaves in opposite pairs, sessile or tapered with short sub petiolate bases, oblanceolate, spathulate, apically rounded or obtuse, rarely acute, marginally toothed from the middle or just above; teeth sharp. Inflorescence a very dense, many-flowered, cylindrical spike with flowers borne in the axils of tightly overlapping bracts. Sepal tube somewhat flattened, with 2 narrow pubescent keels each running into an erect triangular to subulate lobe; lobes 1.5-2 mm long. Petals white to pale rose-purple, tubular, 2- lipped, 4 or 5-lobed. Stamens 4. Fruit ellipsoid-globose, separating into 2 mericarps. Botanical name:- alba L. Synonym(s): L. Family: Hydrophyte types: It is common in and along the edges of pools, tanks, irrigation canals and ditches, sometimes found in floating in mats, also found in rice fields but rarely considered to be serious weed. Life-forms: Annual/Perennial http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 64

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Growth-forms: Helophyte/Pleustophyte/Hyperhydate Flowering & Fruiting:- Throughout the year. Habitat: The plant shows variations in habit in different habitats, in dry and rocky habitats. Salient features: Stems, leaves and bracts clothed in white, appressed, almost bristle-like hairs. Stems creeping, ascending or erect. Leaves opposite, sessile or nearly so, lanceolate or narrowly ovate- lanceolate, margins entire to serrate. Flower heads pedunculate, most axillary, involucral bracts in 2 rows, few, ovate-lanceolate, overlapping. Ligulate florets white to cream; tubular florest white to cream, 4-toothed. Cypselas, dimorphic; most heads with straw-coloured, tuberculate, slightly flattened cypselas; pappus reduced to 2, minute and united scales, with or without a few hairs.

A Pteridophyte Botanical name:- Azolla pinnata R. Brown Family: - Salviniaceae Hydrophyte types: -Free floating on permanent and temporary water, in inundated rice fields, canals and ponds. Life-forms: - Annual/perennial Growth-forms: - Pleustophyte Habitat:- It is a floating aquatic fern, found on the surface of small, stillponds. It becomes especially, abundant in water with high nutrient levels, such as ponds in cattle paddocks and farm ponds. Salient features: - Root simple, bearing numerous root hairs. Stems alternately branched. Leaves alternate, lax or overlapping towards the tips of the branches. Sporocarps borne in pairs in the axils of the first leaves of the branches on the older parts of the plants; megasporangial sporocarps small, each producing 1 megasporangium with 1 megaspore; megaspores each with 9 floats. Microsporangial sporocarps larger, producing up to 100 microsporangia, each containing 32 to 64 microspore; microsporangia free floating, held together in groups (massulae) by hardened frothy mucilage, each with hairs or hooks (glochidia). Glochidia on the microsporangial massulae without berbs, thread-like borne only on the inner surface

RESULT AND DISCUSSION: This floristic survey conducted for the first time in the study area i.e., Sipu River bed near Sipu Dam, Banaskantha district, Gujarat showed the wealth of aquatic and wetland flora of the region under study. A total of 22 species in 18 genera and 12 Angiosperm families were recorded for the first time during present survey conducted in the area under study. Of the total recorded species Dicotyledons consisted of 58% whereas, Monocotyledons of 42%. A list of plant species along with its family is given Table 2. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 65

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Plants growing in wetlands and other moist soils may either be annuals or perennials life forms. Many of the smaller and slender herbs are annuals. They flower, fruit, and disperse seeds, and die in a single year. However perennials perenneting for many years developing food storing woody structures such as rhizomes, corms, stolons etc. With respect to life forms (Fig. 2), Annuals/Perennials constitute 41%, Perennials 36% and Annuals 23% of the total recorded aquatic and wetland plant species. Families with maximum number of species include Cyperaceae with 8 species, followed by Potamogetonaceae, Hydrocharitaceae and, Scrophulariaceae each with 2 species. Each of the eight families such as Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Lythraceae, Onagraceae, Najadaceae, Polygonaceae, Typhaceae and Verbenaceae were represented by only one species. Hence, family Cyperaceae turned out as dominant family followed by Potamogetonaceae, Hydrocharitaceae and, Scrophulariaceae in the study area (Table 3). Of the total recorded 18 genera, genus Cyperus represented by 4 species hence, considered as dominant genus followed by genus Potamogeton as second position with 2 species. Of the total recorded species Helophyte/Tenagophyte, Helophyte and Vittate growth forms were considered as major growth forms of recorded species each with 4 species, followed by Helophyte/Hyperhydate/Pleustophyte with 3 species (Table 4).

CONCLUSION: Vegetation has been shown to be a sensitive measure of anthropogenic impacts to aquatic and wetland ecosystems. Aquatic and wetland ecosystems are considered among the most important ones in terms of biodiversity and conservation value. Sipu River bed area, near Sipu Dam, Banaskantha district exhibited fare amount of plant diversity which is under very heavy anthropogenic pressure due to mining activities, over grazing, as well as some agricultural activities in the area under study. These activities led to habitat loss and degradation on land. Moreover, the North Gujarat region, fall under arid and semi-arid climatic zone, due to irregular rainfall led to loss of plant diversity. Hence, in order to preserve/conserve and maintain the delicate and unique plant wealth and aquatic and wetland ecosystem anthropogenic pressure need to be reduced.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors are thankful to Principal, Smt. S. M. Panchal Science College, Talod for providing the facility of the laboratory for this work and Dr. S. K. Patel, Govt. Science College, Idar for contributing his valuable inputs during preparation of the manuscript. We are also thankful to Dr. V. M. Raole and Dr. (Ms.) R. J. Desai, Botany Department, The M. S. University of Baroda (Vadodara) for helping proper identification of plant specimens especially the member of Cyperaceae family.

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REFERENCES: Cook, C. D. K. 1996. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of India, Oxford University press, Oxford, New York, Delhi. http://www.ipni.org/ipni /plantnamesearchpage.do http://www.npsoregon.org/documents /APG_III_Oregon.linear.pdf Jangid, M. S. 2011. Aquatic Plants of Taluka Modasa, District Sabarkantha, Gujarat (India). Life Science Leaflets-17:631-635. National Wetland Atlas, Gujarat. 2010. Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad, 198p. National Wetland Atlas, India. 2011. Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad, 310p. Patel, S. K., Pandey, V. and Desai, P. 2014. Preliminary Checklist of Angiosperm from the Wetlands of Sabarkantha District, Gujarat, India. Jalaplavit-5(2):9-25. Punjani, B. L. and Chaudhary, Abhishek. 2014. Monocots in the wetlands of Talod Taluka, Sabarkantha District, North Gujarat, India. Jalaplavit-5(3):6-22 Research Special. Punjani, B. L. and Patel, Nakul. 2014. Study of Sedges from Meshwo River Plain in Talod Taluka of Sabarkantha District, Gujarat, India. Jalaplavit-5(3):50-59 Research Special. Shah, G. L. 1978. Flora of Gujarat State-I & II. Sardar Patel University, V. V. Nagar. Wadoodkhan, M. A. 2015. Cyperaceae of Western Ghats, West Coasts and Maharashtra. Dattsons Publishers, Nagpur, India. www.ThePlantlist.org

Table 1. Recorded plant species in the study area classified as per APG-III, 2009

Angiosperm Phyllogeny Group (APG)-III (2009) Sl. No. Basal Angiosperms (ANITA grade) which is made up of Amborella (a single species of shrub from New Caledonia), Nymphaeales (water lilies, together with some other aquatic plants) and Austrobaileyales (woody aromatic plants including star anise) Basal Monocots Hydrocharitaceae 1

Najadaceae 2 Alismatales Potamogetonaceae 3 Core Monocots

Magnoliids Commelinid Monocots Typhaceae 4

Cyperaceae 5 Basal Core Eudicots Fabids Malvids(Eurosids -I) Onagraceae 6

Myrtales Lythraceae 7 More Core Eudicots (Eurosids-II) Caryophyllal Polygonaceae 8 Lamiids Gentianaleses Apocynaceae 9

Eudicots (Euasterids-I) Scrophulariaceae 10 Verbenaceae 11

Campanulids Lamiales Asteraceae 12 (Euasterids-II) http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 67

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Table 2. Aquatic and wetland plant species and their family recorded from the area

Sr. No. Botanical Name of the plant species Family 1. V allisneria spiralis L. Hydrocharitacea 2. Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle Hydrocharitacea e 3. Najas marina L. Najadaceae e 4. Potamogeton pactinatus L. Potamogetonace 5. Potamogeton perfoliatus L. Potamogetonace ae 6. Typha angustata Bory & Chaub. Typhaceae ae 7. Fimbristylis bisumbellata (Forssk.) Cyperaceae 8. Cyperus nutans Vahl var. nutans Cyperaceae Bubani 9. Schoenoplectus mucronatus subsp. Cyperaceae 10. Cyperus laevigatus L. Cyperaceae mucronatus 11. Pycreus flavidus (Retz.) T.Koyama Cyperaceae 12. Eleocharis atropurpurea Kunth Cyperaceae 13. Cyperus tuberosus Rottb. Cyperaceae 14. Cyperus difformis L. Cyperaceae 15. Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P.H.Raven Onagraceae 16. Ammannia baccifera L. Lythraceae 17. Polygonum barbatum L. Polygonaceae 18. Oxystelma eculentum (L.f.) Sm. Apocynaceae 19. Bacopa monnieri L. Scrophulariacea 20. Limnophila indica (L.) Druce Scrophulariacea e 21. Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene Verbenaceae e 22. Eclipta alba L. Asteraceae

Table 3. A list of family with number of species recorded from the area Familiy No. of Species Cyperaceae 8 Hydrocharitaceae 2 Potamogetonaceae 2 Scrophulariaceae 2 Apocynaceae 1 Asteraceae 1 Lythraceae 1 Najadaceae 1 Onagraceae 1 Polygonaceae 1 Typhaceae 1 Verbenaceae 1

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Table 4. A list of growth forms with number of species recorded from the area Growth Forms No. of species Helophyte 4 Vittate 4 Tenagophyte/Helophyte 4 Helophyte/Pleustophyte/Hyperhydate 3 Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte 2 Hyperhydate 1 Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte/Helophyte 2

Rosulate 1 Vittate/Hyperhydate/Tenagophyte 1

Fig. 2 Life forms

Fig. 1 Maps showing location of study area in Gujarat state

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A -

Vellisneria spirilis L., B - Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle, C - Najas marina L., D - Typha domingensis Pers., E - Potamogeton perfoliatus L., F - Schoenoplectus mucronatus L., G - Cyperus nutans Vahl, H - Pycreus flavidus Retzius, I - Eleocharis atropurpurea (Retzius) Presl, J - Cyperus rotundus L. http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 70

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K - Cyperus difformis L., L - Ludwigia octovalvis Jacq., M - Ammannia baccifera L., N - Polygonum barbatum L., O - Oxystelma esculentum L., P - Limnophila indica L., Q - Phyla nodiflora L., R - Eclipta alba L., S - Azolla pinnata R. Brown, T – Sipu Dam view http://lifesciencesleaflets.petsd.org/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 71