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TERRESTRIAL STUDY the Vegetation of Kerala Is Most Luxuriant and Diverse Resulted by the Varied Topographical Features, High Rainfall and Geological Conditions

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TERRESTRIAL STUDY the Vegetation of Kerala Is Most Luxuriant and Diverse Resulted by the Varied Topographical Features, High Rainfall and Geological Conditions TERRESTRIAL STUDY The vegetation of Kerala is most luxuriant and diverse resulted by the varied topographical features, high rainfall and geological conditions. This favoured the formation of shola forests on the mountain valleys to the mangrove forests along seacoast and estuaries. The state of Kerala is divisible in to three distinct altitudinal zones, viz. the highlands, the midlands and the lowlands (Kerala State Atlas, 1984), each with its distinct biological wealth, vegetational composition and agricultural/land-use patterns. The highlands abode the State's most characteristic vegetation. The midlands, lying between the mountains and the lowlands, with intensive cultivation are formed of undulating hills and valleys with isolated pockets of forest formations. During the present study period, the top canopy of the vegetation represented by tree species like Lannea coromandelica, Syzygium cumini, Thespesia populnea, Pletophorum pterocarpum, Mimusops elengi, Leucanea leucocephala, Azadirachta indica, Bombax malabaricum, Terminalia catappa, Mangifera indica, Cassia siamea, Cocus nucifera, Erythrina indica, Gmelina arborea, Ailanthus excelsa etc. The undergrowth or shrubby elements mainly consist of Abutilon indicum, Cassia auriculata, Tephrosia purpurea, Lawsonia inermis, Lantana camara, Cassia occidentalis, Cassia alata, Bixaorellana, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Ipomoea carnea, Clerodendrum viscosum, Clerodendrum inerme, Vitex negundo and other mangrove associates. Climbers are few which represent Coccinia grandis, Ipomoea aquatica, Passiflora edulis, Quisqualis indica, Aristolochia indica, Cadaba indica etc. The ground floor is occupied by the growth of herbaceous species and grasses. The common herbaceous species present in the study area are Tridax procumbens, Urena lobata, Borreria hispida, Alternanthera sessilis, Corchorus aestuans, Sida acuta, Blumea lacera, Leucas aspera, Ludwigia parviflora, Mimosa pudica, Phyla nodiflora, Acalypha indica, Euphorbia hirta etc. Species such as Eragrostis sp, Chloris barbata, Bothriochloa pertusa, Cymbopogon citratus, Cynodon dactylon, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Imperata cylindrical, Setaria verticillata, Saccharum spontaneum, Rottboellia exaltata, Oplismenus compositus and Phragmites karka were common grasses in the study area. The list of floral species observed in the study area is given in Table-1. Table- 1: List of plant species reported in the study area Name of Species Family Habit Abrus precatorius Fabaceae Climber Abutilon indicum Malvaceae Shrub Acacia auriculiformis Mimosaceae Tree Acalypha indica Euphorbiaceae Herb Acanthus ilicifolius Acanthaceae Shrub Achras sapota Sapotaceae Tree Adina cordifolia Rubiaceae Tree Aegle marmelos Rutaceae Tree Ailanthus excelsa Simaroubaceae Tree Albizia lebbeck Mimosaceae Tree Alstonia scholaris Apocynaceae Tree Alternanthera sessilis Amaranthaceae Herb Alysicarpus rugosus Fabaceae Herb Amaranthus spinosus Amaranthaceae Herb Amaranthus viridis Amaranthaceae Herb Anacardium occidentale Anacardiaceae Tree Annona squamosa Annonaceae Shrub Anthocephalus cadamba Rubiaceae Tree Areca catechu Arecaceae Tree Aristolochia indica Aristolochiaceae Climber Artocarpus hirsutus Moraceae Tree Artocarpus integrifolius Moraceae Tree Asparagus racemosus Asparagaceae Shrub Avicennia alba Avicenniaceae Tree Avicennia officinalis Avicenniaceae Tree Azadirachta indica Meliaceae Tree Bacoba monnieri Scrophulariaceae Herb Bambusa arundinacea Poaceae Grass Barringtonia acutangula Lecythidaceae Tree Bauhinia racemosa Caesalpiniaceae Tree Bixa orellana Bixaceae Shrub Blumea lacera Asteraceae Herb Boerhavia diffusa Nyctaginaceae Herb Bombax malabaricum Bombacaceae Tree Borassus flabellifer Arecaceae Tree Borreria hispida Rubiaceae Herb Borreria ocymoides Rubiaceae Herb Bothriochloa pertusa Poaceae Grass Butea monosperma Fabaceae Tree Cadaba indica Capparidaceae Climber Caesalpinia bonduc Caesalpiniaceae Shrub Caesalpinia sappan Caesalpiniaceae Shrub Name of Species Family Habit Caesalpnia coriaria Caesalpiniaceae Tree Callistemon lanceolatus Myrtaceae Tree Carissa carandas Apocynaceae Shrub Caryota urens Arecaceae Tree Cassia alata Caesalpiniaceae Shrub Cassia auriculata Caesalpiniaceae Shrub Cassia fistula Fabaceae Tree Cassia occidentalis Caesalpiniaceae Shrub Cassia siamea Caesalpiniaceae Tree Cassia tora Caesalpiniaceae Herb Casuarina equisetifolia Casuarinaceae Tree Cayratia pedata Vitaceae Climber Ceiba pentandra Bombacaceae Tree Cenchrus ciliaris Poaceae Grass Centela asiatica Apiaceae Herb Chloris barbata Poaceae Grass Chromolaena odorata Asteraceae Shrub Clerodendrum inerme Verbenaceae Shrub Clerodendrum viscosum Verbenaceae Shrub Coccinia grandis Cucurbitaceae Climber Cocus nucifera Arecaceae Tree Colocasia esculenta Araceae Herb Corchorus aestuans Tiliaceae Herb Costos speciosus Costaceae Herb Cressa cretica Convolvulaceae Shrub Croton hirtum Euphorbiaceae Herb Curculigo orchioides Hypoxidaceae Herb Cuscuta reflexa Convolvulaceae Climber Cymbopogon citratus Poaceae Grass Cynodon dactylon Poaceae Grass Cynotis cristata Commelinaceae Herb Cyperus difformis Cyperaceae Herb Cyperus iria Cyperaceae Herb Cyperus rotundus Cyperaceae Herb Dactyloctenium aegyptium Poaceae Grass Dalbergia sissoo Fabaceae Tree Datura metal Solanceae Shrub Delonix regia Caesalpiniaceae Tree Desmodium triflorum Fabaceae Herb Eclipta alba Asteraceae Herb Eichorrnia crassipes Pontederiaceae Herb Elesine indica Poaceae Grass Emelia sonchifolia Asteraceae Herb Name of Species Family Habit Eragrostis sp Poaceae Grass Erythrina indica Fabaceae Tree Eucalyptus tereticornis Myrtaceae Tree Euphorbia hirta Euphorbiaceae Herb Euphorbia tirucalli Euphorbiaceae Tree Ficus auriculata Moraceae Tree Ficus benghalensis Moraceae Tree Ficus benjamina Moraceae Tree Ficus elastica Moraceae Tree Ficus hispida Moraceae Tree Ficus religiosa Moraceae Tree Fimbristylis dichotoma Cyperaceae Herb Fimbristylis tetragona Cyperaceae Herb Garcinia gummi-gutta Clusiaceae Tree Gmelina arborea Verbenaceae Tree Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Malvaceae Shrub Holarrhena antidysenterica Apocynaceae Shrub Holoptelea integrifolia Ulmaceae Tree Hygrophila auriculata Acanthaceae Herb Imperata cylindrica Poaceae Grass Ipomoea aquatica Convolvulaceae Climber Ipomoea carnea Convolvulaceae Shrub Ipomoea pescarpae Convolvulaceae Climber Jatropha curcas Euphorbiaceae Shrub Justicia procumbens Acanthaceae Herb Kandelia candel Rhizophoraceae Tree Lagerstroemia indica Lythraceae Tree Lannea coromandelica Anacardiaceae Tree Lantana camara Verbenaceae Shrub Lawsonia inermis Lythraceae Shrub Leanotis nepetiifolia Lamiaceae Herb Leucanea leucocephala Mimosaceae Tree Leucas aspera Lamiaceae Herb Ludwigia parviflora Onagraceae Herb Madhuca longifolia Sapotaceae Tree Mangifera indica Anacardiaceae Tree Manihot esculenta Euphorbiaceae Tree Manilkara hexandra Sapotaceae tree Melia azedarach Meliaceae Tree Mimosa pudica Mimosaceae Herb Mimusops elengi Sapotaceae Tree Morinda tinctoria Rubiaceae Tree Mukia maderaspatana Cucurbitaceae Climber Name of Species Family Habit Murraya paniculata Rutaceae Shrub Musa paradisiaca Musaceae Large herb Myristica fragrans Myristicaceae Tree Nerium oleander Apocynaceae Shrub Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Oleaceae Tree Oldenlandia corymbosa Rubiaceae Herb Oplismenus compositus Poaceae Grass Pandanus odoratissimus Pandanaceae Tree Parthenium hysterophorus Asteraceae Herb Passiflora edulis Passifloraceae Climber Pavonia procumbens Malvaceae Herb Phoenix laurierii Arecaceae Tree Phoenix sylvestris Arecaceae Tree Phragmites karka Poaceae Grass Phyla nodiflora Verbenaceae Herb Phyllanthus emblica Euphorbiaceae Tree Phyllanthus urinaria Euphorbiaceae Herb Physalis minima Solanaceae Herb Piper longum Piperaceae Climber Pletophorum pterocarpum Caesalpiniaceae Tree Plumeria alba Apocynaceae Tree Plumeria rubra Apocynaceae Tree Polyalthia longifolia Annonaceae Tree Polygala sp. Polygalaceae Herb Pongamia pinnata Fabaceae Tree Prosopis juliflora Mimosaceae Tree Psidium quajava Myrtaceae Tree Psychotria sp. Rubiaceae Shrub Pterocarpus marsupium Fabaceae Tree Quisqualis indica Combretaceae Climber Rottboellia exaltata Poaceae Grass Saccharum spontaneum Poaceae Grass Samanea saman Mimosaceae Tree Santalum album Santalaceae Tree Saraca asoka Fabaceae Tree Scoparia dulcis Scrophulariaceae Herb Setaria verticillata Poaceae Grass Sida acuta Malvaceae Herb Sida rhomboidea Malvaceae Herb Solanum torvum Solanaceae Shrub Sonneratia alba Sonneratiaceae Tree Sonneratia caseolaris Sonneratiaceae Tree Sphearanthus indicus Asteraceae Herb Name of Species Family Habit Swietenia macrophylla Meliaceae Tree Synedrella nodiflora Asteraceae Herb Syzygium cumini Myrtaceae Tree Syzygium samarangense Myrtaceae Tree Tabernaemontana divaricata Apocynaceae Shrub Tamarindus indicus Caesalpiniaceae Tree Tectona grandis Verbenaceae Tree Tephrosia purpurea Fabaceae Shrub Terminalia catappa Combretaceae Tree Thespesia populnea Malvaceae Tree Trema orientalis Ulmaceae Tree Tridax procumbens Asteraceae Herb Triumfetta pentandra Tiliaceae Herb Typha angustifolia Poaceae Grass Urena lobata Malvaceae Herb Vanda tesellata Orchidaceae Herb Vernonia cinerea Asteraceae Herb Vitex negundo Verbenaceae Shrub Wrightia tinctoria Apocynaceae Tree Zanthoxylum rhetsa Rutaceae Tree Ziziphus jujuba Rhamnaceae Tree IMPORTANTMEDICINALPLANTS Someimportantmedicinal plantsrecordedduring thepresentstudy are Adhatoda zeylanica,Asparagus racemosus, Aegle marmelos, Phyllanthus emblica, Azadirachta indica, Boerhavia diffusa, Cassia fistula, Curculigo orchioides, Centela asiatica, Santalum
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