Djvu Document
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BULL. BOT. SURV. INDIA Vol. 8, Nos. 3 & 4 : pp. 296-303, 1966 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BOTANY OF KAMRUP DISTRICT (SOUTHERN PART), ASSAM Botanical Suruty of India, Shillong ABSTRACT This is an account of the vegetation and an enumeration of the vascular plants of the southern part of Kamrup district, Assam, the area lying between the Khasi Wills and the Brahrnaputra river, based upon a three weeks' collection and study in June and October. South Kamrup is approximately between Lat. there are scattered patches of scrub. The ever- 25'35'-26"04' and Long. 91~92". It is bounded green and semi-evergreen forest on the hilly areas in the north by the Brahmaputra river, in the are dense with many species of tall trees and Iargc south by the Khasi Hills, in the east by Nowgong lianes. Outstanding species are Albizia lucida district and in the west by Goalpara district. Benth., Amoora wallichii King, Mesua ferrea L., Three rivers, 13igaru in the east, Kulsi in the Terminalia myriocarpa Muell., Schima wallichii middle. and Singra in the west flow through the Chois., Duabanga grandiflora Walp., Dysoxylum area and empty into the Brahmaputra river. All binectariferurn Hk. f., Ficus rumphii BI., Castanop these watexourscs customarily swell and overflow sis armata Spach. during .the monsoon. In semi-evergreen forests are Stereospermurn The surface features of the area are generally chelonoides DC., Anthocephalus cadamba Miq., described as the 'plains' but there are scattered Zanthoxytum rhetsa DC., Engelhardtia spicata Bl., low hills bordering the Khasi Hills. The highest Artocarpus chaplasha Roxb. and Dysoxylum pro- hill in the area studied (Sattargaon) had an eleva- cerzrm Hiern. The deciduous forests, which tion of about 300 m. A feature of the region stretch out imperceptibly from the evergreen and happens to be scattered extensive marshy areas, semi-evergreen belts, include ~agerstroemiaspe- locally referred to as 'Bils'. ciosa Pers., Cassia fistula L., Gmelina- arborea L.' The climate is warm and humid. The rainfall Dillenia pentagyna Roxb. and scattered clumps of in the Werent parts of the area varies from 80 to bamboos, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees & Arn. 200 cm tier year, the monsoon rains being parti- and Arundinaria sp. There are a few trees of Tec- cularly heavy in the late summer months. tona grandis L. here and there. Botanically the area is not well known. C. B. The sal forests have a mixture of tree species: Clarke collected here, as also Gustav Mann Cnd Lagerstroemia speciosa Pers., Ficus geniculata U. N. Kanjilal of the Assam Forest Service. These Kurz, Garuga pinnata Roxb., Spondias mangiferb were cursory collections. In a reconnoitring ex- Willd., Dalbergia assamica Benth., Michelia oblonga ploration of the whole of Kamrup district by Dr. Wall. and Talauma phellocarpa King are some of (&,Panigrahi, one or two small localities (Rani, the most frequent associates. Rajapara, Kulsi and Boko) of the southern part were In all these forests there appear to be a rather bkiefly visited for plant collections. abrupt transition from the tall tree tier to the shrub The present account is based on about three tier. There are no intermediate medium or short weeks' collection and study of vegetation at several trees. The short trees mixing up with the dense points throughout southern Kamrup in June and shrubs obscure a clear demarcation of the two October of 1g6q and 1965. tiers. In this stratum also are to be found many The vegetation covering the low hills resembles stragglers and climbers which overgrow their sup- that of the bordering Khasi Hills. It varies from porting hosm and form dense, impenetrable evergreen to semi-evergreen in the higher eleva- thickets. tions tapering off into deciduous forests of Bamboo- Saurauja roxburghii WalI., Antidesma diandruni Teak. In the plains there are large areas covered Roth, Xeroqhis spinosa Keay, Prnetta indica L., kith sal forest, so uniform in their growth as to Zxora villosa Roxb., Maesa rnontana DC., Holar- +par lie a plantation. The 'Sils' and their sur- rhena.antidysente7;ica Wall. are some of the com- rounding water-logged swampy areas support a mon species in this zone of short trees and shrubs, lush grassland and mixed aquatic growth, In the Amongst the climbers and creepers are to be men- very open areao and adjacent to cultivated land8 tioned Vitis tdfodiu L., @erris cmeifol& Benth,, 19~~1 RAO AND RABHA: CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE BOTANY OF XAMRUP DISTRICT 297 Ceptolepis elegans Wall., Stephania hernandifolia wet sandy soil along stream banks with Colocasia Walp., Pericampylus glaucus Merr., Cissampelos antiquorum Schott. and Homalomena aromatica pareira L. and Piper thomsonii Hk. f. Other pre Schott. 9inent epiphytic climbers are Rhaphidophoru Ferns occur profusely in shaded moist areas along decursiva Schott., Scindapsus ofiinalis Schott. and roads and path sides and margins of watercourses. Pothos scandens L., Hoya arnottiana Wight, H. Cyathea sp. catches the eye even from distances, parasitica Wall., D'schidia raflesiann Wall. Loran- due to its crown oE elegantly spreading large fronds. thus sps. on trees and shrubs and Cuscuta reflexa Next to the Cyathea, another large fern is Angio- Roxb. on shrubs and undershrubs are also found. pteris occurring frequently near streams. Most of Epiphytic orchids and ferns are frequent in these the other ferns belong to the Polypodiaceae. forests. The orchid association is represented by Helminthostachys and Ophioglossum sp. have also Dendrobium moschatum Wall., D. firnbriatum been collected amidst other herbaceous growth. Hk. f., D. pierardii Roxt., D. densiflorum Wall., Amongst the fern allies, Equisetum debile Roxb. D. formosun; Roxb,, Cymbidium aloifolium Sw., forming wiry clumps amidst ,branches of some sup Wanda teres Lindl., ~hynchostylisretusn B1. and porting shrub, is not uncommon. Lycopodium cer- many others. nuum L. is frequent with Gleichenia and Blechurn The forest floor is dense with herbs mainly Impa- on old road cuttings. Lycopodium phlegmok L. tiens tripetala Roxb., Biophytum sensitivum DC., is seen now and then with some epiphydk orchids Pouzolzia indica Gaud., Sarcochlamys pulcherrima and ferns on large trees. Gaud., Ophiorrhiza oppositijlora Hk. f., Molineria Liverworts including hlarchantia, Riccia, Tar- recurvatu Nel. and Chlorophytuml arundinaceum gionia, Plagiochasma and Dumortiera form dense Baker together with large patches of Phrynium' green mats over boulders and stones within stream8 capitaturn Willd, in shaded places and along the and on banks. banks of streams in the hill tract. The 'Bils' have an aquatic vegetation composed Other associations of similar type, composed of of Eichhornia crassipes Solms., ~y mphoides cd Curcuma angustifolia Roxb., C. aromatica Salisb. tatum Ktze., Monochoria hastaefolia Presl, Trapa and Boesenbergia longiflora (Wall.) Ktze. (Gastro- quadm'sp'nosa Roxb., Ludwigia adscendens Hara, chilus longiflora Wall.) are found in large patches Nymphaea lotus L., Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., in moist parts of the fo$est, along paths. This Ottelia alismoides Pers., Utricularia . aqea Lour; association has heen commonly found not only in and Leersia hexandra Sw. forming sh~ggishly the evergreen and semi-evergreen sections of the Aoatihg masses. forest but also in deciduous sal forest. But the At the edge of water, the following species grow growth of such an association is more vigorous in abundantly : Polygonum orientale L. and P. barba- the sal forest due probably to availability of more tum L. in association with several grasses Uc' light. There is again another type of association Panicum proliferurn Lamk., Arundinella arvenacea which is predominant on the slopes of hills and in Munro, Phragmites communis Trin., Thysanolaenn shaded wet places of hill tracts especially in the agrostis Nees, Saccharum spontaneum L., Leersia semi-evergreen forest and in the evergreen pockets. hexandra Sw., Paspalurn orbiculare Forst. The composition of this type of association is re- Schurnannianthus dichotomus Gagnep. presented by Hedychium' coccineum Smith, Alpi- The following trees and shrubs occur slow qia allughas Rosc., A. bracteata Roxb. and Ammo- banks: Syzygitlm oblatum Cowan (Eugenia obkria mum linguiforme Benth. Roxb.), Cleistocnlyx opercuhta Merr., Ardisia Throughout south Kamrup, Costus speczosus K hasiana Clarke, Trewia nudifiora L., Dracaq Smith and Zingzber zerumbet Smith are met along -spicata Roxb., Duabanga grandiflora Walp, with Polygala chinensis L., P. Eongifolia Poir., B. Lagerstroemia specioscr Pers. and Alpkia bracteata glomerata Lour., Anotis wigkiana Hk. f., Hedyc~ Roxb. lis vestita R. Br,, H. scandens Roxb., Gloriosa Grasslands are scattered largely in deciduous superba L,, ,IMtsrdannia elata (Wall.) Brueckg., forests and in open scrub forests. The most corn. Pollia secundiflora (Bl.) Baker, Comrnelina #ah- mon representatives are Imperata arundinaceo dosa Bl., Murdannia nudqora (L.) Bren., SqtaricE Cyrill., Andropogon iwafancusa Jones, Panicurn +lm'olia (Koen.) Stapf, Oryza granulatp .Stcud; assamicum Hk. f., lsachne australis R. Br., Sacchs- an8 0. officinalis wail. r~mnarenga Ham., Paspalvm scrobiculatum L., Large associations of Forrestia mollissima var. Echinochloa colanum Link,, Vetiveria pizmio?iiSes hispida-.Baker are found st,oradically in shaded and Nash., Cyprus breeifoliur (~ottb.)Hasst. (KylltSPgs , 3 298' BULLETIN OF THE BOTA~TCALSURVEY OF INDIA [Val. 8 brevjfolia Rottb.), Polytoca digitata Druce and MAGNOLIACEAE Setaria ghuca Beauv. Magnolia pterocarps Roxb. In the enumeration