54 Print : ISSN 0970-7662 Online : ISSN 2455-7129
Print : ISSN 0970-7662 Journal of Tree Sciences
International Jounal of Research and Development in Tree Sciences and Enviornmental Conservation
Journal of Tree Sciences Volume 33 No. (1&2), 2014
INDIAN SOCIETY OF TREE SCIENTISTS
Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan Himachal Pradesh Pin - 173230 (INDIA) online available at www.ists.in website : www.ists.in Volume 37 No. 1 June, 2018 Floristic Composition and Indigenous Uses of Poaceae and Cyperaceae Family in Bolpur-Santiniketan Anupam Rajak Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India Email: [email protected] DOI: 10.5958/2455-7129.2018.00008.0 ABSTRACT
The grass family (Poaceae or Gramineae) is the fourth largest flowering plant family and contains approximately 11000 species in 800 genera wildlife. Grasses are frequently distributed. Grasses are adapted to all habitats. The present study describes the Key Words: floristic diversity of Poaceae and Cyperaceae family in Bolpur- Grasses, herbarium, survey Santiniketan area of West Bengal, India. Each plant species was collected, dried and mounted on the herbarium sheet and was identified. A total of sixteen grass species were found in Bolpur- Santiniketan area of West Bengal
INTRODUCTION (compositae), Fabaceae (Leguminosae) and Orchidaceae contain more species than poaceae. The role of systematic in studies of Grasses are among the most adaptable life forms. biodiversity is essential to a variety of studies, The name Poaceae was given by John Hendley including species conservation, extinction, Barnhart in 1895, based on the tribe poeae biodiversity hotspots, bio-prospecting and described in 1814 by Robert Brown, and the type ecosystem function (Alroy 2002; Smith and genus poa described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Wolfson 2004; Wilson 2000). Plant collection and Grasses (Poaceae or Gramineae) are the fifth most field preparation of specimens are the diverse family among the flowering plants or fundamental aspects of study, training and Angiosperms (Watson and Dallwitz 1992) and the research in plant systematic. Herbarium second most diverse family among the specimens represent a rich source of information Monocotyledons. The members of the family are for botanists and taxonomists. Documentation of widespread in all climates and regions. The family the species is very important aspect in the field of is closely related with Cyperaceae. Poaceae the taxonomy as well as for further scientific comprises about 10,000 species in approximately research. 700 genera (Watson and Dallwitz 1992), Plant communities dominated by Poaceae distributed widely throughout the world. About are called grasslands. It is estimated that they 239 genera and 1,180 species are found in India. comprise twenty percent of the vegetation that According to the latest update of the kew world covers the earth. Most of the grasses are grass species database, 10805 species are considered to be invasive. Only Asteraceae reported (Simon 2007). Rajak /J tree Sci. 37 (1) : 54-57 55
Cyperaceae is a cosmopolitan family of an reference for future studies. estimated 5000 species and 100 genera (Ball et al. STUDY AREA 2002). Members of the Cyperaceae are commonly called sedges. The order Cyperales is the second Bolpur-Santiniketan is a municipality and largest order of the monocotyledons next to headquarters of Bolpur subdivision in Birbhum Orchidales. The Cyperales as defined by district in West Bengal, India which is floristically cronquist comprises two families the graminae very rich. It is located at 23° 40' 0" North, 87° 43' 0" (Poaceae) and the Cyperaceae. The rules of priority East. promoted Cronquist (1968) to name the order as Cyperales in place of Poales. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Cyperaceae and Poaceae are large and Present investigation deals with grasses s u c c e s s f u l f a m i l y h a v i n g s m a l l a n d species under different genera belonging to inconspicuously reduced flowers. The families different families of angiosperm. During transect consist of perennial or annual, generally tuft herbs field survey all grass species appearing different with fibrous root or they may possess a creeping were collected. Plant specimens were brought to rhizome. The Cyperaceae along with graminae lab and were pressed, properly, dried and (Poaceae) is placed in the series blumaceae by identified. The flowering twigs of plants were Bentham and Hookers- on the basis of that in collected and identified from our department both the families the flowers are subtended by consulting the latest floras and experts and glumaceous bract. subsequently these were compared with the d e p a r t m e n t a l H e r b a r i u m f o r c o r r e c t Poaceae is economically the most identification. The identified plant specimens were important family use as food, fooder and for soil placed in thin paper folders (species cover), which conservation. The family Poaceae is of great are kept together in thicker paper folders (genus importance in terms of human life and civilization. covers), and finally they were in the herbarium The Cereal crops such as maize, wheat, rice, cupboards. barley, and millet were domesticated from this family. Poaceae the most economically important RESULTS plant family in modern times, providing forage, The Poaceae and Cyperaceae family is one building materials (bamboo, thatch), and fuel of the most economically and ecologically (ethanol) as well as food. Many grasses are used in important families in the world. The study lawns. Except some Poaceae taxa used in perfume revealed that the family Poaceae is represented in sector (Clayton and Renvoize 1986). Domestic the Bolpur-Santiniketan area in 16 genera. The animals are fed on forage grasses. habit, habitat, the morphology of the plants, family, The present was planned with the genera and species were recorded. These plants objectives to explore, identify and document are described according to their common name, grasses species diversity of the bolpur area. botanical name, family and their uses. The details Through this studies, valuable data about the of different uses of plants were noted with the help grasses is recorded which could be used as of literature collected using authentic sources. 56 Rajak /J tree Sci. 37 (1) : 54-57
Table 1. List of locally available Poaceae family
Sl. No. Botanical name Common name Family Uses 1. Leptochloa digitata (R.Br.) Domin. Poaceae 2. Dichanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Marvel grass Poaceae Used as food and Stapf fooder, control soil erosion. 3. Eragrostis pilosa (L.) P. Beauv. Hairy love Poaceae Used as forage and grass fooder.
4. Chrysopogon aciculatus (Retz.) Trin. Lesser spear Poaceae Used as lawngrass, grass control of soil erosion. 5. Sporobolus diander (Retz.) Beauv. Poaceae Used as food and fooder. 6. Pennisetum pedicellatum Trin. Deenanath Poaceae Used as fooder. grass 7. Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd Crowfoot grass Poaceae Used as food. 8. Oplismenus composites (L.) P. Beauv. Running Poaceae Used as lawngrass and mountain grass edible to livestock.
9. Oplismenus burmannii (Retz.) P. Burmann ’s Poaceae Used as painkiller, eye Beauv. basket grass treatments, depressants, fooder etc.
10. Brachiaria planteginea (Link) Hitchc. Poaceae Used as forage crop.
REFERENCES Finot V. and Barrera Berrocal J. 2011. The Dynamical Processes of Biodiversity – Case Alroy J. 2002. How many named species are valid? Studies of Evolution and Spatial Proceedings of the National Academy of Distribution. 4-108. Science, Vol. 99, No. 6 (Mar. 2002) : 3706- 3711, ISSN 1094-6490. Mehmood A., Shah A., Shah AH, and Khan SM. 2017. Floristic List and Indigenous Uses of Ball PW, Reznicek AA and Murray DF. 2002. Poaceae Family in District Tor Ghar, Cyperaceae. In Flora of North America Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Journal Editorial Committee (editors), Flora of of Applied Environmental and Biological North America North of Mexico, Vol. 23: Sciences. 7 (6):169-177. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Cyperaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York: Peterson Paul M. 2013. Poaceae (Gramineae) 3–608. https://doi. org/10.1002/9780470015902. a0003689.pub2 Clayton WD and Renvoize SA. 1986. Genera graminum. Grasses of the world. Kew Bull. Sharma, O. P. (2009). Plant Taxonomy (2nd ed.). Additional Series XIII, Royal Botanic Tata McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN Gardens, Kew. 9781259081378. Rajak /J tree Sci. 37 (1) : 54-57 57
Simon BK. 2007. Grassworld: interactive key and Distribution Editors: O. Grillo, G. Venora information system on world grasses. Kew Publisher: In-Tech Open Access: 71-108. Bull 65: 475-484. Watson L. and Dallwitz MJ. 1992 onwards. The Smith GF. and Wolfson MM. 2004. Mainstreaming grass genera of the world: descriptions, biodiversity: the role of taxonomy in illustrations, identification, and information bioregional planning activities in South retrieval; including synonyms, morphology, Africa. Taxon, Vol. 53, No. 2 (May 2004) : anatomy, physiology, phytochemistry, 467-468. ISSN 0040-0262. cytology, classification, pathogens, world and local distribution, and references. Víctor L. Finot, Juan A. Barrera, Clodomiro Version: 23rd Apr. 2010. http://delta- Marticorena and Gloria Rojas. 2011. intkey.com'. Systematic Diversity of the Family Poaceae (Gramineae) in Chile In book: The Wilson EO 2000. On the future of conservation Dynamical Processes of Biodiversity - Case biology. Conservation Biology, Vol. 14, No. Studies of Evolution and Spatial 1 (Feb. 2000): pp. 1-3, ISSN 1523-1739