Academic Journal of Plant Sciences 6 (4): 146-167, 2013 ISSN 1995-8986 © IDOSI Publications, 2013 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.ajps.2013.6.4.1116 Floristic Diversity of Jhabua District, Madhya Pradesh, India 12Vijay V. Wagh and Ashok K. Jain 1Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow-226 001 (Uttar Pradesh), India 2School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior-474 011 (Madhya Pradesh), India Abstract: The present study was carried out in Jhabua district, situated in the western most part of Madhya Pradesh. The present study shows that 692 species of angiosperms under 469 genera belonging to 115 families are found in Jhabua district. Out of these 150 species in 102 genera and 20 families belongs to Monocot and 542 species in 367 genera and 95 families belongs to Dicot. The tribal of the district are totally depends on the forest resources for their livelihood. Due to some natural and manmade factors several species are struggling for their existence, proper conservation and management plans are needed to save the natural resources especially medicinal and dwindling plant species of the district. Key words: Jhabua district Floristic diversity Dicot Monocot Species INTRODUCTION wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs and deserts [7]. India holds a prominent position among the eight Vavilovian India has been recognized as one of the 12- Centres of origin of cultivated plants, which is the megadivesity countries of the world and it is estimated geographic region where crops exhibit maximum that these 12 countries possess 70% of the world total diversity in terms of number of races and botanical flowering plants [1]. With only 2.5% of the earth’s land varieties [8]. Today, about 166 crop species and well over area, India accounts for 8% of the recorded species of the 324 species of wild relatives of crop plants are recognized world which includes millions of races, subspecies and and utilized for food production. Wild edible plants local variants of species and the ecological processes and account for nearly 1000 species serving various purposes: cycles that link organisms into population, communities 145 as roots/tubers, 526 as leafy vegetables/greens, 101 and all different ecosystems [2]. Demographically, it is the for buds / flower, 647 for fruits and 18 for seeds and nuts second largest populated country in the world and a [9]. majority of its population directly depends on biological It is considered to be the centre of origin for about resources for livelihood. Western Ghats and Eastern 30,000 to 50,000 varieties of rice, pigeon-pea, mango, Himalayas of India are two of the 18 hotspots of the world turmeric, ginger, sugar-cane, goose berry, etc., along with due to rich phytodiversity and high percentage of the richness of marine biodiversity comprising coral reefs endemism [3]. Chowdhary and Murti [4] have pointed out and mangroves [10]. Coral reefs are considered as the that approximately 17,500 species of angiosperms occur in ‘rain forests of the sea’ and the mangrove cover of India India, while Kartikeyan [5] has estimated approximately is around 4, 24,400 ha [11]. However, this rich biodiversity 16,809 species in India. Further, it is highly significant to of India, which is the hub of wheel of life is under severe note that India harbours maximum number of endemic threat owing to several anthropogenic activities. Jain [12] species i.e. 5725 angiosperms, 10 gymnosperms, 1200 stated that the flora of our country is very rich in many pteridophytes, 678 bryophytes, 260 liverworts, 466 ways, in number of species, in economic potential, in lichens, 3500 fungi and 1924 algae [6]. The main natural endemism and not unoften in uniqueness of biological habitat types of India include forests, grasslands, characteristics. Corresponding Author: Vijay V. Wagh Plant Diversity, Systematics and Herbarium Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow-226 001 (Uttar Pradesh), India. E-mail: [email protected] 146 Acad. J. Plant Sci.,6 (4): 146-167, 2013 Fig. 1: Map of Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh, India Study Site: Jhabua is the district head-quarter, situated in western part of Madhya Pradesh and situated at 22' 47 N latitude and 71' 35 E longitude at an average altitude of 428 m above mean sea level (Fig. 1). Total area of the district is 6,792 Kms. The Total population of the district as per 2001 census is 13, 94,345. Most of the village habitants of Jhabua belong to tribal communities like Bheel, Bhilala and Pataya. Out of these tribes Bheel and Bhilala stand high in strength, scattered in most of the villages of the district. The Bhil tribe is one of the most important and the third largest tribe of India (Fig. 2). The name has been derived from Dravidian word bil or vil meaning bow because they always keep bow and arrow for hunting. Bheel and Bhilala tribes live close to the forest and are largely dependent on the wild biological resources for their livelihood. They consume leaves, Fig. 2: Bhil Tribe family 147 Acad. J. Plant Sci.,6 (4): 146-167, 2013 flower, corm, fruits, rhizome and bulbs, which are Dicot (Fig. 3). In life form category herbaceous species considered as highly nutritional with high medicinal value. represents the highest numbers of species i.e. (374 In district about 28% of the area is covered with forest species) followed trees (130 species), shrubs (98 species), whose total area counts to 1900 sq. km. The main climbers (80 species), Lianas (7 species) and parasitic products of the forest are wood, tendu leaves, mahua and plants (3 species) Fig. 4. bamboo. Local tribals are mostly dependent on forest for The ratio among monocot to Dicot with respect to their daily needs. families, genera and species, families to genera and genera It was observed through published literature that a to species with respect to Dicot, Monocot and total have thorough floristic survey in reference to its relationship been given in Table 2. It is apparent from the data that the with tribes of Jhabua district is altogether wanting. ratio of families to genera with respect to monocot to dicot However some scattered information is available but not is higher than with respect to genera to species. While the sufficient. Further, no systematic and studies on floristic ratio of monocot to dicot with respect to families is higher diversity of Jhabua district were made. To fill this gap the than with respect to genera and species. On the other present study has been carried out to collect the entire hand, the ratio of genera to species with respect to Dicot information on angiospermic phytodiversity of Jhabua is higher than that of monocot and total. district. Samvatsar [13] has made some floristic studies in The comparative status of families genera and some districts of western Madhya Pradesh. Kadel [14] and species in India, Madhya Pradesh and Jhabua district Kadel and Jain [15] have studied some ethnobotanical have been presented in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 [5, 33]. aspects of Jhabua district. Wagh and Jain studies some The data presented in (Fig. 8) reveals that Poaceae threatened medicinal plant as well as some ethnobotanical (71 species) is the dominant family in the Jhabua district aspects of the district [16-18]. Jain et al., [19] have made followed by Fabaceae (64 species), Asteraceae (38), study on the presence of some miniature sacred groves in Euphorbiaceae (31 species), Acanthaceae (23 species), Jhabua district and their conservation status. Despite the Convolvulaceae, (22 species), Malvaceae (20 species), vast and varied flora of Western Madhya Pradesh the Caesalpiniaceae (18 species), Cucurbitaceae (17 species), floristic diversity of the Jhabua district has not been Apocynaceae (16 species), Solanaceae and Verbenaceae explored sufficiently. (14 species each). It is noteworthy that the ten dominant families of MATERIALS AND METHODS Jhabua district as given in (Fig.9) comprise 321 species 46.38 % of the total species included in the present work Intensive floristic surveys were undertaken during while remaining 105 families with a total of 371 species 2008-2013 in Jhabua forest division in the manner so that constitute 53.61 %. each locality could be studied in each season of the year. Periodic collection of plants was made from each locality. Species under 10 dominant families The plants were dried and pressed in the field and taken Species under remaining 105 families to the laboratory and herbarium was prepared according to the customary methods [20]. These plant specimens Results indicate that Euphorbia and Ipomoea (11 were critically studied and identified with the help of species each) are the most dominant genus in the district various floras and published literature [21-32]. The followed by Ficus (7 species), Cyperus and Cassia (6 identification was also made by referring some authentic species each), Phyllanthus, Terminalia and Habenaria (5 publications and deposited in the herbarium of School of species each), Alysicarpus and Clerodendrum (4 species Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior. each) (Fig. 10). It is interesting to record that monotypic genera RESULTS AND DISCUSSION occur in Jhabua district. These are Cocos, Desmostachya, Digera, Gloriosa, Haldina, Hemidesmus, Hydrilla, The present study shows that 692 species of Kigelia, Lablab, Lawsonia, Martynia, Millingtonia, angiosperms under 469 genera belonging to 115 families Nelsonia, Nicandra, Oroxylum, Oougeinia, Pongamia, are found in Jhabua district (Table 1). Out of these 150 Rhoeo, Ricinus, Schleichera, Soymida and Tamarindus. species in 102 genera and 20 families belongs to Monocot Further, some of the genera, which are represented in and 542 species in 367 genera and 95 families belongs to India by single species (including cultivated) also occur 148 Acad. J. Plant Sci.,6 (4): 146-167, 2013 Fig.