ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Govt. of India ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 Botanical Survey of India Editorial Committee B.K. Sinha S.S. Dash Debasmita Dutta Pramanick Sanjay Kumar Assistance S.K. Yadav Sinchita Biswas Dhyanesh Sardar Published by The Director Botanical Survey of India CGO Complex, 3rd MSO Building Wing-F, 5th & 6th Floor DF- Block, Sector-1, Salt Lake City Kolkata-700 064 (West Bengal) Website: http//bsi.gov.in Acknowledgements All Regional Centres of Botanical Survey of India CONTENTS 1. From the Director’s desk 2. BSI organogram 3. Research Programmes A. Annual Research Programme a. AJC Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah b. Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre, Port Blair c. Arid Zone regional Centre, Jodhpur d. Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, Itanagar e. Botanic Garden of Indian Republic, Noida f. Central Botanical Laboratory, Howrah g. Central National Herbarium, Howrah h. Central Regional Centre, Allahabad i. Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad j. Headquarter, BSI, Kolkata k. High Altitude Western Himalayan Regional Centre, Solan l. Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong m. Industrial Section Indian Museum, Kolkata n. Northern Regional Centre, Dehradun o. Sikkim Himalayan Regional Centre, Gangtok p. Southern Regional Centre, Coimbatore q. Western Regional Centre, Pune B. Flora of India Programme 4. New Discoveries a. New to science b. New records 5. Ex-situ conservation 6. Publications a. Papers published b. Books published c. Hindi published d. Books published by BSI 7. Training/Workshop/Seminar/Symposium/Conference organized by BSI 8. Participation of BSI Officials In Seminar/Symposium/Conference/Training 9. Activities of Research Scholars 10. Funded/Collaborative project 11. Assistance to Botanic Garden Scheme 12. Herbarium information 13. Awards and Honors 14. Service rendered 15. Events and activities 16. Budget RAMC BSI PMC DIRECTOR General Administration Section HEAD OF OFFICE General Administration Technical Section Jr. Admin. Officer Publication Section Establishment Section Raajbhasha Hindi Section Administrative Section DDO Stores & Stationary Section Fiscal Responsibility Andaman & Nicobar Regional Centre Port Blair Arid Zone regional Centre, Jodhpur Accounts Cash Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre Section Section Itanagar INDIAN BOTANICAL LIASION OFFICER Botanic Garden of Indian Republic Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, UK Noida AJC Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah Central Regional Centre, Allahabad Central National Herbarium, Howrah Deccan Regional Centre, Hyderabad (Cryptogamy, Ecology, Plant Chemistry) Central Botanical Laboratory, Howrah High Altitude Western Himalayan Regional Centre, Solan Central Library, Howrah Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong Industrial Section Indian Museum, Kolkata Northern Regional Centre, Dehradun Sikkim Himalayan Regional Centre, Gangtok Southern Regional Centre, Coimbatore Western Regional Centre, Pune From the Director’s Desk…. DR. A.A. MAO Director Botanical Survey of India It is a proud moment for me to present the Annual Report of Botanical Survey of India for the year 2019-2020. The report highlights the brief accounts of all-round achievements of the institute in the field of exploration, survey, research, technological development and outreach programmes. During the period 2019-20, Botanical Survey of India excellently performed in multifunctional disciplines in basics as well as applied streams of plant sciences. In this period, this Institute carried out 137 field tours (including several one day local tours) and 17 Herbarium Consultation tour under 68 Annual Action Plan Projects and 09 Funded Projects to collect plant specimens for floristic, ethnobotanical and ecological studies on flowering and non-flowering plants covering 10 Protected areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries), 01 Biosphere Reserve and 03 Biodiversity Hotspots, viz. Himalayas, Indo-Burma and Western Ghats-Sri Lanka. During this survey, live germplasms of threatened, endemic and economically important species were collected for their ex-situ conservation. Extensive floristic exploration was conducted in a wide range of phyto-geographical regions including Western Himalaya, Eastern Himalaya, North-East India, Arid-Semi Arid regions, Gangetic Plains, Deccan peninsula, Western Ghats and Andaman Islands. During these field tours, a total of c. 17,200 specimens were collected which were identified into c. 5380 taxa. Apart from that, 17 Herbarium Consultation tour were conducted for identification of critical taxa. Revisionary studies of Gymnosperm of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, family Pyrenulaceae, genus Gastrochilus D.Don, Adiantum L. and Impatiens L. (Balsaminaceae) of Sikkim & Darjeeling Himalayas were carried out. Taking into consideration of recent trends in molecular taxonomy and phylogenetic study, BSI is shifting their mandate. In this regard, scientists of this Department opted isolation of genes from Indian specimens, making of phylograms and phylogenetic tree for evolutionary study. Collection of ethno-botanically important plants and their ethnobotanical significance were documented from some tribal populated Districts of Bihar (Aurangabad, Madanpur, Maharajganj, Arwal, Purnea, Banmankhi, Katihar and Barsoi Forest Divisions of Aurangabad, Nawada, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Gaya and Nalanda Districts) and collected c. 962 ethnobotanical information from local Vaidyas and villagers. Habitat analysis of Orchids of Eastern Himalaya (Entire Sikkim, Darjeeling district of West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh excl. Changlang and Tirap) was assessed including 770 taxa and concluded 74 taxa (03 are flagged as possibly extinct) as Critically Endangered (CR); 108 taxa as Endangered (EN); 505 taxa as Vulnerable (VU); 50 taxa as Near Threatened (NT); 18 taxa as Least Concern (LC) and 15 taxa as Data Deficient (DD). Study of seed morphology of some selected Orchids of Northern Western Ghats of India and leaf surface of the family Acanthaceae in BSA were carried out by BSI officials. Cytotaxonomic study of the Genus Impatiens of Sikkim/Darjeeling District was done and Meiotic studies of 09 Impatiens species were completed. Besides, augmentation, maintenance of various herbaria, gardens and museum in BSI, dissemination of information relating to plant diversity were continued. The Botanical Gardens of this institute are actively engaged in introduction, enrichment, conservation, propagation and multiplication of Rare, endangered and threatened plant species, medicinal plants, Zingibers, Rattans, Bamboos, Orchids, ornamental plants, ferns etc. Towards fulfilling the Global strategy for plant conservation targets on ex-situ conservation, 12 botanical gardens under this Department are spreading in different biogeographical regions of India and actively engaged in biodiversity conservation. A proto-type of GPS based navigation App for locating trees and shrubs of AJC Bose Indian Botanic garden, BSI, Howrah was developed. In Herbarium Digitization Programme, a total of 28030 herbarium sheets were scanned. During this period, BSI scientists initiated reinterpretation of the families Bignoniaceae, Clusiaceae and Orchidaceae in Roxburgh Icon with reference to recent ICN. During 2019-20, the scientists of BSI added 253 taxa including seed plants and non-flowering plants to Indian flora. The research aptitude of the scientific officials of the institute was reflected through the publication of 165 research papers in peer reviewed journals, 18 books and 32 Hindi articles. This year, the Department published 07 books, 03 periodicals [NELUMBO (vol. 61: Issues 1 & 2), Plant Discovery 2019, Vanaspati Vani 2019] and Annual Report 2018-19. To reduce difficulties of exploration at species rich high altitude areas of Western Himalayas, specifically remote and difficult areas like Kashmir valley, Ladakh, Pir Panjal, Lahul & Spiti ranges, a new regional circle ‘High Altitude Western Himalayan Regional Centre’ was established at Solan, Himachal Pradesh on 10th December, 2019 at the campus of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni. This year Botanical Survey of India hosted several important events: International Symposium on ‘Plant Taxonomy and Ethnobotany (ISPTE 2020)’ venued at Hotel Lalit Great Eastern, Kolkata, COP-14 (Conference of Parties) of UNCCD programme in Greater Noida, 4th Nomenclatural Course (coordinated by Dr. K.N. Gandhi); celebrated various National and International Days: National Science Day, International Day of Yoga, World Biodiversity Day (22nd May), World Ozone Day, World Environment Day (5th June), Himalayan day (9th September), Vanmahotsab etc. along with various experts’ talks. Several conferences, symposia, training programmes and regional workshops were organized in collaborating with other Institutes, colleges and Universities. Rajbhasa Department of this institute organized various workshops, meetings and Hindi Pakhwara for spreading and popularization of Hindi language. In this period a team of three BSI scientists visited NHM, London, examined Indian specimens of the families Balsaminaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Leguminosaceae and digitized the sheets. For smooth function of research works especially PhD programme, MoU was signed between Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata and Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. For outstanding contribution in the field of Plant taxonomy, Scientists of Botanical Survey of India were honored with National Awards and recognitions by different professional