BurJt,. BOZ. SURV. tNbtA vol 15, Nos. 1 & 2 : p11. 79-93, 1971 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE FLORA OF I'ACHMARHI (MADIIYA 1'RAI)ESH) H. 0. SAXENA Natiottal Botanic Gar(/e~ts,Lt~cknow Pachmalhi, a popular hill station of Madllya Pradesh, having in it the highest hill top (Dhupgarh) of central India, presents very interesting features in its flora. 11 has received attention by several bota- nists due to its popularity and importance from floristic point of view and a number of contributions to the flora were made by thcm (Gflnzble 1892, Gmhflnl 1914-15, Parrdy &' Srionstava 1952, Rao G3 Nararayana- rwamy 1960, Kapoor €3 Yadau 1962 and others). The present paper records 30+ species of flowering plants and ferns, which are reported for the first time fi-om Pachmarhi. Sixteen species are new records for Madhya Pradesh (marked by single asterisk) and twelve for central India (marked by double astr- risk). The species, of which previous record was found to be based on wrong identifications have been excluded from the flora, namely Finlbrisl~li~PodocflrPflNces & Meyen, ilrtlrraro~tserrulatrrs Hochst., Arlozcii- tda tzepalensis Trin., Eragrostis tzf~tans(Rctz.1 Nees ex Steud., SporoboLzis elo~rgatrrsR. Br, and ffripogutr pai~perculus Stapf. INTRODUCTION Iledyotidifulicl, Pogosternofl pltrpzrrnscetls and Cro- I'achmarhi, popularly known iis "Queen of Sat- tcclnric~ flrcrla are species of south and south-west ~i~ra"due to its splendid natural i~eauty,is situated India. on a plateau of ~at~l~raRange which lies 22'28' N The flora of Pachnlarhi, has attracted atten- and 78"26'E. It is 51 kilometres from I'ipariya station tion of several botanists in the past anti a number on the Itarsi-Jabalpur Section of the Central Railway of contribytions were made by them : i~nportai~t and is in Sohagpur tehsil of Hoshangabad district, cnes are: Forsyth (1872, 1889, ~g~g),Stewart & hladhya Pradesh. The plateau on which the town Ijrandis (1874, Gamble (1892), Hole (1906), Wirt stands at an elevation of just 1,067 m (3,500 ft) is (1916), Graham (1914-15),Haincs (1g16),Mukherjec 60 sq. kilometres in area, surrounded I)y prominent (1923) and Pandey & Srivastavri (1952). Rao and Narayanaswamy (1960) l~ublisheda list of 308 spc- peaks like Mahadev (1,328 111 or 4.358 ft) on the south, Chauradeo (1,312 m or 4,303 ft) on the south- cics from Parh~narhiand adjacent regions (Chhind- east and Uhupgarh (1,350 m or 4,429 ft) on the wara, Khandwa, Pipariya, Asirgarh, Retul and south-west. Dhupgarli is the highest hill top of Itarsi). Then, Kapoor e( Yadav (1062) reported gz the central India. additionil species to thc area. Out of the total area of 60 sq. kilometres covered In the present paper 304 ad<titional species of I)y the plateau practically five-sixth is dominated fiowering plants and ferns (angiosperms 300 anrl by forest. According to Champion (1961) the ferns 4) have been recorded froln l'achmarhi for the forests are classified as Central Indian Sub-tropical first the. Sixteen species out of this, are new records Evergreen Forests of the Souther11 Sub-tropical Wct for Madhya Pradesh (marked I)y single asterisk) and Hill Forests. t\+rcl\fcfor Celltral India (marked Ily doul)lc as- The flora l~ac~lll~al-]~iconsists of a Mixture of tcriskj. Thcsc new records arc claimed on the temperate and tropical elements. The region is re- Iusis of the pu1)lications of Galnl~le(1892), Graham markal~leas forlning a lneeting ground for sl~ccies (IS)I+IS)I~),Hole (1906). Kapoor & Yadnv (1962), characteristic to the Himalaya ant1 the south Indian l'anigrahi ct 01. (1965 a, I 965 1). 1966 a, I 966 1). 1967). r,t Hills ; for example Rrrblcs ~,lliplicrrs,Berhcris (!.sill- I atel (11. (19621, Ra~nlill& l'anigrahi (1967). Rao tica, Thcllictrunz foliolosunz, Ccrop~giri nz~cr(~ntll~.& Narayanaswamy (1960), Sel)as~i~~c& Balakrishnan Letrcus lrintltrr, Malrixis nzuckirzl~onii,Elrlopl~ici spp.. ( 1963)~Shukla & Panigr;ihi (1967). Tiwari (1954, Lindernia llookeri var. kr~~~crl~~ze~l~i~,~h~ti~.Ilo~t~17-" 1955. 1963. 1964)~Tiwnri Sr Maheshwari (1963, 1964. rctrrso, Liuclcrni(i hirsute,, Erioc(lrrloll .rc~rtr?rtllr7?zlll~r rg6i) and Witt (1916). Six s~,ecics. of tvhicll prc- ctc. arc species to EIimalay;~~~Rcgiorl ~ousrecord was found to I)c I)nsccl on wrong itlen- and C~rrcun~apsrzld~nzovl~l~~(~, Spjl~~cio ~)onl!~fl)~(')l~i~. tifications, have Ixcn c~cludctlfrom the flora. n;ln~cly S~rlecio~ightii, Slnitllin pycnclfll\rrr, litricrrlari[l gut!- --Finzbristv1i.s podocurpn Nces & hlevcn. rlrtllrtr~orr nlinifoliu, Strobilccllllles cumpu,~ulatu~,Rostellcrk(lri(r serrulatrrs Iiochst., Arir~zdirrellcr rlehale,isis Trin., 80 BULLETIN OH THE BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA [Vole 13 Eragrostis nzrtans (Retz.) Nees ex Steud., Sporobolus Thespesia lamps (Cav.) Dalz. clongatus R. Br. and Trtpogon pat@erculus Stapf. Occasional in wast:: lands, also in foresis. F1. Oct. The area of the present study covers Pachmarhi Saxena 336 (SFRI). proper and the adjoining hills. Itinerary of the STERCULIACEAE collections being Mahadev on the south Chaura- Sterclrlizt wens Roxb. garh (or Chauradeo) on the south-east, Dhupgarh Rare in forests: Apsara Bihar, towards Kanji- on the south-west, Jambudeep on the north and ghat etc. F1. Aug. Saxena & Pandey 83368. (LWG). 3 kilometres towards Kanjighat ot~the north-east. Loc. nanze: Kullu. The present paper is the result of six years study both in the field and herbarium. The specimens TILIACEAE collected are preserved in the herbaria of the State Corrhorus aestuans Linn. @on Forsk.). Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur (SFRI) and C. ncutangulus Lam. National Botanic Gardens, Lucknow (LWG). Be- Weed in waste places. Saxena s.n (SFRI). sides, collections from Pachmarhi by previous bota- Grewia rothii DC; nists present in the herbaria of National Botanic Frequent in forests: Gahra Nala. F1. Aug.-Oct. Gardens, Lucknow ; Botanical Survey of India, Saxena 1072 (SFRI); Saxena & Khotele 8250 Central Circle, Allahabad (BSA) and Forest Re- (SFRI) ; Saxena & Pandey 83517 (LWG). search Institute, Dehra Dun (IID), were also LOC.name : Gangerua. examined. Tridetta amua Linn. Common in wastelands, along waysides. F1. ENUMERATION Sept. Saxena 503 (SFRI). PAPAVERACEAE T. ptandra A. Rich. Argemoae mexicam Linn. T neglecta W.& A. Occasional in waste places, along roadsides etc. Common in waste places: Down EalI. F1. Sept. Apsara Bihar, Down ~afi,Jatashankar, Rajat Prapat. Saxena 1091 (SFRI). F1. Sept. Saxena 61 16 (SFRI). LINACEAE VIOLACEAE Viola patriiii DC. ex Gring. Lirm naysoreme Heyne Hare in damp shady valley: Down Fall. FJ. Oct. Occasional in open flat grounds : Pachrnarhi, Saxena & Khotele 8168 (SFRI). Jambudeep. F1. ~eit.-~ct.Saxenn & Khotele 8132 (SFRI) ; Saxena 59 I, 7966 (SFRI) ; Hiralal 330 1j FLAGOURTI ACEAE Cochlospermum religiosuam (Linn.) Alston (LWG). C. gossypium DC. Reinwardtia indica Dumort. Rare in forests towards Karanjia. Saxena & Panrley Rare in forests : Towards an jig hat. 83510 (LWG). BALSAMINACEAE Loc. name: Bharga, Gugul. Impatiens kleinii W. & A. POLYGALACEAE Common in forests, solnetimes gregarious : Maha- l'dygala chinemis Linn. dev Hill, Handikhoh. F1. Aug. Blraradwaj Acc. No. : Rare in forests Jatashankar, Jambudeep. F1. I r 1670 (DD); Saxena & Pandey 81341, 81366. Aug. Saxena & Pandey 83525 (LWG). (LWG). P. pemicariaefolii DC. Occasional along waysides. Fl. Sept.-Oct. Suxena OXALIDACEAE 997, 8 155 (SFRI). "Biophytllun apodiscias Turcz. MALVACEAE Small herb with pink flowers. Peduncle short. Hibiscus sabdariff a Linn. Pedicel 2-4 mm. Sepals slightly exceeding the cap- Occasional in waste places. F1. Oct. Saxena & sule. Leaflets 3-7 pairs. Seeds round, 0.4-0.5 mm in Khotele 7858 (SFRI). diameter with scattered tubercles. .Rare in sheltered- Sida veronicaefolla Lamk. places: on way to Beefall. F1. Sept. Saxena 1060. Common in waste places, a!ong way sides in (SFRI). forests : Tamhudeep. F1. Sept.-Oct. Saxenn 396, 513. B. reinwardtii (Zucc.) Klotz. 5'5 (SFRI). Down Fall. F1. Aug. Saxena 1086 (SFRI). 19711 SAXENA: A CONTRIB~TIONTO THE FLORA OF ~'ACHMAHHI, h.1.p. Biophytum sensitivum (Linn.) DC. SAPINDACEAE Common along waysides. Fi. Sept. Saxena 368, Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken 517 (SFRI). Occasional in valleys : Apsara Bihar. Oxali~latifolia H.B.K. Loc. name: Kusum. Jatashankar. F1. Sept. Hiralal 33092 (LWG). ANACARDIACEAE Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr, BURSERACEAE L. grandis (Dennst.) Engl. Bcr;swellia errata Roxb. Occasional in forests. Rare in mixed forest : towards Kanjighat. Loc. name: Gunja. Loc. name: Gurar. Mmgifera indica Linn. Gmppinnata Roxb. Commonly planted and also found in valleys in Occasional around Pachmarhi : Mahadev. Er. apparently wild state. Aug. Saxena & Pandey 83325 (LWG). Semvw anacardium Linn. f. Loc. name: Kekar. Rare in forests, mainly sal forests: Apsara Bihar, MELIACEAE Pachmarhi-Pipariya Road, Gahra Nala .etc. Saxenu Melia medarach Linn. & Pandey 83527 (LWG). Planted in compounds and gardens. F1. Oct. Loc. name: Bhelwa. Saxena & Khotele 8 198 (SFRI). PAPILIONACEAE Loc. name: Bakain. Abrw precatolliup Linn. Soymidia febrifuga A. Juss. Seen at Kuakhad. Seeds bright scarlet or white Rare in forests towards Kanjighat. with one end black. Loc. name: Rohini. Loc. name: Gugchi. Tooma ciliata Roem. Bdea ma-ma (Lam.) Taub. Cedrela toona Roxb. ex Rottl. Rare: seen at Apsara FalI. Planted in avenues. Pachmarhi-Pipariya Road. B. mperba Roxb. Loc. name: Tun. Rare : seen towards Kanjighat. *'Crobrelaria nana Burm. f. RHAMNACEAE C. umbellata Wight ex W.& A. ziphus oeno3lia Mill. Rare in forests. F1. Sepf.-Oct. Saxena s.n. (SFRI). Rare in forests : ~achmarhi-Kanjighat, Rajat C. wricea Retz. Prapat. FI. Oct. Saxena 7901 (SFRI); Saxena & Apsara . Fall. F1. Oct. Saxena 6. Khotele 7856 Pandey 8328 (LWG). (SFRI). Loc. name: Makoi. Dalbergia paniulata Roxb. VITACEAE Occasional in forests: Fr. Aug. Saxena & Pandey Ampelocimus ~atifolia(Roxb.) Planch. 81335 (LWG). Vitis latifolia Roxb. Loc. nurne: Phansi. Occasional in forests.