ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India
Printed Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024
Subject Related
What are the plants possibly / presumed Extinct ?
What are the plants indicator for Pollution ?
What are the plants indicators for Mineral ?
Is there any plant indicator for Ground water ?
What are the plants indicator for Humus ?
What are the plants indicator for Soil type?
Number of plant species belonging to major group expected to occur in India / World ?
Number of wild species in different Crop Group ?
What are the eight centres of origin of Cultivated Plants ?
What are the twelve mega center of Cultivate Plants?
What are the mega diversity countries of the world and what is the estimated supply of Flowering Plants ?
What are the number of species of major group of plants and micro organism described and estimated ?
Dominant plant families and there proportion to the global diversity ?
Indian hotspot and number of endemic species of higher plants?
What is the estimated endemic species from different group of plants in India ?
1. What are the plants possibly / presumed Extinct ?
The table below showing list of Indian plants possibly/presumed extinct : Source Nayar and Sastry 1987 , 1988 , 1990
| Family |
Species |
Known range of occurrence |
| Acanthaceae |
Neuracanthus neeianus (Wight ex T.Anders)Clarke
Dicliptera abuensis Blatter
|
N. Arcot dist. , Tamil Nadu
Rajasthan
|
| Adiantaceae |
Adiantum soboferum Wall.ex.Hook. |
Assam,Nagaland,S.India,Myanmar and Malaya |
| Apiaceae |
Bunium nothum (Clarke)Mukh.
Carum Villosum Haines
Ligusticum albo-alatum Haines
Pimpinella evoluta (Clarke) Mukh.
P.pulneyensis Gamble
|
Nilgiri hills ;Sri lanka
Sandstone Hills of Ramnagar
Netarhat plateau, samripat,sarguja,Ranchi Dist
Naga Hills, Nagaland
Kodaikanal Sholas
|
| Aquifoliaceae |
Ilex gardnerana Wight |
Nilgiri Hills |
| Asclepiadaceae |
Ceropegia fantastica Sedgw
C.arnottiana Wight
C.lucida Wall
C.maculata Bedd.(=C.parviflora Trimen)
Oianthus deccanensis Talb
|
Sulgeri, N. Kanara dist. Karnataka
Khasi Hills, Meghalaya
Khasi Hills, Meghalaya; Cachar in Assam;Riyang river,Sikkim Tamil Nadu ; Kerala ; Sri Lanka
Chatursringhi hills, Pune, Maharastra
|
| Aspidaceae |
Lastreopsis wattii (Bedd) Tagawa |
Manipur |
| Asteraceae |
Veronia recurva Bedd ex S.Moore |
Annamalai Hills Tamil Nadu |
| Balsaminaceae |
Impatiens anaimudica Fischer
I.johnii E.Barnes
I.macrocarpa
|
Anaimudislope, Idukki district Kerala
Kalar valley,bIdukki district Kerala
Idukki district Kerala
|
| Begoniaceae |
Begonia malabarica Gamble
B.canarana Miq
B.watti Clarke
|
Coorg, Karnataka and Trivancore hills
Western Ghats
Naga hills
|
| Celastraceae |
Salacia malabarica Gamble
Euonymus serratifolius
|
Coorg, Karnataka and Trivancore hills
Annamalai and Nilgiri Hills Tamil Nadu
|
| Cyperaceae |
Carex repanda Clarke
C. christii Boeck
|
Meghalaya
Nilgiri Hills Tamil Nadu
|
| Dennstaedtiaceae |
Dennstaedtia elswesii (Bak.) Bedd. |
Lachen, N. Sikkim; Tibet |
| Isoetaceae |
Isoetes dixitii Shende
Isoetes sampathikumarnii L.N. Rao
|
Maharastra
Karnataka
|
| Lamiaceae |
Plectranthus bishopianus Gamble
Dipeadi concanense (Dalz)
D.rheedii Deb et Dasgupta
Urginea polyphylla Hook.f.
|
Palni hills, Tamil nadu
South India
Western Himalaya
Deccan peninsula
|
| Malvaceae |
Abutilon ranadei Woodr.et Stapf |
Ambaghat, Maharastra |
| Menispermaceae |
Albertisia mecistophylla (Miers)Forman
Cyclea debiliflora Miers
C. wattii Diels
|
Assam; Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Nagaland
|
| Myrtaceae |
Eugenia argenta Bedd.
Eugenia singampattiana Bedd
Syzygium bourdillonii (Gamble)Athakr. et N.C Nayar
S. palghatense gamble
|
Wynad forest, Kerala
Tirunelveli dist Tamil Nadu
South India
Palghat hills, Kerala
|
| Orchchidaceae |
Anoectochilus rotundafolius (Blatt.)Balak.
Aphyllorchilus gollani Duthie
Calanthe whiteana King & Pantl.
Coelogyne treutleri Hook. f.
Paphiopedilum wardii Summerh
Pleione lagenaria Lindl
Vanda wightii Reichb.f
Zeuxine pulchra king et Pantl.
|
Madura District., Tamil Nadu
Tehri Garhwal, U.P.
Sikkim
Sikkim
Arunachal Pradesh
Meghalaya
Nilgiri Hillss, Tamil Nadu
Meghalaya
|
| Palmae |
Corypha taliera Roxb. |
India |
| Poaceae |
Deyeuxia simlensis Bor
Eragrostis rottleri Stapf
Eragrostis mauiensis Hitche
Eriochrysis rangacharii Fischer
Hubbardia heptaneuron Bor
|
Simla, Himachal Pradesh
E.Coast of Tranquebar ,S.India
Tamil Nadu
Paikara in Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu
Gorsoppa falls of the Sharavati river Karnataka
|
| Rubiaceae |
Hedyotis hirsutissima Bedd.
Opercularia ocolytantha Diels
Ophiorrhiza barnesii Fischer
O.brunonis Wight et Arn
O.caudata Fischer
O.pykarensis Gamble
O.radicans Gardu
Pavetta oblanceolata Berm
P.wightii Hook.f.
Psychotria tylophora Kurz
Wendlandia angustifolia Wight ex Hook.f.
|
Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu
Karnataka ,Kerala
Trivancore ,kerala
Hills of Kerala,Tamil Nadu Karnataka
Kerala
Nilgiri Hills
Kerala ,Sri Lanka
Kerala
Nilgiri Hills , Coonoor ,Tamil Nadu
Nicobar island
Tamil Nadu
|
| Sapotaceae |
Madhuca bourdillonii (Gamble) H.J. Lam
Madhuca insignis (Radlk) H.J. Lam
|
Quilon dist, Kerala
Mangalore , Karnataka
|
| Sterculiaceae |
Sterculia khasiana Debbarman |
Khasi Hills , Meghalaya |
| Zingiberaceae |
Hedychium marginatum C.B. Clarke |
Nagaland |
2. What are the plants indicator for Pollution ?
Plant are more sensitive to pollution than human and can serve as indicators and resistant species as accumulators which collect large amount of pollutants without being damaged.
Many chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides and fossil fuels release toxic substances into the environment which are absorbed by the plants from air , water and soil. Atmospheric pollutants produced from automobiles, industrial fumes and strong radiations are dangerous to plants. Harmful substances that reach plants through air are CO2 , SO2, NO2, Hydrocarbons , dust and smoke. Plants growing in water are severely affected by toxic chemicals like cynide , chlorine , hypochlorate , phenol , benzyl derivatives and heavy metal compounds present in sewage .
The effects of different kinds of pollution can be determined by the nature of pollutants , their and the period of exposure. Under exposure to high concentration, plants suffer acute injuries with externally visible symptoms such as chlorosis , discolouration , necrosis and death of entire plant. Besides morphological changes ,Chemical , biochemical , such as enzymatic parameter, physiological and fine structural changes also occur in the affected plants.
Mosses, lichens and some fungi are more sensitive to SO2 for long time.
Mercury concentration in Festuca rubera grass may be due to chloroalkali setup and lead (Pb) in leaves is increased due to automobile exhaust.
Polygonum, Rheum, Vicia, Phaseolus and Capsella are important pollution indicators.
The plants which indicate the presence of characteristics minerals in the soil are called metallophytes, for example - Vallozia candida grows in the presence of diamond in soil. Equisetum arvensis, Lonicera confusa, Papaver libonticum, Thuja species indicate the presence of gold mineral in the soil. Eriogonum ovafolium indicates the presence of silver mineral in soil. Stellaria setacea grows in mercury rich soil. Astragalus spp. indicate presence of uranium. Viscaria alpina indicates copper minerals. Viola calaminaria, V.lutea are indicators for zinc presence. Salsola nitrata, Euro ceatoides grow in boron rich soil.Dammara ovata, Dacrydium are indicators for iron mineral. Ilex aquifolium grows in aluminium rich soil.
4. Is there any plant indicator for Ground water
Certain plant communities indicate the depth of ground water e.g., Euphorbia caducifolia . Capparis decidua , Acacia senegal, Anogeissus pendula, Salvadora persica, Panicum turgidum, Tamarix and Ziziphus spp.
Some plats act ac humus indicator. Monotropa ,Neottia and mashrooms indicate thee prence of humas in soil. Strodilanthes and Impatiens indicate the presence of high humus or litter.
Many plants indicate the characteristics of soil. For exmaple, Casuarina equisetifolia , Citrullus colocynthis and Tanicum spp. grow in sandy soil. Imperata cylindrica and Vetivria grow on clayey soil. Cotton prefers to grow in black soil.
7. Number of plant species belonging to major group expected to occur in India / World ?
| Group No. of Species Described so far |
No. species Guness Estimates only
|
| |
India |
World |
India |
World |
| Bacteria |
850 |
8050 |
85000 |
400000 |
| Fungi |
14500 |
70000 |
328570 |
1000000 |
| Algea |
6500 |
40000 |
12500 |
200000 |
| Seed Plants |
17500 |
250000 |
20247 |
300000 |
8. Number of wild species in different Crop Group ?
| Crop groups |
Number of wild species
|
| 1. Cereals and Millets |
51 |
| 2. Legumes |
31 |
| 3. Fruits |
109 |
| 4. Vegetables |
54 |
| 5. Oil seed |
12 |
| 6. Fibre plants |
24 |
| 7. Species and condiments |
27 |
| 8. Medicinal plants |
3000 |
| 9. Others |
26 |
9. What are the eight centres of origin of Cultivated Plants ?
1. Chinese-Japanese Region
2. Hindusthan Region
2a. Indo-Malayan Region
3. Central Asian Region
4. Near Eastern Region
5. Mediterranean Region
6. Abyssinian Region
7. South Mexican and Central American Region
8. South American Region (Peru,Ecuador,Bolivia)
8a. Chile
8b. Brazil and Paraguay
10. What are the twelve mega center of Cultivate Plants?
-
Chinese - Japanese Region
-
Indochinese - Indonesian Region
-
Australian Region
-
Hindusthani Region
-
Central Asian Region
-
Near Eastern Region
-
Mediterranean Region
-
African Region
-
European - Siberian Region
-
South American Region
-
Central Amerian and Mexican Region
-
North American Region.
11. What are the mega diversity countries of the world and what is the estimated supply of Flowering Plants ?
| Sl.No |
Country |
Number of Flowering Plant Species
|
| 1 |
Brazil |
55,000 |
| 2 |
Columbia |
35,000 |
| 3 |
China |
30,000 |
| 4 |
Mexico |
25,000 |
| 5 |
South Africa |
23,000 |
| 6 |
Soviet Union (Former) |
22,000 |
| 7 |
Indonesia |
20,000 |
| 8 |
Venezuela |
20,000 |
| 9 |
United States of America |
18,000 |
| 10 |
Ecuador |
18,000 |
| 11 |
India |
17,500 |
| 12 |
Australia |
15,000 |
12. What are the number of species of major group of plants and micro organism described and estimated ?
|
Plant Groups
|
No. of species described
|
% of India to the World |
Estimated number |
| |
India
|
World
|
|
World |
| Virus
Bacteria
|
850
|
8,050
|
10.6
|
9,00,000
|
| Algae |
6,500 |
40,000 |
16.3 |
3,50,000 |
| Fungi |
14,500 |
72,000 |
20.1 |
10,00,000 |
| Lichens |
2,021 |
13,500 |
15.0 |
20,000 |
| Liverworts |
845 |
7,500 |
11.3 |
9,000 |
| Mosses |
1,980 |
7,000 |
28.3 |
9,000 |
| Pteridophytes |
1,200 |
10,000 |
12.0 |
12,000 |
| Gymnosperms |
48 |
650 |
7.4 |
650 |
| Angiosperms |
17,500 |
2,50,000 |
7.0 |
3,00,000 |
13. Dominant plant families and there proportion to the global diversity ?
|
Family
|
Number of Genera
|
% of India to The World
|
Number of species
|
% of India to The world
|
|
India
|
World
|
India
|
World
|
| Poaceae |
260 |
500 |
52.0 |
1200 |
8000 |
15.0 |
| Fabacea |
191 |
590 |
32.4 |
1152 |
14200 |
8.1 |
| Orchidaceae |
166 |
800-1000 |
20.7 - 16.6 |
1141 |
25 -35000 |
4.6 - 3.3 |
| Asteraceae |
167 |
1100 |
15.2 |
950 |
20000 |
4.75 |
| Rubiaceae |
115 |
450 |
25.6 |
659 |
6500 |
10.14 |
| Cyperaceae |
38 |
70 |
54.3 |
545 |
4000 |
13.6 |
| Euphorbiaceae |
84 |
300 |
28.0 |
528 |
7500 |
7.0 |
| Acanthaceae |
92 |
250 |
36.8 |
510 |
2500 |
20.4 |
| Roseceae |
40 |
100 |
40.0 |
492 |
3000 |
16.4 |
| Lamiaceae |
72 |
200 |
36.0 |
454 |
3200 |
14.2 |
14. Indian hotspot and number of endemic species of higher plants?
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Cape Region (South Africa) |
6000 |
| 2 |
Upland Western Amazonia |
5000 |
| 3 |
Atlantic Coastal Brazil |
5000 |
| 4 |
Madagascar |
4900 |
| 5 |
Philippines |
3700 |
| 6 |
North Borneo |
3500 |
| 7 |
Eastern Himalaya (India) |
3500 |
| 8 |
South West Australia |
2830 |
| 9 |
Western Ecuador |
2500 |
| 10 |
Colombian Choco |
2500 |
| 11 |
Peninsular Malaysia |
2400 |
| 12 |
Californian Floristic Province |
2140 |
| 13 |
Western Ghats (India) |
1600 |
| 14 |
Central Chile |
1450 |
| 15 |
New Caledonia |
1400 |
| 16 |
Eastern Arc Mountains (Tanzania) |
535 |
| 17 |
South -West Sri Lanka |
500 |
| 18 |
South - West Cote d'lvoire |
200 |
15. What is the estimated endemic species from different group of plants in India ?
|
Sl.No.
|
Group of Plants
|
Total No. of species in India (±)
|
No. of endemic species (±)
|
Percentage (±)
|
| 1 |
Marine algea |
624 |
63 |
1 |
| 2 |
Fungi |
14500 |
3500 |
24 |
| 3 |
Lichen |
2000 |
466 |
23 |
| 4 |
Liverwort |
850 |
260 |
30 |
| 5 |
Moss |
2000 |
678 |
34 |
| 6 |
Pteridophyte |
1200 |
193 |
16 |
| 7 |
Gymnosperm |
48 |
7 |
2 |
| 8 |
Angiosperm |
17500 |
6200 |
36 |
Top