NATIONAL PLANT CONSERVATION PROGRAMME
 

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West Zone
 
Institution  BOTANICAL SURVEY OF INDIA, WESTERN CIRCLE, 7, KOREGAON ROAD, PUNE -
 411 001,   MAHARASHTRA
Project Title  Conservation Of Legume Germplasm from western 
 ghats of Maharashtra with special emphasis on rare  
 and threatened species.

Duration

Total Grant
(INR in Lakhs)
Project Leader(s)  Dr. P.S.N. Rao / Dr. V.P. Prasad

2 year

3.75
Summary of Aims/ Objectives of the Project
Legumes play a vital role in human life as a source of plant protein and their conservation is utmost important to ensure our food and nutritional security. The proposed project aims at 1. Collection, introduction, propagation and ex situ conservation of 38 rare and threatened species of legumes of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra at the experimental garden, Botanical Survey of India, Western Circle, Pune. 2. Maintenance of seed bank of endemic and threatened legumes of Maharashtra.
 
The target species are:
Alysicarpus pubescens var. vasavadae, A. salim-ali, A. tetragonolobus var. pashanensis, Cajanus lineatus, C. sericea, Clitoria biflora, Crotalaria fillipes var. trichophora, C. leptostachya, C. lutescens, C. notonii, C. tecta, Dalbergia heyneana, Flemingia gracilis, F. nilgheriensis, F. praecox var. robusta, F. rollae,F. tuberosa, Geissapsis tenella, Indigofera dalzellii, I. santapaui, I. trita var. purandharensis, Nogra dalzellii, Pterocarpus marsupium var. acuminata, Sesbania procumbens, Smithia agharkarii, S. gracilis, S. hirsuta, S. purpurea,S. pycnantha,S. salsuginea, S. setulosa, Sphenostylis bracteatus, Tephrosia canarensis, Vigna khandalensis, Cassia kolabensis, Moullava spicata.
 
Distribution data of endemic and threatened legumes of Maharashtra are readily available with BSI and based on this data collection of species will be done. `Hot spot' areas within Maharashtra like Bhimashankar, Lonavla, Khandala, Mahabaleshwar and Koyna will be surveyed thoroughly. Same species will be collected from different ecological and topographical gradients in their geographical range.
 
Wild relatives of cultivated legumes also will be collected and introduced in the garden. A seed bank of endemic and threatened legumes also will be maintained by BSI, Western Circle. Already there is a small carpological collection in BSI. However, for expertise in seed bank NBPGR will be consulted.
Expected Outcome
  • 1st Year : Collection, introduction and multiplication of 18 endemic legumes.
    1st Quarter  2nd Quarter  3rd Quarter  4th Quarter
     
  • 2nd Year : Collection, introduction and multiplication of 20 rare, threatened and wild relatives of cultivated legumes.
    1st Quarter  2nd Quarter  3rd Quarter  4th Quarter
Gujarat
Institution  MSU- BOTANICAL GARDEN, DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, THE
 M.S. UNIVERSITY OF BARODA, VADODARA - 390 002, GUJARAT
Project Title  Programme on Conservation of Endangered, Rare
 and Endemic Plants of Gujarat.

Duration

Total Grant
(INR in Lakhs)
Project
Leader(s)		  Professor Yogesh T. Jasrai

1 year

1.9998
Summary of Aims/ Objectives of the Project

In recent times biodiversity in Gujarat has faced tremendous anthropogenic pressures compounded by increasingly unsustainable use. These have led to severe degradation or even loss of habitats and bio-resources. As a result of these combined adverse effects, many rare and endemic species are threatened for their survival. Baroda too has witnessed the disappearance of several species. It is therefore, imperative to check this disappearance of plant species both from forests and urban fringes by adopting proper conservation measures so that the erosion of diversity can be checked and such forms are readily available as and when required by the academic, scientific and local community. It is therefore, proposed to undertake a programme for conservation of selected endangered, rare and endemic plants of Gujarat.

The objective is two fold – one: to collect endangered, rare and endemic plants of Gujarat (Table-1) and its maintenance including multiplication for conservation in the MSU-Botanical Garden, besides enhancing the ex situ collection of RET species of Gujarat (Table 2) and two: to generate awareness among the masses about the loss of plant diversity due to various reasons and its solutions.
 
Table-1: Target species for MSU-BG Programme on Ex situ Conservation and reintroduction of Endangered, Rare and Endemic Plants of Gujarat.
 
Sr.No.

Botanical Name

Vernacular Name

Family

1.

 Helichrysum cutchicum (Clarke) Rao
 et. Deshpande

 

 Asteraceae
2.

 Dillenia pantagyna Roxb.

 Karmal

 Dilleniaceae

3.

 Tribulus rajasthanensis Bhandari et
 Sharma

 

 Zygophyllaceae
4.  Careya arborea Roxb.

 Kumbhi

 Lecythidaceae
5.  Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent.

 Tatu

 Bignoniaceae
6.  Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.

 Kali Musli

 Hypoxidaceae
 
Table-2: Endangered, Rare and Endemic plants of Gujarat
 
  1. Sarcostemma acidium (Roxb.) Voigt – Asclepiadaceae
  2. Capparis cartilligenea Deene – Capparidaceae
  3. Polycarpaea spicata Wt. & Arn. – Caryophyllaceae
  4. Helichrysum cutchicum (Clarke) Rao et. Deshpande – Asteraceae
  5. Ipomoea kotschyana Hochst. ex Choisy – Convolvulaceae
  6. Campylanthus ramosissimus Wight – Scrophulariaceae
  7. Hyphaene indica Beccari – Arecaceae
  8. Commiphora wightii (Arnott.) Bhandari – Burseraceae
  9. Tecomella undulate (Sw.) Seem – Bignoniaceae
  10. Dillenia pantagyna Roxb. – Dilleniaceae
  11. Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alst. – Cochlospermaceae
  12. Senra incana Cav. – Malvaceae
  13. Firmiana colorata (Roxb.) R.Br. – Sterculiaceae
  14. Tribulus rajasthanensis Bhandari et Sharma – Zygophyllaceae
  15. Zygophyllum simplex L. – Zygophyllaceae
  16. Melia dubia Cav. Meliaceae
  17. Buchanania lanzan Spreng. – Anacardiaceae
  18. Phanera integrifolia (Roxb.) Bth. – Caesalpiniaceae
  19. Careya arborea Roxb. – Lecythidaceae
  20. Convolvulus stocksii Boiss. – Convolvulaceae
  21. Solanum incanum Linn. – Solanaceae
  22. Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent.- Bignoniaceae
  23. Radermachera xylocarpa (Roxb.) K. Schum – Bignoniaceae
  24. Dendrobium microbulbon A. Rich – Orchidaceae
  25. Gloriosa superba Linn. - Lilliaceae
Expected Outcome
  • Strategies for conservation (ex situ):
    1. Introduction of the collected plants into the Botanical Garden.
    2. Autecological studies for standardization of set-up and conditions to achieve optimum growth of the collected species.
    3. Maintenance and multiplication (through seeds/cutting) of such plants for subsequent work.
    4. Reintroduction of such plants (at least 50 each of the target species) into their natural habitats and management strategies for their establishment (in situ) in collaboration with forest Department, Government of Gujarat.
    5. Enhancement of conservation collections of RET species of Gujarat available at MSU BG.
  • Community awareness for conservation:Simultaneously, awareness programme will be undertaken as invited lectures, training, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, displays, newsletter, campaigns etc. for the masses on the selected themes for importance, problems and need for conservation of endangered, rare and endemic plants of Gujarat. It is proposed that at least 3 events will be undertaken in the initial year of the programme undertaken.
 

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