Table 2
: Some taxa of Western Ghats having high diversity in them
Taxa
Number of genera & species (Approximate)
Poaceae
120 genera; 430 species
Leguminosae
85 genera; 350 species
Orchidaceae
60 genera; 285 species
Acanthaceae
45 genera; 125 species
Cyperaceae
21 genera;170 species
Euphorbiaceae
55 genera; 150 species
Asteraceae
58 genera; 150 species
Lamiaceae
25 genera; 120 species
Rubiaceae
40 genera; 110 species
Asclepiadaceae
30 genera; 95 sspecies
Table - 3 : Diversity of some taxa of Western ghats vis a vis Indian region
Taxa
No. of species inIndia
Species in Western Ghats
Ceropegia
44
35 (26 endemics)
Arisaema
42
13
Commelinaceae
81
45( 17 endemics)
Impatiens
223 ( incl. 23 vars.)
88 (most are endemics)
Orchids
1000
250
Palms
--
21
Andropogoneae
329
250
Isaachne
29
20
Asclepiadaceae
280
90
Vernonieae
--
45
Pittosporum
11
7
Piper
--
15
Cinnamomum
--
15
Litsea
--
16
Calophyllum
--
5
Garcinia
--
12
Myristica
--
4
Dioscorea
--
21 species;27 varieties
Diversity in wild relatives of crop plants/economically important species:
Western Ghats is a major genetic estate of wild relatives of crop plants with an enormous
biodiversity of ancient lineage. The region is a store house of wild relatives of cereals and millets
(Panicum psilopodium, Oryza coaractata, Pennisetum glaucum, Chionachne koenigii, C. semiteres, Coix
gigantea and Trilobachne cookie); legumes (Atylosia albicans, A. goenisis, A. trinervia, A. elongata , A.
platycarpa, A. graniflora, A. mollis, A. nivea , A. scarabaeoides, A. sericea, A. villosa (all wild relatives
of cultivated Cajanus), Canavalia virosa, C. maritime, Macrotyloma uniflorum, Sphenostylis bracteata,
Mucuna pruriens, Vigna sublobata, V. vexillata, V. pilosa, V. umbellata, V. dalzelliana, and V.
khandalensis; Tropical and subtropical fruits (Artocarpus heterophyllus, A.lacucha, Garcinia indica,
Diospyros spp., Ensete superbum, Mangifera indica, Mimosops elengii, Spondias pinnata, Ziziphus
oenoplea, Z. rugosa, Rubus ellepticus, R. niveus, R. alceifolius ; Vegetables (Abelmoschus angulosus, A.
moschatus , A. manihot, A. ficulneus, Amorphophalus paeonifolius, Cucumis setosus, Luffa graveolens,
Momordica cochinchinensis, M. subangulata, Solanum indicum, Trichosanthes anamalaiensis, T.
bracteata, T. cuspidata, T. perrottetiana and T. villosula; Oil seeds (Sesamum laaciniatum, S.
prostratum ); Spices and Condiments (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Myrstica dactyloides M. malabarica,
Piper nigrum, P. schmidtii, P. longum, Zingiber purpureum, Z. officinale, Z. zerumbet, Costus speciosus
and Elettaria caradomum . In addition wild relatives of Coffee and sugarcane are also well represented.
The medicinal plant diversity in Western Ghats is also of a very high order. The region is known as the
‘Emporium of medicinal Plants. ’ Due to varied physiographic and physiognomic factors, medicinal plant
diversity is very high both in terms of species diversity as well as infra specific diversity. Roughly, 1500
species of medicinal plants from out of the total of 5000 species of Western ghats are reported
(Yoganarasimhan, 1996, 2000). A few important ones in this category are listed (Table- 4 ) The floristic
diversity of wild aromatic plants in Western Ghats is also incompletely known. While medicinal plants
have received some attention, other groups such as the essential oil yielding plants of the region are
least studied. There are more than 200 such aromatic species in different ecosystems of Western Ghats
and are predominantly spread among Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Rutaceae, Zingiberaceae, Lauraceae,
Oleaceae and Poaceae (table–5 & 6). While species diversity is assessed to some extent, infra specific
diversity in these aromatic species is least known. Nevertheless, many species like Hyptis sauveolens,
Blumea lacera,
B.
hieracifolia,
B.
membranacea,
Cymbopogon flexuosus, Ocimum basilicum,
Plectranthus mollis exhibit remarkable morphological variations in the region. Western Ghats with a
wide variety of ecological habitats certainly provides for numerous ecotypes / chemotypes in some of
Table 5: Diversity of aromatic species in Western Ghats
Family
Genus
Species
Rutaceae
10
18
Asteraceae
7
10
Zingiberaceae
6
12
Lauraceae
2
5
Lamiaceae
17
47
Myrtaceae
1
3
Oleaceae
1
9
Geraniaceae
2
2
Verbenaceae
1
1
Lamiaceae
1
2
Ericaceae
1
1
Flindersiaceae
1
1
Chenopodiaceae
1
1
Burseraceae
2
2
Euphorbiaceae
1
1
Apiaceae
1
1
Poaceae
1
3
Total
56
120
Table 6: Diversity of Wild Aromatic species of Western Ghats
S.No. Name of the species
Family
1
Acalypha fruticosa
Euphorbiaceae
2
Acronychia pedunculata
Rutaceae
3
Alpinia calcarata *
Zingiberaceae
4
Alpinia malaccensis *
Zingiberaceae
5
Amomum masticatorium *
Zingiberaceae
6
Anisochilus carnosus
Lamiaceae
7
Anisochilus paniculatus *
Lamiaceae
8
Anisochilus robustus *
Lamiaceae
9
Anisomeles heyneana *
Lamiaceae
10
Anisomeles indica *
Lamiaceae
11
Anisomeles malabarica *
Lamiaceae
12
Artemisia nilagirica var. nilagirica
*
Asteraceae
13
Atalantia monophylla
Rutaceae
14
Atalantia racemosa
Rutaceae
15
Becium filamentosum
Lamiaceae
16
Blumea lacera *
Asteraceae
17
Blumea lanceolaria *
Asteraceae
18
Blumea mollis *
Asteraceae
19
Boswellia serrata*
Burseraceae
20
Calamintha umbrosa
*
Lamiaceae
21
Centratherum punctatum*
Asteraceae
22
Chenopodium ambrosioides *
Chenopodiaceae
23
Chloroxylon swietenia *
Flindersiaceae
24
Cinnamomum gracile
Lauraceae
26
Cinnamomum sulphuratum *
Lauraceae
27
Cinnamomum verum
Lauraceae
28
Clausena dentata *
Rutaceae
29
Clausena heptaphylla
Rutaceae
30
Clausena willdenovii*
Rutaceae
31
Commiphora caudata*
Burseraceae
32
Curcuma aeruginosa*
Zingiberaceae
33
Curcuma aromatica *
Zingiberaceae
34
Curcuma neilgherrensis*
Zingiberaceae
35
Cymbopogon coloratus*
Poaceae
36
Cymbopogon flexuosus*
Poaceae
37
Cymbopogon martinii*
Poaceae
38
Endostemon viscosus*
Lamiaceae
39
Eryngium foetidum*
Apiaceae
40
Gaultheria fragrantissima
Ericaceae
41
Geranium nepalense
Geraniaceae
42
Globba ophioglossa
Zingiberaceae
43
Glycosmis pentaphylla*
Rutaceae
44
Gomphostemma eriocarpon *
Lamiaceae
45
Hedychium coronarium *
Zingiberaceae
46
Hedychium flavescens *
Zingiberaceae
47
Hyptis suaveolens *
Lamiaceae
48
Isodon coetsa
Lamiaceae
49
Isodon wightii
Lamiaceae
50
Janakia arayalpathra
Asclepiadaceae
51
Jasminum auriculatum *
Oleaceae
52
Jasminum azoricum var.
travancorense *
Oleaceae
53
Jasminum cordifolium
Oleaceae
54
Jasminum malabaricum*
Oleaceae
55
Jasminum rigidum
Oleaceae
56
Jasminum ritchiei
Oleaceae
57
Jasminum sambac
Oleaceae
58
Jasminum scandens
Oleaceae
59
Jasminum sessiliflorum
Oleaceae
60
Kaempferia galanga *
Zingiberaceae
61
Kaempferia rotunda *
Zingiberaceae
62
Laggera crispata *
Asteraceae
63
Lavandula gibsoni
Labiataea
64
Lavandula bipinnata
Labiataea
65
Cyathocline purpurea
Asteraceae
66
Pimpinella adscendens
Asteraceae
67
Leonotis nepetiifolia*
Lamiaceae
68
Leucas ciliata*
Lamiaceae
69
Leucas lavandulifolia *
Lamiaceae
70
Leucas marrubioides
Lamiaceae
71
Leucas stelligera *
Lamiaceae
72
Leucas vestita var. vestita *
Lamiaceae
73
Limonia acidissima *
Rutaceae
74
Limonia crenulata
Rutaceae
75
Mentha arvensis*
Lamiaceae
76
Mentha spicata *
Lamiaceae
77
Murraya indica *
Rutaceae
78
Murraya koenigii *
Rutaceae
79
Murraya paniculata *
Rutaceae
80
Neolitsia zeylanica
Lauraceae
81
Ocimum americanum
Lamiaceae
82
Ocimum basilicum *
Lamiaceae
83
Ocimum gratissimum*
Lamiaceae
84
Ocimum kilimandscharicum *
Lamiaceae
85
Ocimum tenuiflorum *
Lamiaceae
86
Orthosiphon diffuses *
Lamiaceae
87
Orthosiphon thymiflorus *
Lamiaceae
88
Paramignya monophylla
Rutaceae
89
Pelargonium graveolens
Geraniaceae
90
Plectranthus amboinicus *
Lamiaceae
91
Plectranthus aromaticus
Lamiaceae
92
Plectranthus barbatus *
Lamiaceae
93
Plectranthus coleoides *
Lamiaceae
94
Plectranthus deccanicus
Lamiaceae
95
Plectranthus malabaricus *
Lamiaceae
96
Plectranthus mollis *
Lamiaceae
97
Plectranthus subincisus
Lamiaceae
98
Plectranthus zeylanicus *
Lamiaceae
99
Pleiospermum alatum
Rutaceae
100
Pluchea tomentosa *
Asteraceae
101 Pogostemon benghalensis *
Lamiaceae
102
Pogostemon heyneanus
Lamiaceae
103
Pogostemon mollis
Lamiaceae
104
Pogostemon paniculatus *
Lamiaceae
105
Salvia coccinea *
Lamiaceae
106
Salvia leucantha *
Lamiaceae
107
Salvia plebeia
Lamiaceae
108
Scutellaria violacea *
Lamiaceae
109
Scutellaria wightiana *
Lamiaceae
110
Sphaeranthus indicus
Asteraceae
111
Syzygium aromaticum *
Myrtaceae
112
Syzygium cuminii
Myrtaceae
113
Syzygium lineare
Myrtaceae
114
Thymus vulgaris *
Lamiaceae
115
Toddalia asiatica var. floribunda *
Rutaceae
116
Toddalis asiatica var. gracile
Rutaceae
117
Vitex trifolia *
Verbenaceae
118
Zanthoxylum ovalifolium *
Rutaceae
119
Zanthoxylum tetraspermum
Rutaceae
120
Zingiber zerumbet *
Zingiberaceae
these wild aromatic species. Species-specific surveys followed by interdisciplinary investigations by
Taxonomists, Molecular biologists, Geneticists, Phytochemists and Ecologists must be undertaken to
assess the extent of total diversity and also the ‘elite’ populations in the wild aromatic plants.
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