Progress & advancement in Angiosperm Taxonomy in India

Progress & advancement in Angiosperm Taxonomy in India

Taxonomy is probably the oldest science which has its bases as principles, rules and procedures. The main aim is to arrange plants in such a way to provide necessary systematic information. It is very important to note that the plant’s name is the key of its literature and grouping is for sake of convenience and communication of ideas with other branches of biology.

•The history of plant taxonomy in India can be divided into four phases-

1. The period up to publication of Flora of British India (FBI) by J.D. Hooke

2. The period of regional Floras

3. A brief sluggish phase during intensive Indian independence struggle

4. The reemergence phase from reorganization of Botanical Survey of India in 1950’s till date.

During the last identical phase, several developments have taken place in the field of science at global level that influence plant taxonomy.

This period has seen biosystematic studies, chromosome counts, chemotaxonomical study, publication of several important classification and monographs, interest in long term research Floras rise and fall of numerical taxonomy, strong advocacy for cladistics, intense growth of molecular systematic, databasing of existing data and computer tools for compiling description and generating keys.

However, the perusal of papers published in journals will tell us that we are still actively engaged in the publication of new species, new records, occasional nomencltural notes, checklist and ethnobotany.

Rivisionary or monograph work are rarely seen.

The publications relied mostly on morphological characters than other evidences.

At floristic front the Flora of India by BSI is a good beginning.

Publications using molecular data and cladistics are very rare.

Most of the universities and institutes of higher learning have ceased teaching plant taxonomy and wherever it is being taught there is a wide gap between theory and practicals.

The taxonomic data formed the basis for Red Lists, conservation programmes and identification of biodiversity hotspots.

In India this phase has seen the reorganization of BSI, extensive collection of of specimens and enrichment of herbaria, establishment of new herbaria and publication of

a)several new species,

b) new distributional records,

c) Floras at district and state level and also for some Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks,

d) list of endemic species,

e) Red Data Book on Indian Plants and

f) revisionary work on few families/genera.

The term taxonomy was first introduced by A.P. de Candolle in 1813 to the plant science. Traditionally the taxonomic study was based on gross morphological features of a plant. In present scientific study this knowledge is used by the branches like anatomy, genetics, cytology, chemistry, reproductive biology, ecology, physiology, molecular biology, etc. Now the taxonomic study became very dynamic and synthetic science and is the basic to all other sciences. Taxonomy is an ever changing field of biology and is a complex mixture of biology, philosophy, and mathematics. In recent study the interdisciplinary aspects of taxonomy deals with other branches of science as medicine, pharmacology, agriculture, horticulture, etc. In spite of this important interdisciplinary study taxonomy is still a neglected branch of biological science in India. The role of taxonomists has been misunderstood and even in the proper execution of taxonomic study. This current scenario is due to lack of adequate trained taxonomists, failure in revival of interest in the subject in the present generation.  At present the appropriate authentic taxonomic literature and research work needs to be progress through the course of advance development in botanical research. At college and university level the approach regarding taxonomic study is still remain from traditional point of view.

Therefore the reformation of syllabus is a need of time which incorporate the new challenges of taxonomy and systematic study of plant taxonomy. The modern methods and recent developed aspect and techniques should be acquired. Classification of plants is generally to achieve successive phases as pioneer phase, consolidation phase, experimental phase and encyclopedic phase. India is in between second and third phase of taxonomic development.

However in recent years it is found that the taxonomic research and development in accurate phylogenies as:

•The biological diversity is so vast that at present its very difficult to know the exactly how many species of plants exist in the world. The estimates is in the range of 5-15 million (According to May, 1992).

•Systematics play very important role in this regard.

•Taxonomic research leading to medicinally important groups, economically important plants gives attention towards the progress of development.

•Preservation of plant samples from entire world’s flora provides valuable insight into the ranges of taxa that have evolved in out planet. Therefore the concept of Parataxonomists arises where no previous higher education in biology or taxonomy is required, but basic training related to collection, preservation, identification provides adequate information.

Contribution towards the progress and advancement:

Contribution of BSI:

The Botanical Survey of India is a government organization which is functional in exploration of plants and their resources for the country from various bio-geographic areas if India. It provides accurate and detailed information regarding the occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in India for the benefit of science and the people working in universities and other academic institutions. It collects, identifies and distributes plant material that may be of service in education and research.

The BSI was established in 1890 and recognized in 1954 by keeping some objectives like- 1.To explore the vegetable resources of the Indian Empire, 2. To co-ordinate the botanical work of others in different parts of India. (For this the country was divided into 4 botanical regions as East (Calcutta), West (Bombay & Poona), North (Saharanpur) and South (Madras).

In this regards the vegetation survey was undertaken in various such places. At that time Headquarter was in Calcutta with four regional circles based on Phyto-geographiccal affinities as Eastern (Shilong), Western (Poona), Northern (Deheradun) and Southern circles (Coimbatore). The National Herbarium has been established in Calcutta to develop Herbarium of Type Specimens, Botanical Museum and plants in living conditions in Botanical Garden.

Central national Herbarium (CNH) was established in Howrah which is one of the oldest and richest herbarium in South-East Asia. About 15,00,000 specimens has been deposited in various parts of the country. It has 2,583 hand coloured illustrations forming in Roxburghs Icones.

At present BSI have 09 regional circles as 1. Northern Circle, Deharadun, 2. Eastern Circle, Shilong, 3. Southern Circle, Coimbatore, 4. Western Circle, Pune, 5. Central Circle, Allaahabad, 6. Arid Zone Circle, Jodhpur, 7. Andaman & Nicobar Circle, Port Blair, 8. Sikkim-Himalayan Circle- Gangtok and 9. Arunachal Field Station, Itanagar.

Major Publications: Flora of India; Series-1: National Flora in form of Fascicles, Series-2: State flora Analysis., Flora of Tamil Nadu, Flora of Himachal Pradesh, Flora of Karnataka, Flora of Maharashtra, Series-3 District Flora, Records of BSI in form of Flora of Khandala, Flora of Purandar Fort.

Journals: Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India (BoBSI).

Current Objectives:

•Exploration, inventorisation and documentation of phytodiversity in general and protected areas, hotspots, fragile ecosystems and sacred groves in particular and publication of National, State and District Floras.

•Monitoring Phytodiversity to evaluate the qualitative changes in species rich and sensitive areas; ex situ conservation of critically threatened taxa in botanical gardens.

•Identification of species with traditional economic uses and preparation of protocols for their conservation and sustainable utilization.

To complete a National database of plant species, herbarium specimens, live specimens, illustrations, relatives of cultivated species and economically important species.

Documentation of Phytodiversity

National Flora: Manuscripts of family Bromiliaceae, Cannaceae, Menyanthaceae, Buddlejaceae, have been completed. Families Urticaceae, Polygonaceae, Orchidaceae, Solanaceae, Ebenaceae, Cactaceae, Podostomaceae, Lauraceae, Acanthaceae, Basellaceae and Aspleniaceae are in different stages of progress. Fifty three species were studied for the National Flora under the families Urticaceae (06 species), Orchidaceae (10 species), Solanaceae (04 species), Smilacaceae (01 species), Ebenaceae (08 species), Cactaceae (10 species), Lauraceae (05 species), Acanthaceae (02 species) and Aspleniaceae (07 species)

Floristics/Flora: Work on Flora of Uttar Pradesh initiated and a checklist of 90 families from Ranunculaceae to Apiaceae containing 260 genera and 820 species was prepared. 321 species have been completed for Flora of Cold Desert Vol. II (Dicot) and Flora of Kerala. Identification keys to 23 tribes, 105 genera, 217 species, seven varieties updating of their nomenclature of the family Poaceae for Flora of Nagaland Vol. IV have been completed. Key to species of 10 genera under Asteraceae of Flora of Jammu & Kashmir Vol. II was completed.

Species reference cards were prepared for 55 and 28 genera of families Poaceae and Asteraceae respectively for Flora of Uttaranchal. 300 species have been finalized for Flora of Karnataka and manuscripts prepared for families Asteraceae (25 species), Lauraceae (25 species), Fabaceae (60 species) and Cesalpinaceae (40 species). 29 species belonging to families Saxifragaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Marantaceae, Convolvulaceae and Zingiberaceae were completed. Manuscripts of Acanthaceae was finalized for Flora of West Bengal.

District Flora: One hundred and ninety species have been completed under Flora of Pune district.

Wetlands : In connection with studies on ecology and floristic diversity of eight different wetlands of the state of Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal, 159 species including macrophytes and phytoplankton were identified. Works on angiospermic flora of Adisoi, Ashidab & Barbila Wetlands of West Bengal were completed and submitted.

Protected Areas: Botanical Survey of India is surveying 21 protected areas in the states of Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands which include 13 Wildlife Sanctuaries, Six National Parks, one Biosphere Reserve and one Reserve Forest. The flora of Bandhavgad National Park was completed. The Survey has given special emphasis on lower groups of plants. Northern Circle, Deharadun & Central Circle, Allahabad were declared as centres for Bryophytes and Lichens respectively.

Conservation

Germplasm of 65 species of rare, endangered, wild relatives of ornamentals, medicinally important plants has been conserved, multiplied and maintained in different gardens of Botanical Survey of India. 180 species of orchids have been maintained in Experimental Garden and National Orchidarium, Yercaud. Another 304 species collected for ex-situ conservation and maintained. Out of these, 18 species of rare/threatened, 74 medicinally or economic important species and 85 ornamental plant species are introduced.