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STUDIES ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF PTERIDOPHYTES OF DOON VALLEY AND ADJACENT AREAS, UTTARANCHAL
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
STUDIES ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF PTERIDOPHYTES OF DOON VALLEY AND ADJACENT
AREAS, UTTARANCHAL
SUMMARYOf The
THESIS
SUBMITTED TO
C. S. J. M. UNIVERSITY, KANPURFOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN BOTANY
By
PANKAJ KUMAR
Under the supervision of
Dr. Indra Mani Semwal
DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY,D.B.S. (P.G.) COLLEGE, KANPUR.
1
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
2008ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It was my great fortune to have been associated and to work
under the supervision of Dr. Indra Mani Semwal, Reader, Post Graduate
Department of Botany, D.B.S. College, Kanpur. I take this opportunity to
express my profound and deepest sense of gratitude to his suggestions,
guidance, and encouragement in transforming the effort into success.
I gratefully acknowledge with thanks to Dr. S.K. Mishra, Ex.
Principal and Dr. S.K. Srivastava, Principal, D.B.S. College, Kanpur for
enrolling me as Ph. D. student and allowing me to use their institutional
facilities.
I am extremely grateful to Dr. A.C. Khare Ex Head and Dr.
J.P. Dubey, Head, Department of Botany for their painstaking help and
fruitful discussions in course of my doctoral work. I am thankful for their
ready help at needy situations.
With great respect and gratitude, I thank Dr. J.B. Singh
Reader (Retired), Department of Botany, D.B.S. College Kanpur for his
constant encouragement, indulgement, teaching, suggestions and co-
operations that he had shown throughout the course of this study. Without
his blessing the work would not have been completed.
2
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
I feel immense pleasure in expressing my thanks to Dr. P. B.
Khare, Senior Scientist, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow,
Dr. H.C. Pande Senior Scientist, Botanical Survey of India, Dehradun and
Dr. G.S. Rajwar, Head, Department of Botany, Govt. (P.G.) College,
Rishikesh, Uttaranchal for their untiring guidance, valuable advice,
encouragement and moral support during the entire course of my study. I
shall ever remain obliged to them.
My special thanks are due to Shri H. M. Bhatt, Ayush Bhatt
and Shri Dinesh Semwal with whom I spared most of my enjoyable
moments during my work at Dehradun and Mussoorie.
My heartfelt thanks go to my friends with whom I have shared
everyday, a drama of laughter, struggle, joys, failures and victories
especially Mukesh Kumar, Sandhya, Kanchan, Seema, and Rashmi
Pandey.
I owe a lot to my mother Smt. Gayatri Devi and father Shri
Thakur Prasad who trusted and allowed me to work at Kanpur and
different places of Uttaranchal, which no words can express.
I will remain indebted to my brother Karan Singh for extending
all possible help whenever needed.
In the last, I thank all those whose names do not figure here
but have helped me directly or indirectly during the course of my study and
in shaping of this thesis.
3
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
PANKAJ KUMAR
Research Scholar
Certificate
This is to certify that the present thesis, entitled “STUDIES ON
THE DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF PTERIDOPHYTES OF
DOON VALLEY AND ADJACENT AREAS, UTTARANCHAL” submitted by
Mr. Pankaj Kumar, embodies the findings of his original research work
carried out under my supervision and it fulfills all the conditions prescribed
by C.S.J.M. University, Kanpur for the award of Ph.D. Degree in Botany.
He has attended department of botany more than two hundred days to
complete this investigation.
4
Dr. I. M. SemwalPh.D.
Reader
Department of BotanyD. B. S. (P.G.) College, Kanpur.Phones College – 0512-2651730
Res.- 0512-2631776
Dr. I. M. Semwal( Supervisor)
Date 20 April, 2008
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
INDEX
CHAPTER NO.
CONTENTS PAGE NO.
1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 - 20
2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 21 – 31
3. MATERIALS AND METHOD 32 – 33
4. OBSERVATION 34 – 63
5. DISCUSSION- DISTRIBUTION AN ECOLOGY OF PTERIDOPHYTES
64 – 144
6. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING FERN POPULATION IN THE AREA
145 – 167
7.
8.
9.
OBSERVATION ON THE ACCLIMATIZATION OF FERNS
ETHNOBATANICAL IMPORTANCE OF PTERIDOPHYTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
168 – 175
176 – 180
181 - 216
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
STUDIES ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF PTERIDOPHYTES OF DOON VALLEY AND ADJACENT AREAS,
UTTARANCHAL.
INTRODUCTION:
The pteridophytes are uniquely charming, graceful and probably the
most beautiful of all the non – flowering plants. It is the delicacy of their finely
divided fronds and flowing growth habit that make them so attractive. The group
holds strange fascination that increases as one knows more and more about them.
Yet, they are plants of enormous antiquity and though outdated by the angio
sperms of the modern age, and still in a state of active evolution.
Pteridophytes of today are diminutive relatives of the gaint forest
constituents of the carboniferous period which laid down the rich seams of coal
upon which not only the industrial revolution but the structures of modern society
were to be founded. Many of them were dominating plants forms in those early
days and evolved their often enormous finely divided leaves only to seek for the
widest possible area of greenery to ‘Catch’ the sunlight for photosynthesis.
6
SUMMARY
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
The ferns constitute a major group of the living pteridophytes and
are almost always and everywhere met under favourable conditions of growth. The
dominance of the fern is over since long. Most part of them are now extinct and
displaced by the newly emergent group of plants. But still then they form a good
part of the cross section of any continental flora. Perhaps the antiquity and their
ability to survive through ages are the most fascinating points of the story of their
life.
Ferns are basically vascular plants, also known as vascular
cryptogams. They occupy a position in between the seed bearing and non seed
bearing plants. Ferns are distributed all over the world but majority of them are
restricted to tropical forests and usually prefer diverse range of habitat. The life
cycle of fern consists of two phases i.e. haploid non – vascular gametophyte and
diploid vascular sporophyte, both phases are autotrophic morphologically very
distinct and physiologically independent to each other. The sporophyte phase is
dominant phase. It exhibits a great variation in form, size and structure. Nearly all
the living ferns are herbaceous except a few woody tree fern. Stem bear
microphyllous or megaphyllous leaves, spores are produced in special structures
called the sporangia that are invariably subtended by leaf like appendage called the
sporophylls.
The two very complex entities of nature, the organism and the
environment are inter dependent, mutually reactive and inter related. The genetic
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
make up along with the extrinsic conditions control the distribution of organisms.
The gross environment of the pteridophytes is much the same as that for other
vascular plants growing in the same localities but not the microenvironment
because the majority of pteridophytes are adopted to modify environment such as
the vicinity of water falls, forest floor and streams where they get sufficient shade,
light and moisture.
The continuous trespassing by human, limit the luxuriant growth of
ferns in the area, Garhwal hills are facing multiferous ecological disturbance. The
unplanned and excessive exploitation of nature is causing an accelerated
environmental decay. The damage to the ecological balance is mostly man made
or is caused by human negligence. This is evident from the loss of forest cover and
frequent landslides at hills and floods in the plains. Many of the erstwhile
abundant species have been rare and several of them are on their way to extinction.
All this calls for a sound policy of management and conservation.
The mountains of Indian Himalayas are very rich in the fern flora.
Variety of vascular cryptogams occur in the Himalayan region at the variety of
habitats. These plants are very important for the study of ecological aspects. The
pteridophytes of the areas are found as hydrophytes, Lithophytes and epiphytes
etc. The epiphyte grow at several host ranges. The epiphytic vegetation of the area
is poor on account of the rigorous climate.
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
The epiphytes make their appearance during the rainy season when
they thickly clad the tree trunks and branches. Before the advent of winter in the
month of October, the life cycle is completed, the fronds in most of the ferns turn
yellowish and wither while the rhizomes remain in dormant condition.
The awareness of the importance of nature conservation and
necessity to conserve the biodiversity has become very essential. Pteridophytes, a
primitive colonizer on land with broad spectrum of biological types, occure from
small filmy ferns to arborescent tree and from submerged aquatics to epiphytes
and xerophytes.
During the past three decades, ecological investigations of the Indian
pteridophytes have been progressing steadily as evidence by the fact that out of
about 600 species of ferns known from Indian region, over 500 species have been
investigated. Whereas our knowledge of the floristic and ecology of this group of
plants is almost stagnant. Authors enumerating the species of various regions and
mountains do not present adequate ecological data but make only passing mention
of their behaviours and habitats.
GEOGRAPHY OF THE AREA
The area lies between the latitudes 29o58' and 31o 2' 30'' N and
longitudes 77o 34' 45"and 78o 18' 30" E and bounded by the Himalayas in the north
the Shivalic hills in the south the Ganges in the east and Yamuna river in the west.
Dehradun the state capital of Uttaranchal is the gateway to beuteons mussoorie
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
and Chakrata. In legend and love, Dehradun formed part of the region of
Kedarkhand abode of Lord Shiva who gave his name to the Shivalic Hills.
The district is named after head quarters town Dehradun – now the
capital of Uttaranchal. Dehradun appears to be a corruption of the Dera signifying
a temporary abode or camps. The term ‘dun’ or ‘doon’ means the low lands at the
foot of a mountain range and as the bulk of the district lies in such a tract, it
justifies the dun part of the name. In front of the town there is a vast expanse of a
canoe – shaped longitudinal valley called ‘Dun’ (Doon) valley. This large valley is
located between the lower Himalaya and the Shivalic hills, bounded by the river
yamuna nad Ganga in the west and east respectively.
Mussoorie derives its name from the mansur shrub (Coriaria
nepalensis wall.) Common in the Himalaya foot hills. It lies in the North – western
Himalaya and administratively place in the Dehradun district of Uttranchal state of
India lying between 78o – 79o E longitude and 30o – 31 N latitude.
The main localities surveyed for the present investigation are
Gumaniwala (500m) Lacchiwala (550m), Rajpur, FRI, Sahashradhara in Dhradun
(600m to900m), Narendra Nagar Kunjapuri (1200m – 3000m), Kampty fall
(1300m) Jabarkhet (2400m), Mossyfall (1500m), Camel’s back (2000m), Oak
grove (1000m) Jharipani (1050m), Lal Tibba – Nag Tibba (2400 – 2700m)
Company Garden (1800 – 2000m) in Mussoorie. Chakrata (1800m), Deoban
(2700m) and Kanatal to Surkanda (2206-2903m). Ghansali (976 m), Khait Parbat
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
(1500 – 3000m) Joshimath (3000m), Janki Chatti (3000m) Yamunotri (3235m)
Gangotri (3200m) Sonprayag, Gaurikund, and Trijuginarain (3000m). A detailed
map of the area explored is given.
CLIMATE
Garhwal hills have an exceeding varying climate, ranging from
tropical heat to severe cold. The monsoon starts from middle of june and stay up to
September. The annual rainfall is 20 – 150 cm. which comprises maximum in the
month of July and minimum in February.
From June to September the weather remains extremely wet
maximum and minimum temperature of the year being 35oC and 5.1oC
respectively. January being the coldest month, the minimum temperature falls
below freezing point whereas, November to December remains dry. At higher
altitudes, the peaks remain cloudy and the sun is scarcely visible.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF PTERIDOPHYTES
In this chapter attention is drawn to some of the general
characteristics regarding the distribution of terrestrial and epiphytic ferns and fern
– allies of Doon valley and adjacent areas. All the non-terrestrial species,
irrespective of their occurrence on rocks or tree trunks, are treated here as
epiphytes. A vast majority of ferns grow under temperate and subtropical, climates
in the Himalayas, whereas a few occur in the alpine and dry tropical conditions.
11
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
Some species tend to be locally abundant and almost cover the ground lending a
characteristic, feature to the landscape.
Majority of the members have their luxuriant growth during the
rainy season (July to September). This is particularly true about the growth of
ferns and fern-allies at higher elevations, i.e. above 1500 m. because there is a
period of prolonged dormant growth during the winter months.
It is only with the advent of first showers by about the middle of
June that these plants begin their growth. Towards the beginning of August, there
is a prolific growth of ferns all around and this is particularly, true about epiphytic
species. Some of the hardy ferns as Polystichum squarrosum, P. obliquum , P.
aculeatum, P. setiferum along with Cyrtomium caryotideum, Dryopteris
chrysocoma, Pronephrium nudatum, Diplazium esculentum, D. spectabilis,
Pteridium aquilinum, etc. remain green throughout the year although new fronds
are put forward only after the summer rains. At lower altitudes and in the Doon
valley Diplazium esculenlum, Adiantum incisum, Christella dentata, Tectaria
macrodonta, Woodwardia radicans and Ampelopteris prolifera can be found
throughout the year, but Marsilea minuta, is abundant only during rainy months
and Ceratopteris thalictroides on the rice fields in the season.
On the basis of their growth habit and habitat, the ferns of the
investigating area under consideration may be classified into the following
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
ecological categories. Only the more prominent species are referred to in each case
(Scheme).
CLIMBERS
The climbing ferns are met at low altitudes (below 1000 m),
especially common in Bhabar forest and are represented by two species of
Lygodium, L. flexuosum and L. japonicum. The rhizome of these ferns grows
underground and is creeping, while the sensitive rachis of frond is responsible for
climbing. It twines round the neighbouring branches of the host. The lower pinnae
are larger and always sterile, whereas the upper smaller ones are fertile, perhaps
because they receive optimal photoperiod. This climbing fern is restricted to some
localities in the area like Clementown in Dehradun and Gumaniwala and
Neelkanth road near Barrage, Rishikesh.
FERN SPECIES INHABITING FOREST FLOOR AND FOREST BORDERS
The fern flora of mountains is luxuriant due to greater atmospheric
moisture, frequent fog and clouds than in the low lands. Also the streams and
rivulets are numerous affording ideal sites along their banks for growth. Often the
ferns grow in such great abundance that they lend a peculiar charm to the localities
of their occurrence. Majority of the species of such habitats belong to the genera
Pteris, Dryopteris, Polystichum, Athyrium, Diplazium, Thelypteris and
Cyclosorus.
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
The forest soil of the outer low hills is poor in humus, non-acidic,
and mainly clayey and thus unsuitable for fern habitation. On favourable sites,
however, like Bhabar forest in Haridwar Kotwara, Diplazium maximum and D.
esculentum, are locally abundant and cover vast areas of forest floor. The well
lighted margins of forest floor are inhabited by Pteris., Vittata, Cyclosorus
dentatus and Pteris biaurita and Equisetum debile is often met on gravelly soil
along the streams.
Amongst paddy fields at about 550 -900m. near water Diplazium
esculentum flourishes very well. By far the largest number of species are terrestrial
growing in fields, along road sides and inside the forests. Christella Subbubesens,
C. dentata, C. parastica and C. papilio grow near water. Ampelopteris prolifera is
exceedingly common along water courses. Selaginella subdiaphana with rooting
apex is abundant around Rajpur and Sahashradhara on road sides.
In the forests around Dehradun Dryopteris cochleata with dimorphic
fronds is concipicious near Rishikesh and Dehradun. Lygodium flexuosum growing
very well in the forest of Gumaniwala and clementown on the forest floor,
Athyrium schimperi, A. pectinatum, Polytichum squarrosum P. aculeatum, P.
setiferum Dryopteris Chrysocoma, D. sparsa, D. pallida, D. ramosum are seen
between 1,500 – 2.400m. Hypolepis punctata, Pteridium aquilinum form colonies
in the open particularly the latter one which is a weedy species. At about 1,200m.
near Uttar Kashi Pseudocylosorus octhodes flourishing in some what marshy
14
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
places in paddy fields. The Pteris quadriaurita P. cretica, P. stenophylla,
Onychium contiguum, Coniogramme intermedia etc commonly growing on the
borders of forests .
Generally within an altitudinal range of 1200 - 1800 m the common
ferns are Dryopteris marginata, D. odontoloma, Athyrium pectinatum, Pteris
cretica, P, stenophylla and P. wallichiana. On the exposed ridges large colonies of
Dryopteris chrysocoma occur frequently replacing D. cochleata which ascends
only upto 1500 m. In grass or amongst small boulders, one can look for
Ophioglossum vulgatum, O. reticulatum, and Botrychium lanuginosum in and
around Dehra Dun and Rishikesh.
In moist temperate highest zone (2400 - 4200 m) forests were
sufficient to provide shade to the ground, Dryopteris wallichiana, a basket
forming fern is luxuriant, especially, near Joshimath, enroute Auli. Its common
associates are Pteris wallichiana, Polystichum prescottianum and Athyrium
flabellulatum. Athyrium dentigerum, forms beautiful baskets along the Alakananda
river in the Garhwal. Polystichum discretum and Athyriurn thelyptroides have also
seen in the same locality. From Kanatal to Dhanolti in Tehri Garhwal, Onychium
contiguum forms large conspicuous patches .
WALKING OR TRAILING FERNS
The ferns that bear proliferous apparatuses like (1) budding on
rachis. (II) budding on pinnae or pinnules are called walking ferns. These budding
15
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
observed in the different part of the different ferns i.e. Adiantum lunulatum
(budding on rachis), Ampelopteris prolifera (indefinite growth of rachis and
axillary buds at the base of pinna – pairs) and species of Asplenium where budding
on pinnules as well as on tip of the rachis has been noticed. Such type of budding
also have been observed in Polystichum spp. Athyrium ppp., woodwardia and
Diplazium esculentum..
BRSKET FORMING FERNS
The species of pteris, Dryopteris and Polystichum form basket or
shuttle – cock like structures Polystichum squarrosum Dryopteris wallichhiana, D.
lepidopoda, D. barbigera, and D. blanfordii are form peculiar baskets on the
marshy slopes at higher altitude Athyrium wallichiana and some Polypodiaceons
genera like Drynaria propinqua and D. mollis also form small basket on exposed
rocks or steep slopes.
RAVINE FERN
The ravine soil is composed of pebbles and stones along with a little
sandy calcareous matter. Many ferns prefer to grow in the ravines along water
channels. The principal species are Polystichum obliquum. Pronephrium nudatum,
Woodwardia radicans, Diplazium polypodiodes, D.latifolium and Conioqramne
indica. All the lithophytic ferns preferring moist shady places grow on the rocks
by the sides of water courses. Jaberkhet Khud, Mossy Falls and Burning Ghat of
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
Mussoorie are the natural abodes of Conioqramme intermedia, Woodwardia
radicans, Glaphyropteris, erubescens, Diplazium spectabiles,, Pseudocyclosorus
ochithodes, P. repens, P. xylodes, Equisetum diffusum and E. ramosissimum var.
altissimum.
THICKET FORMING SPECIES
There are some tough ferns which grow on exposed rocky and
gravelly slopes. They are put to a wide variation of atmospheric conditions like
high and low wind velocities, marked temperature fluctuations and varied densities
of moisture.
Pteridium aquilinum the common bracken fern seems to be the sole
true thicket forming species met throughout the Garhwal Himalaya above 1500 m.
It forms huge dark green patches on exposed ridges at Kanatal to Dhanolti and
Chandrabadani in Garhwal. The rhizome is burried deep under the clayey soil and
creeps long distances, branching widely. The new fronds come up at intervals
forming a tangled mass difficult to penetrate, which does not allow anything to
grow through it.
FERNS GROWING ON EXPOSED ROCKS, BOULDERS OR GRAVELLY SOIL ALONG ROADSIDE UNDER EXTREMELY XEROPHYTIC CONDITIONS
The water holding capacity of rocky soils along the roadside is
desperately poor. There is no protection against the direct sun and hence the
moisture content of the plants is very easily brought down during the sunny hours.
17
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
These factors result in xerophytic aspect of the vegetation. Such localities are
frequent in the Siwalic hills, around Dehra Dun.
The dry boulders and rock walls at altitudes are largely inhabited by
Cheilanthes farnosa, C. anceps, C. rufa, C. persica and Pellaea nitidula. Another
associate is Hypodematium crenatum. With its rhizome densely covered with large
golden scales deeply burried into the crevices of rock. The Selaginella sp. which is
rolled up in the unfavourable period and again expand when the rains or
favourable season come are called "resurrection" plants. It is also sold in the hill
stations for the ornamental purpose. The dry plants became green after putting in
water for few minutes.
At higher altitudes (above 1800 m), Cheilanthes albomarginata and
Cheilanthes dalhousiae are met on dry rocks. Gymnopteris vestica is always seen
in very arid conditions. The brownish silky scales on the underside of its fronds
reduce excessive transpiration. Woodsia elongata sometimes colonises exposed
dry rocks at still higher elevations.
LITHOPHYTES
Lithophytes are those ferns that grow on rocks or prefer crevices of
stony walls and embankments of water channels. They seem to need aeration for
their roots which is not available in the forest soils. Their behaviour is, thus, much
like that of epiphytes. All the epithytes of the area occur also as lithophytes. But
true rock ferns like Adiantum venustum, Adiantum capillus-veneris, Asplenium
18
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
rutamuraria and A. septentrionale, are never found as epithytes. Such ferns love to
grow on shaded walls in forests or by streams where the atmosphere is always
humid. They have no contrivances either for storage of water or to prevent
excessive transpiration.
HYDROPHYTIC FERN
Only two species, namely, Marsilea minuta and Ceratopteris
thalictroides found in the area are true aquatic ferns. Marselia minuta is met
throughout the area upto 1800 m. The plants always grow along the banks of still
waters where it is anchored to the substratum with running stem which roots at
intervals. Only the cruciform green leaves are exposed to the surface of water.
Ceratopteris thalictroides, a succulent tufted water fern with dimorphic fronds,
generally found in the paddy fields, as floating in the swamps and ditches in Dehra
Dun and Gumaniwala (Shyampur) area in Rishikesh.
EVERGREEN FERNS
During several visits to the area in the months of December and
early March, a period considered to be the most unfavourable for fern growth.
During the present investigation, several species have been tolerating the severe
winter and perpetuating during the snowy period.When the snow had just melted
19
Thesis of Tarun Nigam
in the month of March, the species showing the last year's persistent fronds in the
Mussoorie, Kunjapuri and Surkanda hills of Garhwal are Cheilanthes
albomarginata, Pteris quadriaurita, P. cretica, P. stenophylla and Adiantum
venustum, Conioqramme fraxinea Var. denticulato- serrata, Polystichum
squarrosum, P. aculeatum, P. obliquum, Cyrtomium caryotideum, Dryopteris
ramosa, D. marginata, D. odontoloma, Diplazium esculentum, D. polypodioides,
Thelypteris erubescens, Cyclosorus dentatus, Pronephrium nadatum,, Asplenium
varians, A. trichomanes, A. exiquum, A. dalhousiae, Woodwardia radicans,
Loxoqramme involuta, Lepisorus nudus and Arthromeris wallichiana. Along with
these, sturdy fern-allies like Equisetum diffusum and E. ramosissimum Var.
altissimum were also collected.
EPIPHYTES
Epiphytic ferns of the area has been classified into altitudinal
zonation, association with the different host trees and their distribution on the
different types of forest and altitudes.
List of epiphytic Ferns of the area
1. Loxogramme involuta (Don) Presl,
2. Arthromeris wallichiana (Spr.) Ching.,
3. A. lehmanni (Mett.) Ching
4. Drynaria mollis Bedd.,
5. D. propinqua (Wall ex Mett) J. Smith.
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
6. Lepisorus kashyapii (Mehra)Mehra in Bir.,
7. L. excavatus (Willd) Ching,
8. L. clathratus (Clarke) Ching,
9. L. loriformis (Wall ex Mett) Ching,
10. L. morrisonensis (Hayata) H. I to
11. L. ussuriensis (Regell et Maack) Ching,
12. L. nudus (Hook) Ching,
13. L. tenuipes Ching et khullar,
14. Microsorum. membranaceum (D. Don) Ching,
15. Phymatopteris ebenipes (Hook) Pichi Sermolli,
16. P. malacodon (Hook) Pichi Sermolli,
17. P. oxyloba (Wall ex kunze) Pichi Sermolli,
18. P. stewartii (Bedd) Pichi Sermolli,
19. P. stracheyi (Ching) Pichi Sermolli,
20. Polypodiastrum. argutum (Wall ex. Hook) Ching,
21. Polypodiodes amoena (Wall ex Mett), Ching,
22. P. lachnopus (Wall ex Hook), Ching
23. P. microrhizoma (Clarke) Ching,
24. P. subamoena (Clarke) Ching,
25. Pyrrosia costata (Wall. Ex. Presl),
26. Pyrrosia. flocculosa (D.Don) Ching,
27. P. lanceolata (Linn.) Farwell,
28. P. mollis (Kunze) Ching,
29. P. stictica (Kunze) Holttum,
30. P.stigmosa (Swartz) Ching,
31. Onychium contiguum Wall ex. Hope,
32. V. flexuosa Fee,
33. Asplenium dalhousiae Hook.,
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Thesis of Tarun Nigam
34. A. ensiforme Wall. ex. Hook.,
35. A. laciniatum D. Don.,
36. A. trichomanes Linn.,
37. A. varians Wall. ex. Hook, et Grev.,
38. A. nidus Linn
39. A. indicum Sledge.,
40. Oleandra wallichii (Hook) Presl.,
41. Araiostegia beddomei (Hope) Ching.,
42. A. pulchera (D.Don) Copel,
43. A. pseudosystopteris (Kunze) Copel.,
Fern,s growing on the acidic and alkaline soil in the area have been
given in the tables along with their distribution on the availably of Potash,
Phosphorus, organic contents and pH of the bark in various localities.
Ethnobotanical importance of pteridophytes and their
acclimatization in the plains along with the different environmental factors
affecting fern growth on the area investigated has been discussed.
A large number of ferns from the area were transplanted in the green
house at D.B.S. College, Kanpur and some are in the homes in order toobserve the
growth habits of these ferns under artificial conditions.
The present investigation revailed that 109 species of ferns of the
area belong to 47 genera and 19 families and seven species of fern – allies. A
comparison of five dominant families in the N. W. Himalaya along with their
number of species and genera is tabulated.
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