There are approximately 3,00,000 plant species on the planet earth comprising flowering plants (87%), non-flowering plants (0.32%), ferns (4.4%), mosses (5%) and red and greenalgae (3.3%) (World Conservation Union, IUCN online). The importance of biodiversity has been emphasized from many perspectives. However, the value or importance of biodiversity is not yet adequately recognized by the general public yet. Forests play an important role in the maintenance of climatic and environmental stability, conservation of invaluable biodiversity as well as supply of clean water besides timber for downstream industries [1].

Forests hold the majority of the world’s terrestrial species: tropical, temperate and boreal forests offer a diverse set of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms. However, these biologically rich systems are increasingly threatened, largely as a result of anthropogenic activities [2].

For forest management, application or responses to promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are also urgently needed. Study provides comprenhensive data on diversity of plant species availiable in the panchmahal district. It has authoratatie identification of plants and its updated binomial names. Common names are the basis of communication on plants throughout the local prople of Panchmahal. Hence common names linked with the botanical identification.

Study area

Panchmahals District is situated in Northern side of Gujarat. Panchmahal means "five tehsils/talukas" (5 sub-divisions Km²), and refers to the five sub-divisions namely-Godhra, Dahod, Halol, Kalol and Jhalod that were transferred by the Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia Gwalior to the British. The district is encompassed by 20.30 to 23.30 Latitude in north and 73.15 to 74.03 Longitudes. It has an area of 5210 Km². The district had a population of 2,025,277 of which 12.51% were urban as of 2001.

The people of this district are mainly dependent on rain water for cultivation as the irrigation potential developed so far is very limited. The district has subtropical climates. It is hot during summer and cold in winter. It receives rains 1000 mm to 1072 mm during the year.

Panchmahals district is rich in respect of forest resources. The district has forest area of 1213.53 Km². The highest forest area covered by Shahera 171.01 Km², followed by Santrampur (162.06 Km²), Kadana (164.83 Km²), Godhra taluka (159.81 Km², Halol (109.10 Km²), Lunawada (107.484 Km²), Ghoghamba (96.69 Km²), Jambughoda (62.02 Km²), Morva (50.59 Km²), Kalol (35.95 Km²) and Khanpur (93.29 Km²) (Forest Department of Panchmahal).

Field survey

The field survey was an important part of the study. To collect the data for floristic diversity of Panchmahal district frequent visits were conducted from August, 2014 to May 2015. Preliminary survey was undertaken throughout the district to identify the areas rich in diversity. The area was surveyed along different topographic gradient and climatic conditions in order to collect maximum plant species occurring in the district. The duration of each study tour ranged between 12-20 days. During monsoon regular field visits were made to collect the ephemerals plants as well as the effort was made to collect the plants in different seasons.

Herberium preparation and identification

In the field, the plant species were documented and plant specimens were also collected along with their flowering parts for preparing herbaria. This was useful for identifying plants specimens from the flora. The herbarium sheets were labeled, numbered and deposited in the Herbarium of Gujarat University. Field notes were taken so as to have information on the plant’s name, habit, habitat and the characteristics of the species along with the plant family.

The plant species were identified with the help of literature [3-5] available in the library (Department of Botany, Gujarat University, The Serenity Library, Ahmedabad). Photographs of plants were captured with a digital camera (Canon EOS 600D, lens Canon EF S18-55 IS II and EF S55-250 IS II).

The present study has reported 752 species belonging to 253 families and 528 genus 2 subspecies and 3 varieties from the Panchmahal District, Gujarat (Table 1). In Table 2 number of species in the class of Dicotyledoneae and Monocotyledoneae described. In Figure 1 top five dominant families in panchmahal district are Fabaceae 64, Acanthaceae 34, Cyperaceae 20, Poaceae 41, Mimosaceae 17. Apart from this study Poaceae and Cyperaceae were poorly represented [6-9].

Table 1: List of flowering plants occurring in Panchmahal District, Gujarat, India.

Table 2: Number of species in Dicotyledoneae and Monocotyledoneae in Panchmahal district.

.

Figure 1: Top 5 dominant families found in Panchmahal District.

District has dry moist deciduous forest. In deciduous forest dominant trees species like Tectona grandis , Terminalia crenulata , Vachellia catechu , Lagerstroemia laanceolata, Wrightia tinctoria and Butea monosperma . Herbaceous plants found in this region particularly during Monsoon season. However their conditions are favorable, large number of bulbous plants are found during monsoon like Gloriosa superba L. Dioscoria sp. , Amorphophallus sp.

All the living and non-living things are interdependent in ecosystem. Existence of one species is directly linked with health of another. Humans are directly or indirectly dependent of vegetation. Flora helps in planning conservation strategies. Floral diversity might open new vistas in the field of pharmacological, bio clinical and biochemical investigations leading to new drug discovery [10-13].

The present study has reported 752 species belonging to 122 families and 528 genus 2 subspecies and 3 varieties from the Panchmahal District Gujarat. Family Fabaceae 64, has highest number of species so family Fabaceae is dominant family. Out of 752 species 117 species is Trees species, 126 species is shrub, 20 Sedges, 2 Parasite, 2 Epiphyte, 99 Climbers, 41 grasses. Herbaceous flora is dominating in Panchmahal.

Some important findings of study

• Several plants reported to be rare and very rare by Cooke and GL Shah is found frequently in the region. Anagalis arvensis L. var coerulea (schreb.) Gren. is frequently found.

• Gloriosa superba L. is reported as endangered for Gujarat. During the field trip Gloriosa superba L. was frequently found. Hence it can’t be counted as endangered for this region.

• Only one Cactaceae member has been reported in earlier work present study reveals 15 Species.