An updated checklist of the vascular flora of Asan Conservation Reserve, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Despite numerous explorations and in-depth studies in the Western Himalaya on various themes, many areas still remain under-explored. One such under explored area is Asan conservation reserve. We documented for the first time the diversity of vascular plants of Asan conservation reserve, A first Ramsar site in Uttarakhand, recording the occurrence of 266 species distributed among 214 genera and 80 families within 4 km2 area. Among the enumerated species, 256 are angiosperms and 10 species are Pteridophytes. Of the angiosperms, Fabaceae is the dominant family spanning 22 species followed by Poaceae (18 species), Asteraceae (16 species), and Araceae and Solanaceae consisting of 10 species each. Documenting and understanding this flora is crucial for conservation efforts and scientific exploration. The present study provides an updated checklist of the vascular flora in the Asan Conservation Reserve, throwing light on its botanical richness and ecological significance.