Endemic Vascular Plants from the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu, Southern India

Abstract

Intensive botanical survey was done more than two decades on Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest from four coastal districts viz. Cuddalore, Kancheepurm, Nagai and Villupuram of Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Pondicherry. A total of 87 protected (hillocks, reserve forest) and unprotected (sacred groves, unclassified vegetation) sites were regularly studied from five districts. From this study 82 endemic taxa were enumerated. In addition 25 endemic species were added for the analysis through literature screening and herbarium consultation from 10 Coromandel coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. In all 107 species were recorded, among them 19 are trees, 18 shrubs, 9 climbers and 61 herbs. Distribution of these endemic species were analysed and categorised into endemic to the country, peninsular India, southern India, Eastern and Western Ghats, state and district level. Interestingly the study found that some endemic species were disjunctly distributed in between districts, states, ghats, climatic regimes and bioregions. The disturbance, threat status and conservation measures of few endemic and IUCN red listed species were also studied and discussed.