Abstract

A study on the flora of Periyar Tiger Reserve was carried out during June 1993 to September 1997. During the study, 1965 taxa (species and infraspecific) were collected and described. Dicotyledons dominate with 1440 species in 613 genera under 128 families. Monocotyledons are represented by 525 species in 210 genera under 23 families. Poaceae with 168 species among monocots and Fabaceae with 155 species among dicots are dominant families. The floristic analysis shows that the first 9 dominant families of South India are dominant in the Tiger Reserve also. One new species of Orchid viz. Habanaria periyarensis Sasi.et al was described from the Tiger Reserve during the present study. Vanda thwaitesii, Symplocos obtusa Var. pedicellata, Ficus costata and F. caulocarpa are new records for India. The occurence of 1965 species in an area of 777 square kilometer indicates the richness and diversity of flora of the Tiger Reserve. There are 1965 species recorded from the Tiger Reserve forms more than 50 percent of the estimated flowering plants of Kerala