Abstract

A total of 181 species have been raised in the conservatory plot. Among these, the species such as Actinodaphne malabarica, Aglaia barberi, Aglaia malabarica, Atuna travancorica, Beilshmiedia wightii, Canarium strictum, Chrysophyllum roxbourghii, Cynometra beddomei, Diospyros paniculata, Dipterocarpus bourdillonii, Dipterocarpus indicus, Humboldtia bourdillonii, Hydnocarpus macrocarpa, Hydnocarpus pentandra, Kingiodendron pinnatum, Mesua thwiatesii, Otonephelium stipulaceum, Poeciloneuron indicum, Pterospermum rubiginosum, Syzygium stocksii, Syzygium travancoricum, Vepris bilocularis etc. are,rare endemic and threatened trees of Western Ghats. Altogether 1000 plants representing 45 families and 132 genera have been raised in conservatory plot. The growth of some selected species planted were monitored at 6 months intervals for the sapling stage and yearly intervals for the tree stage. The general perfomance of seedlings raised in the consevation plot showed some major difference in the growth rate. Some of the species like Aglaia malabarica, Alangium salvifolium, Ancistrocladus heyn eanus, Archidendron monadelphum, Atuna travancorica, Chukrasia tabularis, Cleidion javanicum, Cynometra beddomei, Garcinia spicata, Goniothalamus wynaadensis, Gymnacranthera canarica, Humboldtia brunonis , Meiogyne pannosa, Otonephelium stipulaceum, Syzygium palghatense , Vateria macrocarpa are very poor in growth and species like Acrocarpus fraxinifolius, Aphanamixis polystachya, Dimocarpus longan, Carallia brachiata, Croton malabaricus , Chrysophyllum cainito , Cleisanthus collinus , Dimocarpus longan, Dipterocarpus bourdillonii, Euodia lunu- ankenda, Grewia tiliifolia, Harpullia arborea, Holoptelia integrifolia, Hopea parviflora, Hydnocarpus macrocarpa, Hydnocarpus pentandra, Kingiodendron pinnatum, Poeciloneuron indicum, Pterospermum reticulatum, Pterospermum rubiginosum, Semecarpus kathalekanensis, Swietenia macrophylla, Syzygium chavaran, Xylia xylocarpa showed better growth rate. The ex-situ conservation of various species is maintained at FRC, Velupadam for addition of species and also as a source of maintained data for various studies.