DOCUMENTATION ON SHRUBS AND WOODY

CLIMBER SPECIES OF SRINAGAR GARHWAL

Introduction

Srinagar Garhwal, located in the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India, lies in
the heart of the Central Himalayas. This region is characterized by its diverse
topography, ranging from river valleys to moderate hills, which supports a wide
array of flora and fauna. Among the rich vegetation, shrubs and woody climbers
form an essential component of the ecosystem, playing vital ecological roles such as
soil stabilization, biodiversity support, and habitat provision for fauna.

Despite their ecological importance, shrubs and woody climbers have received
relatively less attention in botanical surveys and conservation studies compared to
trees and herbaceous plants. Documenting these plant forms is crucial not only for
understanding the biodiversity of the region but also for promoting sustainable use
of native plant species, especially in the face of habitat degradation and climate
change. This study aims to systematically document the species diversity,
distribution, and ecological relevance of shrubs and woody climbers in and around
Srinagar Garhwal.

Review of Literature

Several floristic studies have been conducted in the Garhwal Himalayas; however,
few focus specifically on shrubs and woody climbers. Gaur, R.D. (1999). Flora of the
District Garhwal, Northwest Himalaya (with ethnobotanical notes). TransMedia
Publishers, Srinagar Garhwal India provided a comprehensive floristic account of
Uttarakhand's vascular plants, including some climbers and shrubs. Nautiyal, M.C.,
Nautiyal, B.P., & Prakash, V. (2001) (Effect of temperature and light on seed
germination and growth of Swertia chirayita, a medicinal herb of the Himalayas.
Current Science) highlighted the medicinal importance of Himalayan shrubs, noting
their traditional uses in local communities. Studies by Tiwari, J.K., Pande, N., &
Pande, V.K. (2012) (Role of climbing plants in forest biodiversity: a case study from
Garhwal Himalaya, India. Indian Journal of Forestry) emphasized the role of climbers
in forest dynamics and biodiversity, while Singh, S.P., & Rawat, G.S. (2016)
(Understorey vegetation in forests of the Garhwal Himalaya: composition and
conservation status. Environmental Conservation Journal, 17(1&2), 25–33).examined
the ecological significance of understorey vegetation in temperate forests of the
Garhwal region.

Moreover, the Botanical Survey of India ( Government of India, Ministry of

Environment, Forest and Climate Change) and Forest Research Institute have
published various checklists that include shrubs and climbers but often lack locality-
specific detail. Recent remote sensing and GIS-based studies have provided broader
vegetation mapping, but species-level documentation in microhabitats like those
around Srinagar remains limited.

Conclusion
The documentation of shrubs and woody climber species in Srinagar Garhwal
contributes to filling a critical knowledge gap in Himalayan botany. This region
harbors a diverse array of species that are integral to ecological balance and cultural
heritage. Comprehensive field-based surveys not only enrich the regional floristic
inventory but also aid in identifying species of ecological and economic importance.

In the context of environmental changes and increasing anthropogenic pressures,

such studies serve as a foundational step toward biodiversity conservation, habitat
management, and sustainable utilization of plant resources. Continued research and
awareness efforts are essential to preserve the lesser-known yet ecologically
significant plant forms of this biodiverse Himalayan region.
Acacia
genus of plants

Acacia is a genus of shrub or tree are belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of

the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in
1773. Many non- Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of
Australian Acacias are not.
Acacia
..

Acacia drepanolobium

Acacia greggii

Scientific classification

Acacia sp. Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Fabales

Family: Fabaceae

Subfamily: Mimosoideae

Tribe: Acacieae

Genus: Acacia
Mill.

Species

The Whistling Thorn (Acacia About 1,300; see List of Acacia

drepanolobium)
Defences
Acacias are heavily defended against herbivores. Different species have different
combinations of defenses:

1.Thorns (except Australia)

2. Chemicals: bitter tannins and psychoactive alkaloids are common in

Acacias. Some species have up to 40% tannins in their bark[1]

3.Ants: in Africa and Central Americs, symbiosis with ants can deter all sizes of
enemy, from elephants to caterpillars and stem-boring beetles.[2] Some
species of ants will also fight off competing plants around the acacia, cutting
off the offending plant's leaves with their jaws and ultimately killing it. Other
associated ant species appear to do nothing to benefit their
hosts.
Products from the acacia plants have often been used for medicinal purposes.

Gum arabic
Various species of acacia yield gum. True gum arabic is the product of Acacia senegal,
abundant in dry tropical West Africa from Senegal to northern Nigeria.

Acacia arabica is the gum-Arabic tree of India, but yields a gum inferior to the true
gum-Arabic.

The Whistling Thorn (Acacia drepanolobium)

This species of acacia grows two kinds of thorns. The main defense is
provided by pairs 5cm long arranged nearly at a right angle. Smaller stipular
spines grow between the pairs of big thorns. These emerge from hollow galls,
bulbous swellings 2 to 3cm across. One of four different species of ant lives in each
of these igloos, which they open up by cutting holes into them. A dying bush
whistles as the wind blows over these entrances. Most acacias make toxins that
rush to leaves that are under attack by browsers. The whistling thorn does not. It
is infested with stinging ants that swarm out and prepare to bite anything they
can when the branch is disturbed. Most browsers seem to avoid infested bushes,
perhaps because the ants stink of formic acid.
 Lantana camara

Lantana camara (common lantana) is a species of

flowering plant in the verbena family (Verbenaceae),native to the American tropics. It is
a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it
has been introduced into a habitat it spreads rapidly; between 45ºN
and 45ºS and less than 1,400 metres (4,600 feet) in altitude.

It has spread from its native range to around 50

countries,where it has become an
invasive species. It first spread out of the Americas when it was brought to Europe by
Dutch explorers and cultivated widely, soon spreading further into Asia and
Oceania where it has established itself as a notorious weed, and in Goa Former
Estado da Índia Portuguesa it was introduced by the Portuguese.

L. camara can outcompete native species, leading to a reduction in biodiversity. It can

also cause problems if it invades agricultural areas as a result of its toxicity to
livestock, as well as its ability to form dense thickets which, if left unchecked, can
greatly reduce the productivity of farmland by suppressing the pastures
(grasses) essential for livestock production and also suppresses crops in
cultivated farmlands

Description
Lantana
camara is a perennial, erect sprawling or scandent, shrub which typically
grows to around 2 metres (61⁄2 feet) tall and form dense thickets in a variety of
environments. Under the right conditions, it can scramble up into trees and can
grow to 6 m (20 ft) tall
The
leaves are broadly ovate, opposite, and simple and have a strong odour when
crushed

L. camara has small tubular-shaped flowers, which each have four petals and are
arranged in clusters in terminal areas stems. Flowers come in many different
colours, including red, yellow, white, pink and orange, which differ depending on
location in inflorescences, age, and maturity The flower has a tutti frutti smell
with a peppery undertone. After pollination occurs,
the
colour of the flowers changes (typically from yellow to orangish, pinkish, or
reddish); this is believed to be a signal to pollinators that the pre-change colour
contains a reward as well as being sexually viable, thus increasing pollination
efficiencyIn frost-free climates the plant can bloom all year round, especially when
the soil is moist.

The fruit is a berry-like drupe which turns from

green to dark purple when mature. Green
unripe fruits A=π r 2 inedible to humans and
animals alike. Because of dense patches of
hard spikes on their rind, ingestion of them
can result in serious damage to the digestive
tract. Both seed and vegetative
reproduction occur up to 12,000 fruits can be
produced by each plant.
Uritica dioica L.
Identity

Preferred Scientific Name - Urtica dioica L.

Preferred Common Name - stinging nettle

Other Scientific Names - Urtica galeopsifolia

Wierzb. ex Opiz Urtica major Kanitz.

Taxonomy;

Domain - Eukaryota

Kingdom - Plantae

Phylum - Spermatophyta

Subphylum - Angiospermae

Class - Dicotyledonae

Order - Urticales

Family - Urticaceae
Genus - Urtica

Species - Urtica dioica

Plant Type -

 Herbaceous

 Perennial

 Broadleaved

 Seed propagated

 Vegetatively propagated

Description

Descriptions from some countries

probably depend on the locally
available subspecies, with U. dioica
subsp. dioica being more common in
Europe and U. dioica subsp. gracilis
more prevalent in North America. The
former subspecies is predominantly
dioecious, has ‘weak’ stems, a
sprawling, branching habit, and leaf
blades and stems usually strongly
hispid with stinging hairs on both leaf
surfaces. The latter subspecies, by
contrast, is mainly monoecious, with
rigid, upright stems, and leaf blades
and stems hairless but with stinging
hairs only on the underside of the
leaves (Bassett et al., 1977).
CME INDIA Learning Points

Stinging Nettle is a small plant that has

fine hairs on the leaves and stems.

The scientific name: Urtica dioica

The genus name: Urtica comes from

the Latin verb urere that means, "to
burn" because of these stinging
hairs.

The species name dioica means "two

houses" because the plant usually
contains either male or female
flowers.

The species is divided into six

subspecies, five of which have many
hollow stinging hairs called trichomes
on the leaves and stems, which act
like hypodermic needles, injecting
histamine, serotonin, and choline
that produce a stinging sensation

The stinging nettle plant - It is covered

with multiple small spicule-type hairs
noted on the stem and the underside
of the leaves.Small exposures to
nettles can cause local symptoms:

 Burning

 Itching

 Redness,
  Swelling (occasionally small
blisters will form) and local
numbness.

Symptoms are usually self-limiting and

resolve within a few days.

In cases where a large area of the body

has been exposed to the nettles, or
exposed to the nettles for a longer
period of time it is possible further
symptoms such as inco-ordination,
tremor, muscle weakness and
faintness may occur.

The urticaria is accompanied by a

stinging sensationUsually lasting
longer than 12 h.Little is known of
the cellular and molecular
mechanism of stinging-nettle
urticaria. Only mast cell numbers
have been significantly increased at
12 h. Ultra-structurally,