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Jaya Vijayan. et al. / Journal of Science / Vol 4 / Issue 1 / 2014 / 50-54. e ISSN 2277 - 3290 Print ISSN 2277 - 3282 Journal of Science Botany www.journalofscience.net TEMPERATE HIMALAYAN TREES: INTERESTING PLANTS FOR LANDSCAPING THE BOTANICAL GARDENS 1 1 Jaya Vijayan, 1Ramachandran VS, 2Binu Thomas* Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India. 2 PG Department of Botany, Deva Matha College, Kuravilangad, Kottayam-686 633, Kerala, India. ABSTRACT The present study resulted in the collection of 13 species of temperate himalayan trees spreading over 11 genera and 10 families. Among these 13 trees, 2 of them are gymnosperms such as Cupressus torulosa D.Don and Cedrus deodara (D.Don) G Don. The present study also highlights the role of botanic gardens for providing suitable habitats for plants from varied climatic zones of the country. Keywords: Temperate Himalayan trees, Interesting plants, Government Botanic Garden. INTRODUCTION Botanic gardens which maintain collections of live plants mainly for study, for scientific research conservation or education. The cultivation of herbal plants within small areas for their healing qualities by the monks of the middle ages appears to have been the beginning of modern botanical gardens [1]. The increasing rate of the loss of plant diversity and wild habitats worldwide has encouraged many botanic gardens to become important conservation centers. Many new botanic gardens are being opened or developed to act as centers for plant conservation, study and education, particularly of plants native to their own regions [2]. Botanic gardens also provide environmental awareness among the general public through their education work [3,4]. They are the centers of expertise for horticulture and training; knowing how to grow a plant may be a key to its future survival. They help to conserve natural vegetation, by maintaining nature reserves and working with others to study, monitor and conserve plants and their ecologies in the wild. Globally, botanic gardens are an essential network of botanical resources for environmental conservation [4,5] Study area Government (Ooty) Botanic Garden, Udhagamandalam The Government Botanical Garden, Udhagamandalam (Ooty) was established in 1847. The Gardens, divided into several sections, cover an area of around 22 hectares, and lie on the lower slopes of Doddabetta peak at 11°24'08.7'' N and 76°44'12.2'' E. The garden has a terraced layout. It is maintained by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department. It ascends the slopes of the hill at an elevation of 2250–2500 meter above Mean Sea Level. The garden enjoys a temperate climate, with an average rainfall of 140 cm, most of which is received during South-West monsoon, with frosty nights from November to February. The maximum and minimum temperatures are 28 °C and 0 °C respectively (Fig 1). METHODOLOGY The present investigation was undertaken with a view to list out the arborescent species of Government Botanical Garden, Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Nilgiri District, Tamilnadu. An intensive and extensive field trips were made to cover different seasons. All the important details including habit, habitat, distribution and their correct nomenclature were analyzed with the help of available Floras and literature. Finally these specimens are poisoned, pressed and mounted on herbarium sheets for future reference [6-9]. Corresponding Author:-Binu Thomas Email:[email protected] 50 Jaya Vijayan. et al. / Journal of Science / Vol 4 / Issue 1 / 2014 / 50-54. Enumeration 1. Acer caudatum Wall. (Aceraceae) (Pl.-1A) English Name: Maple Trees upto 10 m high.Leaves 5-lobed, 10-15 cm long and broad; lobes 4-6 cm, caudate- acuminate; base cordate margin coarsely doubly serrate, pale pubescent beneath especially on veins. Flowers in dense panicles. Sepals acute, 2-3 mm. Petals as long as sepals. Anthers scarcely exerted. Mericarps ascending and narrowly divergent; wing 2-2.5 x 1 cm. Fl. & Fr.: February - May Nativity: Himalayas Notes: An attractive medium sized tree of the deciduous type, bearing flowers in axillary and terminal corymbs. Fruits with bright red carpels and winged- seeds, are clustered in long pendulous heads. A tree of ornamental value. 2. Acer laevigatum Wall. (Aceraceae) English Name: Nepal Maple Tree upto 20 m high. Leaves often serrulate towards apex, strongly reticulate, green beneath; petioles1-1.5 cm; flowers in broad panicles 3-7 cm diameter, pubescent. Sepals 3mm, rounded. Petals pale greenish yellow, oblong stamens 4mm; anthers crimson. Mericarps wings, 2.5-3x1cm. Fl. & Fr.: February - May Nativity: Southern China Notes: Maple trees are used widely in landscape works as well as in the home garden. Maple trees are generally planted as shade trees, in street plantings or as ornamental trees and are well known for fantastic autumn color. 3. Acer oblongum Wall. ex DC. (Aceraceae) English name:Himalyan Maple Evergreen tree to 25 m high. Leaves oblong, 20 x.5.5 cm, base obtuse, apex acute; petiole to 5 cm. panicles on leafy axillary; peduncle to 2.5 cm. sepals 4, linear, subequal. Petals 4, narrow lanceolate, greenish. Stamens 8, exerted. Ovary pubescent; style 2, free, nearly to the base. Samara glabrous, wings veined, 2.5 x 1.3 cm, nutlets convex. Fl. & Fr.: February - May Nativity: Hilly regions of Asia at the foot hills of the Western Himalayas, Nepal, Kashmir in India, Pakistan and South Western China. Notes: These trees are widely used for landscape works as well as in street plantings. 4. Aesculus hippocastanus L. (Hippocastanaceae) (Pl.-1B) English Name: Horse chest nut Tree up to 6-15 m high. Leaves orbicular, 6-8 oblanceolate, leafelets 25-48 x 8-13cm, acuminate, base cuneate, margins obscurely, often blunty, serrulate and glabrous. Pedicels 5-7 mm. Calyx tubular, larger, 4. Petals spathulate, 16-20mm, white, upper 2 tinged yellow or brownish. Stamens 7, strongly curved, 3.5-4cm. Ovary linear, puberulous. Fruiting racemes pendulous; capsules ovoid-ellipsoid. Fl. & Fr.: February – August Nativity: Sikkim Notes: A beautiful flowering tree with a dense round head of foliage with panicles of showy white flowers. It attracts the visitors during flowering period. 5.Alnus nepalensis D.Don. (Betulaceae) English name: Nepalese Alder Deciduous trees up to 30 m high; branchlets glabrous, spreading, winter buds stalked. Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, 7.5-20 x 5-10.2 cm, elliptic, ovateoblong. Flowers unisexual, green; male flowers in 10-25.5 mm long spikes in terminal drooping panicle, flowers in clusters of 6-12; bracts 3-flowered. Fruit a strobilate spike, woody, oblong, bracts persistent, seeds winged. Nativity: Himalaya and China Fl. & Fr.: December - January Notes: A quick growing tree, which can survive under wet situations. The pendulous catkins of flowers are attractive. 6.Betula alnoides Buch.- Ham. ex D.Don. (Betulaceae) English Name: Alder leaf Birch Trees up to 15m; bark reddish, silvery and papery, shoots glabrous or tomentose but warty. Leaves ovate, 6-13 x 3-8 cm, acuminate, rounded at base, margins unequally serrate, sub-glabrous above, except on midrib, more pubescent beneath. Male catkins more tender, ca. 4mm, broad; female catkin 1-4, short raceme, each 4-7 x 0.6-0.8 cm. Nativity: Burma, India and Nepal Fl. & Fr.: March- May Notes: A fairly big sized tree with elegance and beauty. The branchlets show a hanging tendency which adds beauty to the appearance of the tree. In India it is regarded as an excellent timber for the insides of furniture, plywood and tool handles. 7.Celtis serotina Planch. (Ulmaceae) Medium sized trees up to 10 m high. Bark gray, smooth fissured, conspicuously warty. Branches slender, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves ovate to oblong-lanceolate, base rounded. Inflorescences cymes, fascicles; pistillate solitary, few-flowered clusters. Flowers unisexual, regular. Fruits fleshy drupes, ovoid or globose. Nativity: Pennsylvania and Virginia of USA Fl. & Fr.: June – July Notes: A good looking medium sized tree with gray bark. 8.Ficus elastica Roxb.ex Hornem. (Moraceae) English name: Indian rubber plant Large tree up to30 m high; trunk up to 2 m 51 Jaya Vijayan. et al. / Journal of Science / Vol 4 / Issue 1 / 2014 / 50-54. diameter, develops. Leaves broad, simple, entire, shiny, elliptic -ovate, 10-35x5-15 cm long, enclosed when buds, in rosy sheaths.Fruits oblong, greenish-yellow about 1.5 cm. Fl. & Fr.: Throughout the year Nativity:East Indies Notes: Ficus elastica Roxb.ex Hornem is one of the best known figs and is cultivated throughout the world. It is a popular ornamental tree grown indoors in cooler climates and outdoors in warmer tropical climates where it grows to a spectacular large spreading tree with attractive large glossy leaves. 9.Magnolia campbellii Hook. f., & Thomson., (Magnoliaceae) English Name: Lily tree Tree deciduous up to 12-15 m high. Leaves elliptic to obovate, 25-33 x 10-14 cm, acute, base rounded or cordate, pubescent, veins 10-15 pairs; petioles 3-4 cm, stipular scar 5-7 mm. Flowers erect, ca. 15 cm across. Perianth parts ca 12, outer ones yellowish, inner white, purple near base. Stamens and carpels purplish. Fruiting receptacle cylindrical. Fl. &Fr.: September-November Nativity: Himalayas Notes: The Magnolias are highly ornamental. A medium sized handsome deciduous tree with very attractive big sized flowers. 10.Prunus laurocerasus L. (Rosaceae) Trees or shrubs, deciduous, Branchlets spinetipped. Stipules membranous, caducous. Leaves simple, alternate, leaf blade margin, crenate. Inflorescences axillary, solitary, 3-flowered in fascicle; bracts small, caducous. Stamens 20-30, in 2 whorls; filaments unequal. Carpel 1; ovary superior,1-loculed. Fruit adrupe, glabrous. Fl. & Fr.: February - August Nativity:Asia, Europe and North America. Notes: Good looking Inflorescences of the plant can attract visitors 11. Schima wallichii (DC.) Korth. (Theaceae) English Name: Needle wood Trees up to 30 m high; bark dark gray, deep vertical fissures. Leaves ovate-elliptic, 9-26 x 4-6 cm. Flowers fragment, terminal racemes, white, 3.5-5 cm across. Stamens yellow, numerous; anther yellow, 2 celled. Ovary 5 celled; ovules 2-6 in each cell; Stigmas radiate. Capsule subglobose 2-2.5 cm diam., woody. Seeds flat, reniform. Fl. & Fr.: April - August Nativity:Nepal to South West China Notes: A tall quick growing tree with corky bark. Leaves are big sized, deciduous and pale yellow. 12.Cedrus deodara (D.Don) G.Don (Pinaceae)(Pl.-1C) English name: Himalayan Cedar Trees, bark grayish, branches of two kinds: long terminal shoots, bearing scattered leaves, and short, spurlike shoots with tuft of leaves; winter buds ovoid, subtended by brown scales. Leaves acicular, 2.5- 4 cm, 3 sided, glacuous, persistent. Male flower in erect catkins, 4-6 x 0.8 -1.2 cm, Female flower in greenish cones to 1.3 x 0.6 cm. Seeds 2 to each scale, 3 – angular, with a broad membraneous apical wing. Distribution: W. Himalaya. Notes:An important timber tree in India. It is widely grown as an ornamental tree, often planted in parks and large gardens for its drooping foliage. Young trees have a broad pyramidal crown that becomes wider with age; branch tips and leaders droop and have a fine texture. Fig 1.Satellite Map of Govt. Botanic Garden, Udhagamandalam (Ooty) 52 Jaya Vijayan. et al. / Journal of Science / Vol 4 / Issue 1 / 2014 / 50-54. Plate 1 13.Cupressus torulosa D.Don (Cupressaceae)(Pl.-1D) English name: Himalayan Cypress Tree 15 - 35 m tall.Crown large oval to broadly conical. Bark thick, grey brown or brown, peeling off in longitudinal strips. Branches slender, drooping, with thin, whip-like tips. Branchlets cylindrical, nearly quadrangular, branching in whorls. Leaves scale-like, closely appressed, obtuse. Male cone sub globular, 5 6mm long. Female cones globose or elliptic, grouped on very short stalks, 10 - 20 mm across. Seeds 6 - 8 to each scale, red-brown. Distribution: Western Himalaya Notes: It grows well as a graceful tree and very useful as an avenue tree with grand scenic effect. Wood is pale yellow with pale brown heartwood, hard and durable. DISCUSSION The present study resulted in the collection of 13 species of temperate Himalayan trees spreading over 11genera and 10families. Among these 13 trees, 2 of them are gymnosperms such as Cupressus torulosa D.Don. and Cedrus deodara (D.Don) G.Don. The successful inhabitants of these species indicates the role of botanic gardens fo r providing suitable habitats for plants from 53 Jaya Vijayan. et al. / Journal of Science / Vol 4 / Issue 1 / 2014 / 50-54. varied climatic zones of the country. The species of Acer such as Acer caudatum Wall, Acer laevigatum Wall and Acer oblongum Wall ex DC are generally planted as shade trees, in street plantings and also for landscape works because of its attractive appearance. The dense round head of foliage and showy white flowers of Aesculus hippocastanus L., the pendulous catkins of Alnus nepalensis D.Don and big sized flowers of Magnolia campbellii Hook. f & Thomson, attracts the visitors during flowering period. Ficus elastica Roxb.ex Hornem is one of the best known member of moraceae and it is grown indoors in cooler climates and outdoors in warmer tropical climates. The gymnosperm species such as Cupressus torulosa D.Don is good looking tree with pale yellow wood and Cedrus deodara (D.Don). G.Don. is attracted because of its pyramidal crown and drooping foliage. CONCLUSION The temperate ornamental trees possess an unusually beautiful character due to their attractive flowers, shape, interesting form and also for their wide adaptability. They make wonderful focal points in a landscape and add interest in avenues and gardens. The present study also reveals the importance of botanical gardens for ex-situ conservation of our plant diversity. The occurrence of such plants in the botanical gardens also provides an opportunity to both students and researchers to understand more about plants in varied climatic zones of the country. REFERENCES 1. Hobbs RJ, Managing plant populations in fragmented landscapes: restoration or gardening. Australian Journal of Botany, 55, 2007, 371–374. 2. Bhattacharjee SK, Landscape gardening and design with plants, Aavishkar Publishers Distributors, Jodhpur, 2004, 1 16. 3. Brandis D, Indian trees, London Archibald F.L.S Constable & Co Ltd, 1978. 4. Britton NL, Botanical Gardens. Bull Torr Bot Club, 23(9), 1896, 331-345. 5. Michael BJ, Botanical gardens and arboreta: Future directions, American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta, New York, 1986. 6. John A, Jackson PW, A Handbook for Botanic gardens on the re-introduction of plants to the wild, Botanic Garden Conservation International, United Kingdom, 1995, 1-11. 7. 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