SURVEY AND DOCUMENTATION OF PLANT SPECIES IN NORTH COIMBATORE

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INTRODUCTION
A flora is an inventory of the plants of a defined biogeographical region. The floristic studies are considered as the backbone of the assessment of phytodiversity, conservation management and sustainable utilization of bioresources of a region. Those are helpful in providing clues of changing floristic pattern, new invasions, current status, rare, endemic and threatened (RET) taxa in a phytogeographical area.
A thorough taxonomic study of the flora and forest is essential to understand and assess the richness of their biodiversity. Quantitative inventories help to identify species that are in different stages of vulnerability [1] as well as the various factors that influence the existing vegetation in any region. Moreover in any resource management programs, continuous updating of data about any vegetation, flora and economically relevant plants of the region is an important component of bio-prospecting tools [2].
India possesses a rich biological diversity and incorporates two megadiversity centers. However, large concern exists on the conservation and sustainable utilization of these rich bioresources. The majority of rural communities living in *Correspondence: Revathi, P., PG and Research Department of Botany, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore -641029, Tamil Nadu, India. E.mail: revathip_bo@kongunaducollege.ac.in mountain and hill regions use wild and noncultivated edible plant species for food, medicine and other purposes [3,4,5]. Both in anthropology and ecology, a now classical distinction has been made between hunter gatherers and agriculturalists. The former were seen to rely regularly on noncultivated managed plants, and the latter strictly on cultivated ones [6].
In recent years, various studies have shown that non-cultivated wild gathered plants play an important role in supplying seasonal food in rural Mediterranean communities [7] (Rivera et al. 2005). However, their availability, use, status and contribution to livelihood security are poorly documented, and they have been generally overlooked in recent agro-biodiversity conservation and management programmes [8]. Without flora and fauna, humans cannot exist. The flora generates and releases oxygen, which is needed by the fauna for respiratory purposes. In return, the fauna produces and releases carbon dioxide, which is needed by the flora for photosynthesis. It's a symbiotic kind of relationship. In the same line, humans cannot get by without both flora and fauna. The oxygen that we breathe in comes from the flora, and the carbon dioxide we exhale is vital for the flora. Besides, plants are an essential resource for human well-being. Ecology is the study of the relation and the interactions between organisms and their environment. It comprises the floral and faunal communities of an area. With changes in environmental conditions, structure, density and composition of plants, animals also undergo changes [9].
Crop wild relatives remain the largest reservoir of genetic diversity for crop improvement and have been utilized for major gene disease and pest resistance, and abiotic stress tolerance [10]. It is estimated that on the Earth there are between 300,000 and 500,000 species of higher plants, of which approximately 369,000 have been identified or described [11]. Many species are still unknown to science, while perhaps a third is at risk of extinction [12]. Approximately, 2,500 species have undergone some degree of domestication, and 250 species are considered to be fully domesticated, in the sense that their full lifecycle became dependent on human cultivation [13,14].
Flora of southern Western Ghats regions of Coimbatore and Nilgiri mountains were botanically described by Gardener (1845), Lushington (1902), Fischer (1906Fischer ( , 1921 and Bladder (1908). The flora in Coimbatore city and its environs was studied by Chandrabose (1967), and Chandrabose and Nair (1988) published the Flora of Coimbatore. Some additions to the flora of Anamalai hills of Coimbatore district were compiled by Vajravelu and Joseph (1974) and no comprehensive floristic account of the floristic diversity of Coimbatore, particularly on the plants of the Madukkarai hills of Coimbatore and its environs [15].
Due to civilization, the core environmental changes have been observed in cities where documentation of cultivated and wild species has yet to be done for future studies over the seasonal changes and study of relationship between humans and plants in recent scenarios. Based on the above fundamentals, the following objectives have been framed to accomplish the project.  To categorize the area for study to document the floristic composition.  To identify and documentation of flowering plants available in the study period (November to April).  To know the availability of the various plant species in the area.  To identify the cultivation and wild plant species of the selected area  To create awareness about the availability of plant species and beneficial information for the researchers.

Study Area
Coimbatore North comprises of Periyanaickenpalayam, Annur, Karamadai, Sarcarsamakulam (S. S. Kulum). Coimbatore is located at11.0161°N 76.971°E. The city is located on the bank of Noyyal River surrounded by Western Ghats, at a distance of 490 kilometres (300 mi) south-west of Chennai, 190 kilometres (120 mi) south of Mysore, 330 kilometres (210 mi) south of Bangalore. It is located in the western part of the state in the Kongu Nadu region. The annual rainfall throughout the year is 616.7mm. A project plan was framed on the theme of beneficial and ornamental flowering wild and cultivated available plants in Coimbatore. Local community blended flora was an important part of this study. The study area map is represented in (Figure -1

).2.2 Methods of Data Collection
In this floristic study, the flowering vascular plants of cultivated and wild species have been documented during November 2021 to April 2022 in the North Coimbatore city area. Four visits of each zone of the study area were made and plants collected with different flowering seasons are considered for more information. The photos collected from the area have been considered for the identification of the same with the help of taxonomists. The identified plant species are traced for their family and common name. The collected information has been tabulated and photographs are documented. The data is analyzed for the availability of the species for their composition in north Coimbatore, family dispersion, and habit status over the cultivated and wild plant species of the study area. Before starting the field work, preliminary information about the geographical area of study, its physiological features, climatic seasons, etc. were collected. The photographs of the plant are represented in the plate 1 to 4.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The survey results provided that there are 102 plant species of wild and cultivated plant species in study area ( In a previous study, 300 plant species belonging to 206 genera and 72 families have been recorded from the area under study. The monocots were represented by 59 species belonging to 35 genera and 7 families, and dicots contributing 241 species belonging to 169 genera and 65 families. Based on habit classification of the enumerated plants, the majority of species were herbs (176 species) followed by climbers (53 species), trees (39 species) and shrubs (32 species) [16].
In another study, the total area of Karunya university campus constitutes about 0.001770% of the total area of the Western Ghats. If a small part of the Western Ghats is so diverse, then one can imagine the biodiversity of the whole Western Ghats. Identified different trees from 53 genera belonging to 27 families and ornamental plants from 58 genera belonging to 32 families and have studied their properties and uses [17].
Synthesis of ethnomedical uses and modern biological knowledge has been done on 40 medicinal plants used by women in hamlets in and around Anaikatty hills of Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu. Women in these areas possess a rich knowledge of medicinal plants and still continue the medical tradition of using plants as medicine for themselves, their families and others around them [18].
A previous study reported that 30 plant species belong to 26 genera and 21 families. Among plant families Arecaceae and Fabaceae are dominant with 3 species followed by Moraceae, Poaceae, Apocynaceae, Typhaceae and Solanaceae with 2 species each and rest of the families with 01 species each respectively [19]. In the present study, though the information is not collected from the indigenous people but the urban flora distribution has been evaluated and represented.

Habit
Habit of cultivated plant species recorded as Herb 11, shrub 22, climbers 7, and tree 26 of the plant specimens. It indicates the cultivation of trees for various purposes in the study area. It needs to improve further to get all the ecological services.
The hamlets lying adjacent to the Periyanayakkanpalayam forest range have been evaluated in a previous survey. The floral elements in the tribal hamlets are dominated by wild shrubs and trees whereas in the harijan hamlet they are dominated by herbaceous plants and cultivated crops. Some ethnobotanical studies have been conducted on the use of medicinal plants by the Irula tribes in Coimbatore and Anaikatty [20,21].
Habit of wild plant species recorded in present survey as Herb 16, shrub 08, climbers 1, and tree 09 of the plant specimens. It indicates that the high anthropogenic influence causes the herb domination in and around the residence of study area.

Fig. 3. Habit Distribution of Wild Plants Species
Many trees were very old and appear to be carefully conserved by the peoples looking to the benefits such as small timber for construction and agricultural purposes, fuel wood, fruits, fodder and other benefits rendered by trees [21]. In present study, domesticated for their commercial benefits or consumption benefits either may be for food or ornamental or shade due to their large canopy. The species like Tarmarindus indica, Ficus carica, Mimusops elengi, Alangium salviifoliunm, Terminalia catappa, Cassia fistula are cultivated for shade particularly since those trees are having large enough canopy.

CONCLUSION
There is not much awareness acquired by the local people about the importance and conservation of these wild plants, even though they play a significant role in our day-to-day life. The remarkable adaptation of plants, various disturbances including their ability to accumulate toxins in their environment suggest an important plant species in conservation. In this survey, no rare status plants have been observed in this study area. Hence it is indicating that the area is completely civilized and the land area around the residence has been highly influenced by human beings. The wild species documented in this area are herbaceous weed plants blooming at every rainy season.
This study suggests that the wild plants are highly destroyed for various purposes and lead to have only herbaceous weeds around us. The most benefited trees like Azadirachta indica, Phyllanthus emblica, Psidium guajava, Moringa oleifera, Murraya koenigii are domesticated for their commercial benefits or consumption benefits either may be for food or ornamental or shade due to their large canopy. Hence the cultivation of trees, greening of bare lands and protection management has to be initiated to increase the green cover of the study area -north Coimbatore to regain misty, moderate climate as the identity of Coimbatore. It will definitely improve the wild fauna lives of the area and other ecological services like rainfall, pure air and beauty of nature to enjoy.