Western Ghats

Plants found in Western Ghats

A total of 28 plants in the Brahma Database are found in Western Ghats.

Species name	Common name	Common hindi name	Habitat details
Acacia concinna	Soap pod	शिकाकाई Shikakai	Rain forest, disturbed forest, open grassland, fields, creek sides, in open areas often a sprawling shrub; also recorded from limestone; altitude 50-1050 m
Azadirachta indica	Neem	नीम Neem	Mainly a tropical and subtropical species, it grows mainly in low-lying areas and wooded areas in India and Sri Lanka. Neem is known to grow well under less water availability and thus is a hardy species. The species has been naturalized now in several other countries like Indonesia and Australia. The plant is found growing along road sides, near temples, wooded areas, forest edges, gardens, deciduous forests etc.
Azolla pinnata	Mosquito fern, Duckweed fern, Fairy moss, Water fern		A. pinnata is a wetland, aquatic species. found freely floating on water, in inundated rice fields, canals and ponds. Azolla cannot survive winters with prolonged freezing, so is often grown as an ornamental plant at high latitudes where it cannot establish itself firmly enough to become a weed. It is not tolerant to salinity; normal plants can't survive in greater than 1-1.6‰, and even conditioned organisms die in over 5.5% salinity. Other Azolla species are also serious weeds in many parts of the world, entirely covering some bodies of water. The myth that no mosquito can penetrate the coating of fern to lay its eggs in the water gives the plant its common name "mosquito fern".
Calotropis procera	Rubber bush, apple of Sodom	Aak आक, Mudar मुदर
Catharanthus roseus	Tiny Periwinkle, Vinca	सदाबहार Sadabaha	Of the eight species of Catharanthus, seven are endemic to Madagascar and the one - C. roseus - is also found in India. This unlikely coincidence is probably because India and Madagascar were joined in the Pangaea before the movement of continents. C. roseus grows best in warm climates and is hardy with respect to its nutritional and water requirements. Madagascar periwinkle is a tolerant plant that can become established in a variety of tropical and subtropical habitats. In Madagascar, the plant’s native home, it has been collected in open woods, shrublands, grasslands, and disturbed areas, along roadsides, and on beaches and limestone rocks. It is found from sea level to 900 m altitude, on a variety of substrates.
Curcuma longa	Common Turmeric	हल्दी Haldi	Cultivated, Cultivated fields and Plains, Fields,Gardens, Kitchen gardens,Shaded moist places & Rocky Cliffs in primary forests
Elettaria cardamomum	Cardamom, Green cardamom	इलाएची Elaichi	Cardamom is a shade loving plant (40-60%) cultivated in an altitude of 600 to 1200 m above MSL with an annual rainfall of 1500 to 4000 mm and a temperature range of 10 to 35°C. It is susceptible to wind and hence, gentle sloppy lands facing eastern or northern directions are considered ideal for its cultivation. It is generally grown in the evergreen forests where the surface soil is enriched by the deposition of organic matter due to organic recycling. The cardamom soils are found to be clay loam, distinctly acidic (5.0 to 6.6 pH), rich in organic matter (5.92%) and low in available phosphorous (14.71 kg/ha) and potassium (156.2 kg/ha) depicting the characteristics of the humid tropic soils (Kulkarni et al., 1971). It grows on a variety of soils from white quartz gravel, with only a shallow zone of humus accumulation, to chocolate coloured forest loams extending to considerable depths below the humus layer and red loamy soils. The soil depth is fairly deep with good drainage. Most of the cardamom growing soils are situated in heavy rainfall areas and therefore suffers from leaching of nutrients (Zachariah 1975)
Ensete superbum	Rock banana, Wild plantain	जंगली केला jungli kela
Garcinia cambogia	Gamboge tree
Hiptage benghalensis	Hiptage, Helicopter flower	माधवी लता Madhavi Lata, अतिमुक्त Atimukta	The plant is naturalized and cultivated in some regions. It grows in damp places. Needs presence of other trees in vicinity.
Isoetes coromandelina	Club Moss, Quillwort		Isoetes is usually found in aquatic environments and moist soils. They grow solitary or gregarious, in open or closed vegetation, growing near edges of small ponds and lakes. Often locally dominant and can form extensive stands. The distribution of I. coromandelina is hard to define due to difficulties in taxonomic delimitation. Under certain classification schemes, it is classified as endemic to the Indian subcontinent
Jasminum officinale	Common Jasmine, Poet's Jasmine, Spanish Jasmine	चमेली Chameli
Mangifera indica	Mango	आम Am
Marsilea gracilenta	Waterclover
Marsilea minuta	Dwarf waterclover, Small waterclover	चौपतिरा Chaupatira	Shallow pools, river edges, Canals, ditches, rice fields. Most abundant in temporarily flooded places where it may form large and dense colonies which can become locally dominant. TOLERATES CONSIDERABLE ORGANIC POLLUTION. Sporocarps develop as water recedes.
Mesua ferrea	Cobra saffron, Ceylon ironwood, Indian rose chestnut	नाग चम्पा Nag champa, नागकेसर Nagkesar
Microsorum pteropus	Java fern		The plant usually grows as a rheophyte on the edges of mountain streams, but some ecotypes can grow completely underwater. The species is native to Tropical Asia, whether India is not clear.
Mimusops elengi	Spanish cherry, Bullet wood	बकुल Bakul, मौलसरी Maulsari	Mimusops elengi is found often near the coast, but is also found inland, upto 600m altitude. It doesnt require a lot of water and can grow where here is slightly seasonal rainfall. Usually found in dry habitats, but requires fertile soil to mature. It can stand waterlogging for up to 2 months. It is tolerant of light frost.
Murraya exotica	Chinese box, Orange Jasmine	Kamini कामिनी	The native range is China, India, Sri Lanka and other regions in South East Asia. It is a tropical species and has also been naturalized in many locations such as Puerto Rico. Some authors consider M. paniculata and M. exotica as separate species, but they have been identified in the Species 2000 list as synonyms. The plant is highly adapted to many environments and can grow from sea level to 1300m. Grows on soils derived from both sedimentary and igneous rocks, although it may prefer limestone areas. Plants are hardy and survive at temperatures upto -4C.
Nelumbo nucifera	Water Lily, Lotus, Sacred Lotus, East Indian Lotus	कमल Kamal	Rooted hydrophyte. The plant has firm roots in the mud and flowers out of the water surface. Hence it needs shallow water bodies to grow. It grows in permanent water bodies,small ponds and shallow areas of lakes and rivers, upto altitudes of 400m. The plant adds to the dissolved oxygen in water and thus is important for the health of the flora and fauna in the water bodies. It also provides solid substrate and shade for its cohabitants. The plant is also found abundantly in China and other East Asian countries, where also it is highly culturally integrated. It is possible that the locus of origin of Nelumbo nucifera is the sub-Himalayan region.
Ocimum tenuiflorum	Holy Basil, Indian Basil	तुलसी Tulsi	This plant is found all across India in a wide range of habitats. In the Himalayas, it is found upto 1800m altitude. Tulsi generally prefers moist soils.
Phyllanthus emblica	Indian Gooseberry, Amla	आमला Amla	The tree is commonly found in deciduous forests in India, upto 4500ft in the hilly regions.
Rauvolfia serpentina	Indian snakeroot, Serpentine wood	सर्पगंधा Sarpagandha	Forests, Evergreen and deciduous forests, slopes of ghats, open areas, undergrowth in semi-evergreen forests, cultivated fields and plains.
Santalum album	Indian Sandalwood, White Sandalwood	चन्दन Chandan	Sandalwood is found in the drier regions in South India, in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, up to 1400 m. Formation of heartwood, which is the source of the sandalwood oil, is said to be best between 600 m and 900 m. Moderate rainfall (850-1200 mm) spread over several months and much sunshine are conducive to good growth. S. album has become naturalized in parts of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and has been introduced into a number of other Indian states. The wood of trees outside their natural range, however, is very variable with respect to oil content and sometimes has little or no aroma.
Saraca indica	Ashoka	अशोक Ashok	The Ashoka tree is native to India. It requires average rainfall and grows in regular soil.
Terminalia chebula	Chebulic Myrobalan, Myrobalan	हर्रा Harra, हरड़ Harad
Zingiber capitatum	Wild Ginger	जंगली अदरक Jangali adrak
Zingiber officinale	Garden ginger	अदरक Adrak	Ginger probably originated as part of the ground flora of tropical lowland forests, where many of its wild relatives can still be found. In cultivation it requires hot, humid, shady conditions and grows best in a fertile loam as it needs large quantities of nutrients.