The Andaman Islands fall within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. While endemism estimated to be a modest 17%, the islands share about 65% of its tree species with south-west Myanmar. [1] Early explorers like Wilhelm Sulpiz Kurz documented the flora of the region, and Charles Edward Parkinson published a Flora of the Andaman Islands [2] with important tree species of the region. Since then, a number of tree species have been described. [3] [4] A comprehensive checklist of flora of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been published by the Botanical Survey of India - a 3-volume flora is currently under preparation of which the first volume was published in 2008. [5]
This checklist includes trees and other flora listed in Parkinson (1923). [2] It includes most native tree species and some exotic trees species.
Family | Scientific name | Old name (as per Parkinson 1923) |
---|---|---|
Dilleniaceae | Dillenia pilosa | |
Dillenia scabrella | ||
Dillenia pentagyna | ||
Delima sarmentosa | ||
Magnoliceae | Magnolia andamanica | Talauma andamanica |
Schisandraceae | Kadsura roxburghiana | |
Annonaceae | Orophea hexandra | |
Orophea polycarpa | ||
Miliusa tectona | ||
Polyalthia andamanica | ||
Maasia glauca | Polyalthia parkinsonii | |
Polyalthia simiarum | ||
Goniothalamus macranthus | Melodorum macranthum | |
Goniothalamus meeboldii | Mitrephora prainii | |
Sageraea elliptica | ||
Unona dasymaschala | ||
Popowia nitida | ||
Popowia kurzii | ||
Phaeanthus andamanicus | ||
Anaxagorea luzonensis | ||
Artabotrys speciosus | ||
Oxymitra fornicata | ||
Uvaria hamiltonii | ||
Uvaria andamanica | ||
Menispermaceae | Tinospora cordifolia | |
Antitaxis calocarpa | ||
Capparidaceae | Capparis sepiaria | |
Capparis floribunda | ||
Capparis ambigua | ||
Capparis tenera | ||
Capparis horrida | ||
Capparis micracantha | ||
Alsodeia roxburghii | ||
Alsodeia bengalensis | ||
Flacourtiaceae | Scolopia crenata | |
Ryparosa kurzii | ||
Euphorbiaceae | Drypetes longifolia | |
Polygalaceae | Xanthophyllum andamanicum | |
Hypericaceae | Cratoxylon formosum | |
Calophyllaceae | Calophyllum inophyllum | |
Calophyllum spectabile | ||
Calophyllum amoenum | ||
Mesua ferrea | ||
Mesua manii | Kayea manii | |
Clusiaceae | Garcinia mangostana | |
Garcinia xanthochymus | ||
Garcinia andamanica | ||
Garcinia cowa | ||
Garcinia speciosa | ||
Garcinia microstigma | ||
Garcinia kydia | ||
Garcinia cadelliana | ||
Pentaphylacaceae | Ternstroemia penangiana | |
Dipterocarpaceae | Dipterocarpus grandiflorus | Dipterocarpus griffithii |
Dipterocarpus gracilis | Dipterocarpus turbinatus var. andamanicus | |
Dipterocarpus kerrii | ||
Dipterocarpus alatus | Dipterocarpus incanus | |
Dipterocarpus costatus | ||
Hopea odorata | ||
Hopea andamanica / sp | ||
Ancistrocladaceae | Ancistrocladus extensus | |
Ancistrocladus attenuatus | ||
Malvaceae | Hibiscus tiliaceus | |
Hibiscus abelmoschus | ||
Hibiscus scandens | ||
Thespesia populnea | ||
Eriodendron anfractuosum | ||
Bombax insigne | ||
Pterygota alata | Sterculia alata | |
Pterocymbium tinctorium | Sterculia campanulata | |
Sterculia parviflora | ||
Sterculia rubiginosa | ||
Sterculia villosa | ||
Sterculia colorata | ||
Heritiera littoralis | ||
Pterospermum aceroides | ||
Leptonychia glabra | ||
Berrya ammonilla | ||
Grewia calophylla | ||
Grewia laevigata | ||
Grewia microcos | ||
Brownlowia lanceolata | ||
Elaeocarpus aristatus | ||
Elaeocarpus robustus | ||
Rutaceae | Acronychia laurifolia | |
Atalantia monophylla | ||
Evodia glabra | ||
Limonia alata | ||
Zanthoxylum budrunga | ||
Zanthoxylum andamanicum | ||
Micromelum pubescens | ||
Murraya exotica | ||
Glycosmis pentaphylla | ||
Simaroubaceae | Samadera lucida | |
Picrasma javanica | ||
Ailanthus kurzii | ||
Ochnaceae | Ochna wallichii | |
Gomphia hookeriii | ||
Burseraceae | Garuga pinnata | |
Canarium euphyllum | ||
Canarium coccineo-bracteatum | ||
Canarium denticulatum | Canarium manii | |
Ganophyllum falcatum | ||
Meliaceae | Sandoricum indicum | |
Carapa moluccensis | ||
Carapa obovata | ||
Chukrasia tabularis | ||
Chisocheton grandiflorus | ||
Dysoxylum arborescens | ||
Dysoxylum thyrsoideum | ||
Dysoxylum andamanicum | ||
Aglaia ganggo | ||
Aglaia glaucescens | ||
Aglaia fusca | ||
Aglaia andamanica | ||
Walsura candollei | ||
Walsura hypoleuca | ||
Walsura robusta | ||
Amoora wallichii | ||
Amoora rohituka | ||
Azadirachta indica | ||
Dichapetalaceae | Dichapetalum gelonioides subsp. andamanicum | Chailletiaandamanica |
Olacaceae | Ximenia americana | |
Icacinaceae | Gomphandra andamanica | |
Celastraceae | Glyptopetalum calocarpum | |
Elaeodendron subrotundum | ||
Kurrimia pulcherrima | ||
Sapindaceae | Pometia pinnata | |
Harpullia cupanioides | ||
Erioglossum rubiginosum | ||
Mischocarpus sundaicus | ||
Arytera littoralis | ||
Lepisanthus andamanica | ||
Nephelium sp | ||
Anacardiaceae | Mangifera andamanica | |
Mangifera sylvatica | ||
Buchanania platyneura | ||
Semecarpus prainii | ||
Semecarpus kurzii | ||
Drimycarpus racemosus | ||
Anacardium occidentale | ||
Bouea burmanica | ||
Spondias mangifera | ||
Odina/lannea wodier/coromandelia | ||
Parishia insignis | ||
Dracantomelum mangiferum | ||
Connaraceae | Ellipanthus calophyllus | |
Fabaceae | Desmodium umbellatum | |
Sophora tomentosa | ||
Erythrina indica | ||
Pongamia glabra | ||
Pterocarpus dalbergioides | ||
Cynometra ramiflora | ||
Afzelia bijuga | ||
Cassia nodosa | ||
Peltophorum ferrugineum | ||
Adenanthera pavonina | ||
Albizzia stipulata | ||
Albizzia lebbek | ||
Albizzia procera | ||
Pithecelobium angulatum | ||
Rosaceae | Prunus martabanica | |
Pygeum acuminatum | ||
Escalloniaceae | Polyosma integrifolia | |
Rhizophoraceae | Rhizophora mucronata | |
Rhizophora conjugata | ||
Bruguiera gymnorhiza | ||
Bruguiera parviflora | ||
Ceriops candolleana | ||
Carallia lucida | ||
Combretaceae | Terminalia procera | |
Terminalia catappa | ||
Terminalia bialata | ||
Terminalia manii | ||
Lumnitzera coccinea | ||
Lumnitzera racemosa | ||
Gyrocarpus americanus | ||
Myrtaceae | Eugenia javanica | |
Eugenia manii | ||
Eugenia kurzii | ||
Eugenia acuminatissima | ||
Eugenia claviflora | ||
Eugenia jambolana | ||
Eugenia andamanica | ||
Eugenia grata | ||
Eugenia cymosa | ||
Barringtonia speciosa | ||
Barringtonia racemosa | ||
Planchonia andamanica | ||
Careya valida | ||
Melastomataceae | Memecylon caeruleum | |
Memecylon edule | ||
Memecylon andamanicum | ||
Memecylon pauciflorum | ||
Memecylon elegans | ||
Lythraceae | Pemphis acidula | |
Sonneratia acida | ||
Sonneratia alba | ||
Lagerstroemia hypoleuca | ||
Duabanga sonneratioides | ||
Crypteronia paniculata | ||
Salicaceae | Casearia andamanica | |
Tetramelaceae | Tetrameles nudiflora | |
Araliaceae | Brassaiopsis palmata | |
Heteropanax fragrans | ||
Arthrophyllum diversifoium | ||
Rubiaceae | Stephegyne diversifolia | |
Anthocephalus cadamba | ||
Nauclea gageana | ||
Nauclea pururascens | ||
Morinda citrifolia | ||
Uncaria pedicellata | ||
Mussaenda macrophylla | ||
Webera kurzii | ||
Ixora brunnescens | ||
Ixora finlaysoniana | ||
Guettarda speciosa | ||
Scyphiphora hydrophyllaceae | ||
Randia densiflora | ||
Randia exaltata | ||
Canthium glabrum | ||
Timonius jambosella | ||
Gardenia coronaria | ||
Myrsinaceae | Ardisia humilis | |
Ardisia andamanica | ||
Aegiceras majus | ||
Maesa ramentaceae | ||
Sapotaceae | Mimosops littoralis | |
Mimosops elengi | ||
Bassia butyraceae | ||
Planchonellalongipetiolata | Sideroxylon longipetiolatum | |
Sideroxylon ferrugineum | ||
Ebenaceae | Diospyros kurzii | |
Diospyros oocarpa | ||
Diospyros pyrhocarpa | ||
Diospyros undulata | ||
Diospyros pilosula | ||
Diospyros montana | ||
Symplocaceae | Symplocos racemosa | |
Oleaceae | Chionanthus parkinsonii | Linociera parkinsonii |
Chionanthus mala-elengi subsp. terniflorus | Linociera terniflora | |
Apocynaceae | Ochrosia borbonica | |
Alstonia kurzii | ||
Hunteria corymbosa | ||
Tabernaemontana crispa | ||
Wrightia tomentosa | ||
Cerbera odallam | ||
Loganiaceae | Fagraea morindaefolia | |
Boraginaceae | Cordia subcordata | |
Cordia grandis | ||
Ehretia laevis | ||
Tournefortia argentea | ||
Bignoniaceae | Dolichandrone rheedii | |
Heterophragma adenophyllum | ||
Pajanella rheedii | ||
Oroxylum indicum | ||
Verbenaceae | Premna integrifolia | |
Avicennia officinalis | ||
Gmelina arborea | ||
Vitex diversifolia | ||
Vitex glabrata | ||
Nyctaginaceae | Pisonia umbellifera | Pisonia excelsa |
Myristicaceae | Knema andamanica | Myristica glaucescens |
Myristica andamanica | ||
Endocomia macrocoma var. prainii | Myristica prainii | |
Horsfieldia irya | Myristica irya | |
Horsfieldia glabra | Myristica glabra | |
Lauraceae | Cinnamomum obtusifolium | |
Litsea chinensis | ||
Litsea leiantha | ||
Litsea panamonja | ||
Litsea kurzii | ||
Cryptocarya andamanica | ||
Cryptocarya ferrarsi | ||
Cryptocarya caesia | ||
Cryptocarya amygdalina | ||
Dehaasia kurzii | ||
Hernandiaceae | Hernandia peltata | |
Proteaceae | Helicia excelsa | |
Opiliaceae | Champereia manillana | |
Euphorbiaceae | Euphorbia trigona | |
Euphorbia epiphylloides | ||
Phyllanthus columnaris | ||
Bridelia tomentosa | ||
Glochidion calocarpum | ||
Glochidion andamanicum | ||
Glochidion hirsutum | ||
Cyclostemon assamicus | ||
Cyclostemon macrophyllus | ||
Gelonium multiflorum | ||
Gelonium bifarium | ||
Cliesanthus myrianthus | ||
Aporosa villosula | ||
Macaranga andamanica | ||
Macaranga indica | ||
Macaranga tanarius | ||
Endospermum malaccense | ||
Baccaurea sapida | ||
Sapium baccatum | ||
Croton argyratus | ||
Mallotus acuminatus | ||
Mallotus philippinensis | ||
Mallotus andamanicus | ||
Mallotus kurzii | ||
Excoecaria agallocha | ||
Hemicyclia andamanica | ||
Cleidion javanicum | ||
Cleidion nitidum | ||
Homonoia riparia | ||
Claoxylon indicum | ||
Bischofia javanica | ||
Cannabaceae | Celtis wightii | |
Celtis cinnamomea | ||
Trema amboinensis | ||
Gironniera subaequalis | ||
Gironniera luidca | ||
Moraceae | Ficus hispida | |
Ficus brevicuspis | ||
Ficus rumphfii | ||
Ficus glomerata | ||
Ficus variegata | ||
Ficus benjamina | ||
Ficus retusa | ||
Ficus glabella | ||
Ficus gibbosa | ||
Ficus scandens | ||
Ficus obtusifolia | ||
Ficus indica | ||
Ficus infectoria | ||
Ficus altissima | ||
Ficus ramentacea | ||
Ficus callosa | ||
Ficus nervosa | ||
Ficus glaberrima | ||
Artocarpus gomeziana | ||
Artocarpus lakoocha | ||
Artocarpus chaplasha | ||
Antiaris toxicaria | ||
Morus laevigata | ||
Streblus asper | ||
Phyllochlamys spinosa | ||
Plecospermum andamanicum | ||
Urticaceae | Pipturus veluntinus | |
Casuarinaceae | Casuarina equisetifolia | |
Podocarpaceae | Podocarpus neerifolia | |
Cycadaceae | Cycas rumphfii | |
Marantaceae | Donax canniformis | Clinogyne grandis |
Flagellariaceae | Flagellaria indica | |
Pandanaceae | Pandanus tectorius | |
Pandanus andamanensium | ||
Pandanus leram | ||
Freycinetia sp | ||
Asparagaceae | Dracaena angustifolia | |
Dracaena spicata | ||
Arecaceae | Phoenix paludosa | |
Nipa fruticans | ||
Pinanga manii | ||
Pinanga kuhlii | ||
Calamus andamanicus | ||
Calamus pseudorivalis | ||
Calamus palustris | ||
Calamus longisetus | ||
Calamus viminalis | ||
Daemonorops kurzianus | ||
Daemonorops manii | ||
Korthalasia laciniosa | ||
Caryota mitis | ||
Corypha umbraculifera | ||
Licuala peltata | ||
Licuala spinosa | ||
Poaceae | Phragmites karka | |
Tripidium arundinaceum (syn. Saccharum arundinaceum) | ||
Thysanolaena agrostis | ||
Oxytenanthera nigrociliata | ||
Bambusa lineata | ||
Bambusa schizostachyoides | ||
Schizostachyum rogersii | ||
Dinochloa andamanica |
The Andaman Islands are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about 130 km (81 mi) southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. Most of the islands are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India, while the Coco Islands and Preparis Island are part of the Yangon Region of Myanmar.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India consisting of 572 islands, of which 38 are inhabited, at the junction of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The territory is about 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea. It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands (partly) and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 150 km wide Ten Degree Channel, with the Andaman islands to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobar islands to the south. The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west. The island chains are thought to be a submerged extension of the Arakan Mountains.
The Nicobar Islands rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Nicobar Islands. The Nicobar Islands are in the Indian Ocean, lying north of Sumatra and south of the Andaman Islands. The islands are politically part of India, although physically closer to Southeast Asia. Millions of years of isolation from the mainland has given rise to a distinct flora and fauna, including many endemic species.
Homonoia is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described in 1790. These are rheophytes and usually found in groups at riverbanks in India, southern China, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea.
Narcondam, India's easternmost island, is a small volcanic island located in the northern Andaman Sea. The island's peak rises to 710 m above mean sea level, and it is formed of andesite. It is part of the Andaman Islands, the main body of which lie approximately 74 km (46 mi) to the west.The island is part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The island is small, covering an area of approximately 6.8 square kilometres. It was classified as a dormant volcano by the Geological Survey of India.
The Nicobar long-tailed macaque is a subspecies of the crab-eating macaque, endemic to the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This primate is found on three of the Nicobar Islands—Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal—in biome regions consisting of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.
India is home to a large variety of wildlife. It is a biodiversity hotspot with its various ecosystems ranging from the Himalayas in the north to the evergreen rain forests in the south, the sands of the west to the marshy mangroves of the east. India lies within the Indomalayan realm and is the home to about 7.6% of mammal, 14.7% of amphibian, 6% of bird, 6.2% of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species. India's forest lands nurture about 500 species of mammals and more than 2000 bird species.
Dendrobium formosum is a species of orchid.
Barleria prionitis is a shrub in the family Acanthaceae, native to Island and Mainland Southeast Asia, China, the Indian Subcontinent, the Arabian Peninsula and northeastern Africa. It is widely spread as an ornamental and weed, occurring in naturalised populations around the world. It used not only as an ornamental but also as a hedge and extensively as a component of folk medicines. As a weed it is regarded as problematic in many areas.
Ancistrocladus tectorius is a species in the monogeneric family Ancistrocladaceae found in China (Hainan), Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Vietnamese name is trung quân lợp nhà; Chinese: 钩枝藤, gou zhi teng.
Finschia is a genus of three recognised species of large trees, constituting part of the plant family Proteaceae. They grow naturally in New Guinea and its surrounding region, in habitats from luxuriant lowland rainforests to steep highland forests.
Bridelia retusa is a species of Bridelia found in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, southern China, Indochina, Thailand and Sumatra.
Biogeographic classification of India is the division of India according to biogeographic characteristics. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species (biology), organisms, and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. India has a rich heritage of natural diversity. India ranks fourth in Asia and tenth in the world amongst the top 17 mega-diverse countries in the world. India harbours nearly 11% of the world's floral diversity comprising over 17500 documented flowering plants, 6200 endemic species, 7500 medicinal plants and 246 globally threatened species in only 2.4% of world's land area. India is also home to four biodiversity hotspots—Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Eastern Himalaya, Indo-Burma region, and the Western Ghats. Hence the importance of biogeographical study of India's natural heritage.
Mimusops andamanensis is a species of plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is native to Sri Lanka and the Andaman Islands.
Ilex umbellulata is an evergreen tree species related to holly, generally four to fifteen metres in height. It is found in Southeast Asia. This tree is most often found growing in forests.
Elaeocarpus stipularis is a tree in the Elaeocarpaceae family. It is found from the Aru Islands, eastern Indonesia, to Philippines, and through Mainland Southeast Asia to Odisha, India. It has edible fruit, its wood is used and some medical uses are ascribed to it.
Aporosa octandra is a species of plant in the family Phyllanthaceae found from Queensland and New Guinea to Indonesia, Zhōngguó/China and India. It is a highly variable plant with 4 named varieties. Its wood is used in construction and to make implements, its fruit is edible. The Karbi people of Assam use the plant for dyeing, textile colours have quite some significance in their culture.
Aporosa villosa is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Phyllanthaceae. It is found in Southeast Asia, including the Nicobar, Andaman and Paracel Islands. There are some traditional medicinal uses for plant, particularly around care after childbirth. The shrub is often a pioneer species, tolerant of full sun, but intolerant of frequent fires.
The Narcondam shrew is a white-toothed shrew in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Narcondam Island, a small, remote, volcanic island situated in Andaman Sea and considered part of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. It was discovered in April 2020 and was described about a year later in 2021.
The medical ethnobotany of India is the study of Indian medicinal plants and their traditional uses. Plants have been used in India for treatment of disease and health maintenance for thousands of years, and remain important staples of health and folk medicine for millions. Indians today utilize plants for both primary medical care and as supplementary treatment alongside modern medical science. It is estimated that 70% of rural Indians use traditional plant based remedies for primary healthcare needs. This reliance of plants for medicine is consistent with trends widely observed in the developing world, where between 65% and 80% of people use medicinal plant remedies.