indian elephant

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Indian Elephant

The Indian Elephant, Elephas maximus indicus, is one of

foursubspecies of theAsian Elephant, the largest population of which is

found in India. This subspecies is also found

in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Laos, Peninsular

Malaysia, Burma/Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.

The other three subspecies of the Asian Elephant are the Sumatran

Elephant (E. m. sumatranus), Sri Lankan Elephant (E. m.

maximus)[1]

and Borneo Elephant (E. m. borneensis).

Habitats

Indian Elephants live in or near the forest jungle, although their habitat

may vary.They usually are found in hot and tropical region. They tend to

be nomadic and roaming in nature and do not stay in one place for more

than a few days. They can live in jungles but gravitate towards areas that

contain open space and grass.

Physical characteristics

Indian Elephant

Conservation status

Not recognized(IUCN 3.1)

Scientificclassification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Elephas

Species: E. maximus

Subspecies: E. m. indicus

Trinomial name

Elephas maximus indicusCuvier, 1798


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Size

The Indian Elephant is up to 6.4 metres (21 ft) long.[Its height at the shoulder is between 2 and 3.5 metres (6.6

and 11.5 ft) and it weighs between 2.7 and 4.5 tonnes (3.0 and 5.0 short tons). [1] It is taller and thinner than the

Asian elephant found in Thailand. The Indian elephant is known for its large amounts of defecation in one time.

The largest Indian Elephant was 8 metres (26 ft) long, stood 3.5 metres (11 ft) and weighed 8 tonnes (8.8 short

tons).[

Body structure

Since Indian Elephants are a subspecies of the Asian Elephants, there are not many differences. Indian

elephants have smaller ears, but relatively broaderskulls and larger trunks than African elephants. Females are

smaller than males and have little or no tusks. Toes are large and broad. The feet and nails are not large.

Unlike their African cousins, theirabdomen is proportionate with their body weight but the African elephant has

a large abdomen as compared to the skulls.

Population and endangerment

The WWF considers the Indian Elephant widely distributed, but endangered. The current population of the

Indian Elephant is in the range of 20,000-25,000. [2]The Indian Elephant was assessed as an endangered

species in 1996 by the Asian Elephant Specialist Group.[3]

Indian Elephants are threatened by poaching for the

ivory of their tusks, by the loss of habitat due to human pressure on forested areas and due to human conflict.

The isolated populations of wild elephants in individual wildlife sanctuaries are also threatened by loss of

habitat.They are used for moving logs and giving people rides.They are rewared with fruit.

Bengal tigerThe Bengal tiger, orRoyal Bengal tiger(Panthera tigris tigris,[1] previously Pantheratigris bengalensis), is a subspecies oftigernative to India,Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. The Bengal tiger is

the most numerous of the tiger subspecies with populations estimated at 1,411 in India, 200 in Bangladesh,

155 in Nepal and 6781 in Bhutan.[2][3][4][5]

The Bengal subspecies P. tigris tigris is the national animal of Bangladesh, while at the species level,

the tigerPanthera tigris is the national animal of India.[6]

Its coat is a yellow to light orange, and the stripes range from dark brown to black; the belly is white, and the tail

is white with black rings. A mutation of the Bengal subspecies, the white tiger, has dark brown or reddish brown

stripes on a white background, and some are entirely white. Black tigers have tawny, yellow or white stripes on

a black background color. The skin of a black tiger, recovered from smugglers, measured 259 cm and was

displayed at the National Museum of Natural History, in New Delhi. The existence of black tigers without stripes

has been reported but not substantiated.[7]


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The total body length, including the tail, of males is 270310 cm, while females are 240265 cm.[8] The tail

measures 85110 cm, and the height at the shoulder is 90110 cm. [9] The average weight of males is 221.2 kg

(487.7 lb), while that of females is 139.7 kg (308 lb).[10]

Male Bengal tigers from the northern Indian subcontinent are as large as Siberian tigers with a greatest length

of skulls of 332376 mm.[11] In northern India and Nepal, males have an average weight of 235 kg (518 lb), and

females 140 kg (308.6 lb).[12]

Recent studies of body weights of the different tiger subspecies have shown that

Bengal tigers are on average larger than Siberian tigers. [10]

The Bengal tiger's roar can be heard for up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away. [13]

Tiger records

A heavy male Bengal tiger weighing 258.6 kg (570 lbs) was shot in Northern India in 1938. [14] In 1980 and

1984, scientists captured and tagged two male tigers (M105 and M026) in Nepal that weighed more than

270 kg (600 lb).[15]

The largest known Bengal tiger was a male with a head and body length of 221 cm

measured between pegs, 150 cm of chest girth, a shoulder height of 109 cm and a tail of just 81 cm, perhaps

bitten off by a rival male. This specimen could not be weighed, but it was calculated to weigh no less than

272 kg.[16] Finally, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the heaviest tiger known was a huge male

hunted in 1967, that measured 322 cm in total length between pegs, 338 cm over curves and weighed 388.7 kg

(857 lb). This specimen was hunted in northern India by David Hasinger and is on exhibition in the Mammals

Hall of the Smithsonian Institution.[17]

In the beginning of the 20th century, there were reports of big males measuring about 12 ft (3.7 m) in total

length; however, there was not scientific corroboration in the field, and it is probable that this measurement wastaken over the curves of the body.[18]

Genetic ancestry

Bengal tigers are defined by three distinct mitochondrial nucleotide sites and 12 unique microsatellite alleles.

The pattern of genetic variation in the Bengal tiger corresponds to the premise that these tigers arrived in India

approximately 12,000 years ago. This recent history of tigers in the Indian subcontinent is consistent with the

lack of tiger fossils from India prior to the late Pleistocene and the absence of tigers from Sri Lanka, which was

separated from the subcontinent by rising sea levels in the early Holocene.[19][20]However, a recent study of two

independent fossil finds from Sri Lanka, one dated to approximately 16,500 years ago, tentatively classifies

them as being a tiger.[21]


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Behaviour and ecology

Tigers do not live in prides as lions do. They do not live as family units because the male plays no part in

raising his offspring. Tigers mark their territory by spraying urine on a branch or leaves or bark of a tree, which

leaves a particular scent behind. Tigers also spray urine to attract the opposite sex. When an outside individual

comes into contact with the scent, it learns that the territory is occupied by another tiger.H

ence, every tigerlives independently in its own territory.

Male Bengal tigers fiercely defend their territory from other tigers, often engaging in serious fighting. Female

tigers are less territorial: occasionally a female will share her territory with other females. If a male happens to

enter a female's territory, he will probably mate with her, if she is not already pregnant or has a litter. If she is

pregnant or has a litter, he has no choice but to find himself a new territory and another potential mate.

Similarly, females entering a male's territory are known to mate with him. Both males and females become

independent of their mother around 18 months old, whereupon the cubs have to establish their own territories

and fend for themselves. A male's territory is larger than a female's territory.

Males reach maturity at 45 years of age, and females at 34 years. Mating can occur at any time, but is most

prevalent between November and April. A tigress comes into heat at intervals of about 39 weeks, and is

receptive for 36 days. After a gestation period of 104106 days, 14 cubs are born in a shelter situated in tall

grass, thick bush or in caves. Newborn cubs weigh 7801600 g (2 lb) and they have a thick wooly fur that is

shed after 3.55 months. Their eyes and ears are closed. Their milk teeth start to erupt at about 23 weeks

after birth, and are slowly replaced by permanent dentition from 8.59.5 weeks of age onwards. They suckle for

36 months, and begin to eat small amounts of solid food at about 2 months of age. At this time, they follow

their mother on her hunting expeditions and begin to take part in hunting at 56 months of age. At the age of 2

3 years, they slowly start to separate from the family group and become transient looking out for an area,

where they can establish their own territory. Young males move further away from their mother's territory than

young females. Once the family group has split, the mother comes into heat again. [8]

Tigers are obligate carnivores. They prefer hunting large ungulates such as chital, sambar, gaur, and to a

lesser extent also barasingha, water buffalo, nilgai,serow and takin. Among the medium-sized prey species


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they frequently kill Wild boar, and occasionally hog deer, muntjac and Gray langur. Small prey species such

as porcupines, hares and peafowl form a very small part in their diet. Due to the encroachment of humans onto

their habitat, they also prey on domestic livestock.[22][23][24][25][26]

Bengal tigers have also been known to take other predators, such

as leopards, wolves,jackals, foxes, crocodiles,Asiatic black bears, sloth bears, anddholes as prey, although

these predators are not typically a part of the tiger's diet. Adult elephants and rhinoceroses are too large to be

successfully tackled by tigers, but such extraordinarily rare events have been recorded. The Indian hunter and

naturalist Jim Corbett described an incident in which two tigers fought and killed a large bull elephant. If injured,

old or weak, or their normal prey is becoming scarce, they may even attack humans and become man-

eaters.[27]

In most cases, tigers approach their victim from the side or behind from as close a distance as possible and

grasp the prey's throat to kill it. Then they drag the carcass into cover, occasionally over several hundred

meters, to consume it. The nature of the tiger's hunting method and prey availability results in a "feast or

famine" feeding style: they often consume 1840 kilograms (4088 lb) of meat at one time.[8]

decreased from 3,642 in the 1990s to just over 1,400 from 2002 to 2008. [33] Since then, the Indian government

has undertaken several steps to reduce the destruction of the Bengal tiger's natural habitat in India.

In the past, Indian censuses of wild tigers relied on the individual identification of footprints known as pug

marks a method that has been criticized as inaccurate. [34] Using modern camera trap counting methods, the

landmark 2008 national tiger census report estimates only 1,411 adult tigers in India, plus uncensused tigers in

the Sundarbans delta mangrove forests.[35]

In May 2008, forest officials at the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India spotted 14 tiger cubs.[36] In

June 2008, a tiger from Ranthambore was relocated to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, where all tigers had fallen

victim to poachers and human encroachments since 2005.[37]

As of June 2009, tigers are found in 37 tiger reserves spread across 17 Indian states.[38]

Rivaling the Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki Tiger Conservation Unit in Nepal for the title of the world's best tiger habitat

is the Western Ghats forest complex in western South India, an area of 14,400 square miles (37,000 km2)

stretching across several protected areas. The challenge here, as throughout most of Asia, is that people

literally live on top of the wildlife. The Save the Tiger Fund Council estimates that 7,500 landless people live

illegally inside the boundaries of the 386-square-mile (1,000 km2) Nagarhole National Park in

southwestern India. A voluntary if controversial resettlement is underway with the aid of the Karnataka Tiger

Conservation Project led by K. Ullas Karanth of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

A 2007 report by UNESCO, "Case Studies on Climate Change and WorldHeritage" has stated that an

anthropogenic 45-cm rise in sea level, likely by the end of the 21st century, according to the Intergovernmental


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Panel on Climate Change, combined with other forms of anthropogenic stress on the Sundarbans, could lead

to the destruction of 75% of the Sundarbans mangroves.

The Forest Rights Act passed by the Indian government in 2006 grants some of India's most impoverished

communities the right to own and live in the forests, which likely brings them into conflict with wildlife and

under-resourced, under-trained, ill-equipped forest department staff. In the past, evidence showed that humans

and tigers cannot co-exist.[39]

being returned to the 300,000 people living in 36 villages in the surrounding buffer zone. As a result, locals are

now creating and managing tigerhabitat and consider themselves guardians of theirtigers.

LangurIndian langurs are lanky, long-tailed monkeys, having bushy eyebrows and a chin tuft. They have ablack face and their body color ranges from gray to dark brown to golden. The small and lean body of an Indian

langur is complimented with long hands. The term langur means 'having a long tail' and the name suits the animal

perfectly. The natural habitat of the langur comprises of humid forests, mangrove swamps and wooded terrains of

India. In the following lines, we have provided information about the main Indian langur species:

Golden Langur

Golden Langur, or Gee's Golden Langur, is known by the scientific name of Trachypithecus geei. An Old World

monkey, it was first noticed by the scientific community in the 1950s only. In the Indian subcontinent, Golden langurs


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are found mainly in the foothills of the Himalayas, along the Assam-Bhutan border. The langurs are considered to be

sacred by the Himalayan people. The coat of Indian golden langurs is covered with rich golden to bright creamish

hair. The face is black and they have a very long tail, which may measure upto 50 cm in length.

Hanuman Langur

Hanuman Langur is believed to be one of the Old World monkeys, belonging to the Semnopithecus Genus. They

comprise of 15 subspecies and are terrestrial in nature. Earlier hanuman langurs were believed to comprise of a

single species. However, now they are recognized as seven distinct species. Hanuman langur is also known by the

name of Gray Langur, Entellus Langur and Common Indian Langur.

The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is also called Greater One-horned Rhinoceros and Asian

One-horned Rhinoceros and belongs to theRhinocerotidae family. Listed as a vulnerable species, the

large mammal is primarily found in parts of north-eastern India and in protected areas in the TeraiofNepal,

where populations are confined to the riverine grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas.[2] Weighing between

2260 kg and 3000 kg, it is the fourth largest land animal and has a single horn, which measures 20 to 57 cm

(7.9 to 22 in) in length.

The Indian rhinoceros once ranged throughout the entire stretch of the Indo-Gangetic Plain but excessive

hunting reduced their natural habitat drastically. Today, about 3,000 rhinos live in the wild, 2,000 of which are

found in India'sAssam alone. Description

In size, one-horned rhinos are equal to the African white rhinos; together they are the largest of all rhino

species. Fully grown males are larger than females, weighing from 2,200 to 3,000 kg (4,900 to 6,600 lb).

Female one-horned rhinos weigh about 1,600 kg (3,500 lb). They are from 1.7 to 2 m (5 ft 7 in to 6 ft 7 in) tall

and can be up to 4 m (13 ft) long. The record-sized specimen weighed approximately 3,500 kg (7,700 lb).

The Indian rhinos single horn is present in both males and females, but not on newborn young. The black horn,

like human fingernails, is pure keratin and starts to show after about 6 years. In most adults, the horn reaches a

length of about 25 cm (9.8 in), but have been recorded up to 57.2 cm (22.5 in) in length.[4]

The nasal horn

curves backwards from the nose. In captive animals, the horn is frequently worn down to a thick knob. [5]

This prehistoric-looking rhinoceros has thick, silver-brown skin which becomes pinkish near the large skin folds

that cover its body. Males develop thick neck-folds. Its upper legs and shoulders are covered in wart-like

bumps. It has very little body hair, aside from eyelashes, ear-fringes and tail-brush.[5]

In captivity, four are known to have lived over 40 years, the oldest living to be 47. [5]

Distribution and habitat


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One-horned rhinos once ranged across the entire northern part of the Indian subcontinent, along

the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra Riverbasins, fromPakistan to the Indian-Burmese border, including parts

ofNepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. They may have also existed in Myanmar, southern China

andIndochina.They prefer the alluvial plain grasslands of the Terai and Brahmaputra basin.[6] As a result of

habitat destruction and climatic changes their range has gradually been reduced so that by the 19th century,

they only survived in the Terai grasslands of southern Nepal, northern Uttar Pradesh, northern Bihar,

northern Bengal, and in the Brahmaputra Valley ofAssam.[7]

On the former abundance of the species, Thomas C. Jerdon wrote in 1867:[8]

This huge rhinoceros is found in the Terai at the foot of the Himalayas, from Bhotan to Nepal. It is more

common in the eastern portion of the Terai than the west, and is most abundant in Assam and the Bhotan

Dooars. I have heard from sportsmen of its occurrence as far west as Rohilcund, but it is certainly rare there

now, and indeed along the greater part of the Nepal Terai; ... Jelpigoree, a small military station near the

Teesta River, was a favourite locality whence to hunt the Rhinoceros and it was from that station Captain

Fortescue, of the late 73rd N.I., got his skulls, which were, strange to say, the first that Mr. Blyth had seen of

this species, of which there were no specimens in the Museum of the Asiatic Society at the time when he wrote

his Memoir on this group.

Today, their range has further shrunk to a few pockets in southern Nepal, northern Bengal and

the Brahmaputra Valley. In the 1980s, rhinos were frequently seen in the narrow plain area of Royal Manas

National Park in Bhutan. Today, they are restricted to habitats surrounded by human-dominated landscapes, so

that they often occur in adjacent cultivated areas, pastures, and secondary forests. [7]Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

shelters the highest density of Indian rhinos in the world with 84 individuals in 2009 in an area of

Rhinos are mostly solitary creatures, with the exception of mothers and calves and breeding pairs, although

they sometimes congregate at bathing areas. They have home ranges, the home ranges of males being

usually 2 to 8 km2 (0.77 to 3.1 sq mi) large and overlapping each other. Dominant males tolerate males passing

through their territory except when they are in mating season, when dangerous fights break out. They are

active at night and early morning. They spend the middle of the day wallowing in lakes, rivers, ponds, and

puddles to cool down. They are very good swimmers. Over 10 distinct vocalizationshave been recorded.


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Indian rhinos have few natural enemies, except fortigers who sometimes kill unguarded calves, but adult

rhinos are less vulnerable due to their size. Mynahsand egrets both eat invertebrates from the rhino's skin and

around its feet. Tabanus flies, a type ofhorse-fly are known to bite rhinos. The rhinos are also vulnerable to

diseases spread by parasites such as leeches, ticks, and nematodes.Anthrax and the blood-

disease septicemia are known to occur.[5]

They can run at speeds of up to 55 km/h (34 mph) for short periods of time and are excellent swimmers. They

have excellent senses of hearing and smell but relatively poor eyesight.

[edit]Diet

The Indian rhinoceros is a grazer. Their diet consists almost entirely of grasses, but the rhino is also known to

eat leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruits and submerged and floating aquatic plants. [5]Feeding occurs

during the morning and evening. The rhino uses its prehensile lip to grasp grass stems, bend the stem down,

bite off the top, and then eat the grass. With very tall grasses or saplings, the rhino will often walk over the lant,

with its legs on both sides, using the weight of its body to push the end of the plant down to the level of the

mouth. Mothers also use this technique to make food edible for their calves. They drink for a minute or two at a

time, often imbibing water filled with rhinoceros urine.[5]

[

[edit]Description

Gaur are said to look like water buffalo at the front and

domestic cattle. They are the heaviest and most powerful of all

wild cattle, and are among thelargest living land animals; only

elephants, rhinos, and hippos grow larger. Males have highly muscular bodies, with distinctive dorsal ridges

and largedewlaps, forming a very powerful appearance. Females are substantially smaller, and their dorsal

ridges and dewlaps are less developed. Their dark brown coats are short and dense. There are dewlaps under

the chin which extend between the front legs. They have shoulder humps, especially pronounced in adult

males.

Body length: 250360 centimetres (810 ft)

Shoulder height: 170220 centimetres (67 ft) On average, males stand about

180190 centimetres (5 ft 11 in6 ft 2.8 in) at the shoulder, females about

20 centimetres (8 in) less.

Tail length: 70100 centimetres (2839 in)

Weight: Males often 1,0001,500 kilograms (2,2003,300 lb), females 700

1,000 kilograms (1,5002,200 lb) Weights vary between subspecies. Among

the three subspecies, the southeast Asian gaur are the largest, and the

Gaur


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Malayan gaur, or seladang, are the smallest. Male Indian gaur average

1,300 kilograms (2,900 lb), and the largest individuals may exceed

2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb)[citation needed]

; whereas Malayan gaur usually weigh

1,0001,300 kilograms (2,2002,900 lb). The largest of all gaur, the southeast

Asian gaur, weigh about 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) for an average male.

The gaur has a high convex ridge on the forehead between the horns, which bends forward, causing a deep

hollow in the profile of the upper part of the head. There is a prominent ridge on the back. The ears are very

large; the tail only just reaches the hocks, and in old bulls the hair becomes very thin on the back.[3]

In colour, the adult male gaur is dark brown, approaching black in very old individuals; the upper part of the

head, from above the eyes to the nape of the neck, is, however, ashy gray, or occasionally dirty white; the

muzzle is pale coloured, and the lower part of the legs are pure white or tan. The cows and young bulls are

paler, and in some instances have a rufous tinge, which is most marked in individuals inhabiting dry and open

districts.[3]

Horns are found in both sexes, and grow from the sides of the head, curving upwards. They are regularly

curved throughout their length, and are bent inward and slightly backward at their tips. The colour of the horns

is some shade of pale green or yellow throughout the greater part of their length, but the tips are black. [3] They

grow to a length of 3280 centimetres (1331 in). A bulging grey-tan ridge connects the horns on the forehead.

The horns are flattened to a greater or less degree from front to back, more especially at their bases, where

they present an elliptical cross-section; this characteristic being more strongly marked in the bulls than in the

cows.

The tail is shorter than in the typical oxen, reaching only to the hocks. The animals have a distinct ridge running

from the shoulders to the middle of the back; the shoulders may be as much as 12 centimetres (5 in) higher

than the rump. This ridge is caused by the great length of the spines of the vertebrae of the fore-part of the trunk

ompared with those of the loins. The hair is short, fine and glossy, and the hooves are narrow and pointed.[3]


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Ecology and behaviour

In January and February, gaur live in small herds of 8 to 11 individuals, one of which is a bull. In April or

May, more bulls may join the herd for mating, and individual bulls may move from herd to herd, each mating

with many cows. In May or June, they leave the herd and may form herds of bulls only or live alone. Herds

wander 25 kilometres (1.23.1 mi) each day. Each herd has a nonexclusive home range, and sometimes

herds may join in groups of 50 or more. [4]The average population density is about 0.6 animals per square

kilometre (1.5 animals per square mile), with herds having home ranges of around 80 square kilometres (31

sq mi).

Where gaur have not been disturbed, they are basically diurnal. But where populations have been disturbed by

human populations, gaur have become largelynocturnal, rarely seen in the open after eight in the morning.

During the dry season, herds congregate and remain in small areas, dispersing into the hills with the arrival of

the monsoon. While gaur depend on water for drinking, they do not seem to bathe or wallow. [7]

Lotus Plant

Classification

Other names : Ambal, Thamarai, Suriya kamal, Padma, Ambuja, Pankaja, Blue Lotus, Indian Lotus,

Sacred Water lily, bean of India, Kamala, Kanwal, Kamal are the other names used for the Lotus.

Description : Lotus is the water plant. It has broad floating leaves and bright fragrant flowers. The leaves

and flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. It has many petals overlapping in the

symmetrical pattern. The root functions of the Lotus are carried out by rhizomes that fan out horizontally

through the mud below the water. The round leaves are upto 50 cm in diameter. The flowers are rosy pink

with little bit of white shade. The seeds are hard and dark brown in colour. They can vary in shape from

round to oval to oblong. The Lotus Flower opens in the morning

and the petals fall in the afternoon.OtherSpecies : Nymphaea caerulea is the other specie of Lotus.

Location : Lotus is found throughout India. It is widely found in

the Bandhavgarh National Park, Eravikulam National Park in

India.

Cultivation methods : Lotus is mostly propagated through the

seeds. It is grown in the damp soil. It requires Sunlight atleast six

hours a day. The Lotus plant should be fertilized regularly for one


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year. It is important to protect Lotus fromfreezing.Itshouldbegivenproperlight.

Medicinal uses : Lotus seeds are classified as astringent and benefits kidney, spleen, and heart. The

astringent helps loss of kidney essence. The seeds are used to treat weak sexual function in men and

leukorrhea in women. The seeds also helps in curing restlessness, palpitation and insomnia. Inside the

seed is the green embryo the benefits the heart. The Lotus disorders are helpful in heart and liver

disorders. It is prescribes as an antidote for mushroom poisoning. The leaves are used in combination

with the other herbs to treat sunstroke, dysentery, fever and vomiting blood.

Other uses : The seeds of the Lotus are edible. The leaf and leaf stalk are eaten as vegetable in India.

The tubers of the Lotus taste like the sweet potato. Its petals are used for garnish and the large leaves

are used as the wrap for the leaves. Its seeds called Phool Mukhana are used in the Indian cooking.

Cultural Importance : Lotus is the sacred flower of India. It occupies a special position in the art and

mythology of ancient India. It is also the National Flower of India. It symbolizes divinity, fertility, wealth and

knowledge. In India it is considered as the symbol of triumph. As it is rooted in the mud it can survive to

regerminate for thousand of years. It represents long life, honour and good fortune. ForHindus it hasspecial significance as it used in their religious practices. It is even the sacred flower for the Buddhists in

India. It is quote in puranic veds and literature many

Description : There are several varieties of the Indian Roses which includes white rose, pink rose,

maroon rose, red rose, yellow rose and orange rose. It has thorn on its stems. The cane has leaves and

budeyes. A leaf consists of stipule, petiole, and leaflets. The leaves are -15 cm long. The leaflets usually

have the segrrated margins and few small prickles on the

underside of the stem. Most of the roses are deciduous. The

flowerhasfivepetals.

Location : Roses are found inn almost all the parts of India. Theyare widely grown in the Valley of Flowers and

Cultivation methods : Rose plants are propagated by the seeds,

cuttings, layers and by budding. Roses require loamy, well

drained soil. Budding is considered as the best method for

propagating rose plants. They are planted in the circular pits

about 60- 90 cm across and 60 -75 cm deep. Remove all the

broken and bruised leaves while planting the plant. Roses require

atleast six hours of direct sunlight for the growth. The best time to

plant the Rose plants rests between September to October. Therose plant needs cutting from time to time. It requires manures and fertilizers at the time of planting.

Medicinal uses : Gulkand made by the mixture of Rose petals and white sugar in equal proportion acts

as the tonic and laxative. Hips, the fruit of roses are the good source of Vitamin C. Rose petals are used

to make skin healthy and glowing. It cures dry and patchy skin. The rose scent has been used in pillOther

uses : Dried Rose petals called Pankhuri are used during the hot weather for preparing cool drinks.

Roses are also used in the preparation of rose water and rose vinegar. Rose hips are sometime eaten.


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They are used for making herbal tea, jam and jellies. Rose plantss are generally used for beautifying the

gardens and walkways. Rose petals are used in cooking, which increases its flavour and make it even

more delicious. Relaxing therapies with rose smells are used in candles, lotion, bath oils and perfumes.

Description :Banyan tree is a huge tree with very extensive branches. It is said that at one time morethan 10, 000 people can sit under its shade at one time. It is a evergreen tree. It branches spread out and

send trunk like roots to the ground in order to support itself. It

grows to a height of more than21 meters and lives for many

years. The leaves are 10 -20 cm long and has many aerial roots.

The leaves are broad, oval and glossy. White milky fluid oozes

out of leaves, if broken. It can grow in to the gaint tree covering

severalhectares.

Location :Found in almost all the parts of India, Banyan tree is

the National tree of India. It is grown throughout the sub-Himalayan region and in the deciduous forests. One can Banyan

Tree in the Botanical Garden of Calcutta. They are widely grown

in theRanthambore National Parkand Corbett National Park in

India.

Cultivation methods :Banyan tree is easily propagated by root tip cuttings or the eye cuttings. Cut

apiece of the stem about half a inch below and above the leaf. Insert the stem piece and a li ttle of the leaf

stalk into the rooting medium. To reduce evaporation from the leaf surface, you can roll the leaf and

secure with a rubber band. In a couple weeks roots and a new shoot will start developing. It can grow in

any type of soil.

Medicinal uses :The Banyan tree also has several medicinal properties. Its leaf, bark, seeds and fig are

used for the variety of disorders like diarrhea, polyuria, dental, diabetes and urine disorders. The wood of

the Banyan tree is used in making door panels, boxes and the other items. Its bark is used for making

paper and ropes. The milky latex that comes from its leaves and stems is used in many Ayurvedic

medicines.

Cultural importance :Banyan tree is respected and is considered as sacred by the people in India. In

the sacred Hindu Book 'Bhagwad Gita' Lord Krishna has sung praises on the Banyan tree. People in India

grow Banyan tree closer to the Peepal tree. As Banyan tree is considered as the male plant closely

related to the Peepal tree. It symbolize Trimurti with Vishnu as the barl, Shiva as the branches and

Brahma as the roots. Indians considered Banyan tree as 'Kalpa Vriksha' the tree that fulfill all your

wishes.The mighty Banyan Tree is considered as immortal and has always been the focal point for the

village communities in India. It is probably the biggest and friendliest of all trees. Banyan tree is the tree of

knowledge and tree of life.


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Neem Tree

Description :It is a tall evergreen tree with the small bright green leaves. It is up to 100 feet tall. It

blossoms in spring with the small white flowers. It has a straight trunk. Its bark is hard rough and scaly,

fissured even in small trees. The colour of the bark is brown grayish. The leaves are alternate and

consists of several leaflets with serrated edges. Its flowers are small and white in colour. The loive like

ediblefruitisoval,roundandthinskinned.

Location :Neem tree is found throughout India. It is a popular

village tree. Although it is also widely grown in Ranthambore

National Park,Bandhavgarh national Park, Mrugavani Naional

Park,Bannerghata National Park,Sariska Wildlife Sanctuaryand

GuindyNationalPark.

Cultivation :Neem tree can easily be grown in the dry, stony,

shallow and clayey soils. It needs very little water and plenty of

sunlight. It grows slowly during the first year of planting. It can be

propagated through the seeds and cuttings. Young neem tree can

nottolerateexcessivecold.

Medicinal uses :The indigenous people of Nilgiris consume the

dried and powered tubulers of the terrestrial orchids as an

energizing tonic. Neem also holds medicinal value. Each part of

neem is used in the medicines. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicines for more than 4000 years. Neem

oil extracted from its seeds is used in medicines, pest control and cosmetics etc. Its leaves are used in

the treat Chickenpox.. According to the Hindus, it is believed that the Goddess of the chickenpox, Sithala

lives in the Neem tree. Neem tea is usually taken to reduce the headache and fever. Its flowers are used

to cure intestinal problems. Neem bark acts as an analgesic and can cure high fever as of malaria. Even

the skin diseases can be cured from the Neem leaves. Indians even believe that the Neem can evenpurifydiseases.

Cultural Importance :One can find Neem in almost all the parts of India. It is said that planting Neem

tree in the house is a ensured passage to heaven. Its leaves are stung on the main entrance to remain

away from the evil spirits. Brides take bath in the water filled with the Neem leaves. Newly born babies

are laid upon the Neem leaves to provide them with the protective aura. Neem gives out more oxygen

than other trees. The neem tree is also connected with the Sun, in the story of Neembark 'The Sun in the

Neem tree'. Neem is the wonder tree and finds mention in the number of ancient texts


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Amla

Description :Amla is the medium size deciduous plant. It grows to the height of 8 -18 meter. It has acrooked trunk and spreading branches. Its flower is yellow greenish in colour. The fruit is spherical paleyellow with six vertical furrows. The mature fruits are hard and do not fall for the gentle touch. Theaverage weight of the fruit is 60 -70 g. It has a gray bark and

reddish wood. Its leaves are feathery, linear oblong in shape andsmell like lemon. Its wood is hard in texture. It wraps and splitswhen exposed in the Sun or in the excessive heat.

Location : It is planted through the deciduous of tropical Indiaand on the hill slopes up to 2000 meter. It is commerciallycultivated in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is also grown inTamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also.

Cultivation methods :Amla can grow in light as well as theheavy soils. It is grown under the tropical conditions. The youngplants are protected from the hot winds as they dye easily. Amlais generally propagated through seeds. It requires proper sunlight.

It is irrigated during the monsoon season. It starts bearing fruits inseven years from the day of planting.

Medicinal uses : The fruit is the richest source of Vitamin C and is a diuretic, aperient, Laxative and hair

dye. It cures insomnia and is healthy for hair. It is used as the cardio protective, useful in hemorrhage,

menprrhagia, leucorrhoea and discharge of blood from uterus. Amla power and oil are used traditionally

in Ayurvedic applications for the treatment of scalp. Amla power improves immunity and gives physical

strength. It improves complexion and removes wrinkles. Amla is also used to treat constipation and is

used as a cooling agent to reduce the effects of sun strokes and sun burns.

Other uses : It is the main ingredient used in the shampoo. Amla oil is used all the world. Amla is used in

sauces, candy, dried chips, pickle, jellies and powder. It is even used in the dyeing industry. It extract is

popularly used in the ink. Amla wood is commonly used in firework.

Cultural Importance :Amla has been regarded as the sacred tree in India. It sin worshiped as the Mother

Earth and is believed to nurture humankind because the fruits are very nourishing. It stimulates spiritual

purity. Kartik Mahatma and Vrat Kaumudi order the worship of this tree. Its fruits and flowers are used in

worship.

indian elephant

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