Flora of Achankovil Forests

The forests along the southern Western Ghats are the most significant ecological region in peninsular India with respect to species diversity and endemism. About eighty percent of the flowering plant species of the entire Western Ghats are found in this region. Achankovil Forests is located at Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve of southern Western Ghats, a unique ecosystem under threat of environmental degradation. Achankovil Shear Zone (AKSZ), Achankovil River and Kottavasal Gap are prime geographical factors that contribute to the phytodiversity of this region. High percentage of endemicity and rarity, occurrence of morpho-ecotypes with signs of adaptive evolution, phytogeographic affinity/botanical linkages to the leftovers of Mozambique belt, wild relatives of crop plants, presence of monotypic/bitypic plants, recent discoveries/ rediscoveries and the extended distributional records highlight the significance of the present floristic exploration. It is also expected that the data generated would provide a guideline for future conservation studies.