DIVERSITY OF HERBACEOUS ANGIOSPERMS IN SOUTH KAMRUP OF KAMRUP DISTRICT, ASSAM, INDIA.

The study of diversity of herbaceous angiosperms in South Kamrup area, Kamrup district of Assam, India revealed the presence of 457 species belonging to 316 genera, 78 families and 32 orders as per APG IV classification. The most populous orders are Poales (73), Lamiales (50), Asterales (43), Fabales (33), Caryophyllales (32), Asparagales (31), Alismatales (28), Solanales (21), Zingiberales (17) and Cucurbitales (16), which constitute 75.27% of the total herbaceous flora of the study area. The Poaceae are the most dominant family, followed by Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Orchidaceae, Araceae, Cyperaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae and Amaranthaceae. The naturally occurring (wild) species are 76.4% (349 spp.) while 23.6% (108 spp.) are cultivated herbs. Amongst these are 137 IUCN threat assessed as of the LC category. Of the other species whose conservation status in the study area outside the IUCN assessment is 17 Edangered, two Critically Endangered, nine Vulnerable (VL) and three Rare (R). Most of herbaceous angiosperms are terrestrial (273; 59.73%), which are followed by geophytes (73; 15.97%), climbers (47; 10.28%), hydrophytes (20; 4.37%), epiphytes (19; 4.15%), helophytes (17; 3.71%), lianas (9; 1.96%), succulents (3; 0.65%), parasites ((3; 0.65%) and lithophytes (1; 0.2%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]