FLORISTIC CHECKLIST OF DISTRICT KOTLI, AZAD JAMMU & KASHMIR

Abstract

A comprehensive floristic survey was conducted to record the botanical diversity, ethnotaxonomy and the reproductive phenological response of the vascular flora of the district Kotli, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan during 2011-13. A total of 463 plant species belonging to 306 genera and 93 families were recorded. The most dominant families in the study area were Poaceae (54 spp.), Leguminosae (39 spp.), Compositae (33 spp.), Lamiaceae (23 spp.) and Rosaceae (22 spp.), whereas the leading genera were Ficus (8 spp.), Ipomoea, Cyperus, Euphorbia and Solanum (6 spp. each). Use of online taxonomic literature and databases enabled us to document most of the species with their current accepted names, author citations and their placement in the higher taxa. Two different aspects, flowering duration and start of flowering event (or timing) were also recorded. Phenological studies revealed that most of the species found in flowering stage during the August (252 spp.), followed by July (245 spp.), May (239 spp.) and April (237 spp.); while with respect to flowering event, maximum number of species started their flowering in the month of March (111 spp.), followed by April (67 spp.) and July (62 spp.).With respect to floral growth forms, there was higher diversity of trees compared to the shrubs in the study area.This information pertaining to nomenclatural status, current placement of taxa and their phenological responses may provide baseline information to taxonomists, ecologists or phytogeographer, natural resource managers and conservationists for carrying out studies from this part of the western Himalaya.