Sacred groves of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka

摘要

Pieces of vegetation existing at present as a consequence of religious refugia offered to them are called sacred groves. Sacred groves occur in India and in other parts of Asia and Africa. In India, about 13,720 sacred groves have been enumerated so far from 19 states. In South India, about 2000 groves occur in Kerala, 1600 in Maharashtra, 800 in Andhra Pradesh, and 448 in Tamil Nadu. Extensive studies on the sacred groves of Maharashtra and Kerala have indicated that they are rich in rare and endemic species of plants. A new species of plant, Kunstleria keralensis was reported from a sacred grove of southern Kerala.