A SYNOPSIS OF TAMARICACEAE IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: ITS DISTRIBUTION AND ENDEMISM

摘要

A preliminary checklist of Tamaricaceae in the Indian subcontinent has been prepared onthe basis of primary observations of different taxa belonging to this family in wild habitatsand on secondary observations based on examining herbarium specimens and taxonomicliterature. On the Indian subcontinent (comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal,Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India), the family Tamaricaceae is poorly represented (20% of allspecies). The present paper deals with a brief review of distribution, endemism, possiblefossil ancestry, economic potential and survival threat on existing taxa, etc. The present sta-tus of endemism of Tamaricaceae in Indian subcontinent (22.5% in 2002-2007) has beencompared to the data of previous investigations (50% in 1939-1940) done in nineteenth cen-tury. The decreasing rate of endemism either indicates decreasing number of endemic taxaor increasing span of distribution of pan-endemic taxa belonging to this family. For betterunderstanding of the functional aspects of species dynamics the rate of endemism in per-cent of a particular group of plants has been used as key index here.