The Malabar Botanical Garden & Institute for Plant Sciences (MBGIPS) stands out as the sole botanical garden in the nation capable of effectively conserving aquatic/ wetland plants and lower plant group species, that are fast depleting due to habitat destruction.
An institution of the Government of Kerala, MBGIPS is administered by the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and is located at Pokkunnu in the Olavanna Gram Panchayat of Kozhikode district, Kerala, with the coordinates of approximately 11°30′ latitude and 75°50′ longitude. Distinguished by its extensive wetlands, it focuses on the preservation and study of aquatic plant biodiversity, lower group plants, and endangered flora native to the Malabar region of Kerala, which approximates to the northern part of the state. Additionally, it serves as an educational hub for various aspects of plant sciences.
MBGIPS is a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), United Kingdom, and the International Society for Horticultural Science, Belgium. The United Nations University (UNU-IAS), Japan has recognised it as the Regional Centre of Expertise in Biodiversity Research. It is also the accredited research centre of the University of Calicut for doctoral studies. The institute is recognised as the international herbarium for algae, fungi, lichen, bryophytes, pteridophytes, and angiosperms under the acronym MBGH. The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, government of India, has recognised it as the ‘Lead Botanic Garden’ in aquatic plant conservation.
The garden sprawls over a 16-ha area with a 6-ha wetland, which transforms into a placid lake during monsoon, making it ideal for wetland flora conservation. The climate is tropical, with 3000 mm annual rainfall, high humidity, and short summer (Feb-May), with maximum temperatures of up to 320C. The wetland gradually elevates to a 45 m high lateritic hillock, facilitating a niche for a wide range of plants. A few highlights of the garden are the following.
AQUAGENE (AQUATIC PLANT CONSERVATORY)
Aquagene is the ex-situ conservation of aquatic/wetland plants. The delicate aquatic plants that are on the verge of extinction are conserved in the conservatory. In addition to the RET (Rare, Endangered, and Threatened) species, the genetic diversity of specified taxa with considerable endemism is also grown in the conservatory. The conservatory is one of the biggest and unique in India, as 412 aquatic or wetland plants are collected from across the nation.
SAROVAR (GERMPLASM COLLECTION OF NYMPAEA, LOTUS AND HELICONIA)
In Sarovar, fascinating aquatic plants, i.e., Nymphaea & Nelumbo species that grow in tropical and temperate regions are collected and maintained for developing new ornamental hybrids. The aquatic plants such as Acanthus ilicifolius, Acmella spp, Acorus calamus, Acrostichum aureum, Arundo donax, Bacopa spp, Bergia capensis, Bruguiera spp, Calophyllum spp, Centella asiatica, Dentella repens, Derris scandens, Echinochola colonum, Fimbristylis spp, Flagelliaria indica, Hydrolea zeylanica,Juncus spp, Kyllinga spp,Lagenandra spp, Monochoria spp, Murdannia spp, Nelumbo spp, Nymphaea spp, Osmunda regalis, Ottelia alismoides,Pandanus spp, Panicum spp, Pycreus spp, Sagittaria spp,Spirodela polyrrhiza, Typha spp, Utricularia spp, Vetiveria zizanioides, Vallisneria natas, Wolffia spp, Xyris spp, etc. are being collected and conserved.
Flowers of Limnanthemum (crested floating heart), commonly used in ornamental water gardens
AQUAPONICS & HYDROPONICS
MBGIPS boasts cutting-edge demonstration technology for aquaponics and hydroponics, a fusion of aquaculture (fish cultivation in tanks) and hydroponics (cultivating plants without soil). This integration involves recycling nutrient-rich water from the fish tanks or fish waste to fertilise plants grown in soilless media naturally.
HORTUS VALLEY
Hortus Valley presents the live presentation of plants described in 17th-century Latin botanical treatise Hortus Malabaricus book, written by Hendrik van Rheede, the Governor of Dutch Malabar from 1669 to 1676, with the help of the local medical practitioner Sri Itty Achuthan. The medicinal properties and traditional uses of those plants, as described in the book, are displayed in the Hortus Valley, making it a heritage garden.
BRYOPHYTES CONSERVATORY
The MBGIPS has an outstanding collection of non-flowering lower groups of plants, the Bryophytes. This primitive group constitutes the second largest land plant group and is considered the pioneer community among land plants. The garden currently has 20 collections of liverworts, two horn worts and 44 moss collections. Some of the liverworts are Asterella khasiana, Dumortiera hirsute, Marchantia polymorpha, Riccardia multifida Targionia hypophylla etc., while hornworts include Anthoceros angustus, Anthoceros crispulus and Mosses such as Atrichum undulatum, Aerobryum speciosum, Bryum capillare, Calymperes afzelii, Fissidens spp, Hyophila involuta, Leucoloma taylorii, Macromitrium turgidum, Octoblepharum albidum, Philonotis hastata, Sematophyllum subhumile, Thuidium pristocalyx, Vesicularia vesicularis etc. are being conserved here.
APUSHPI (PTERIDOPHYTE CONSERVATORY)
The fernery ‘Apushpi’ has 143 species of ferns and fern allies collected from different regions of Kerala. Some of the rare species conserved here are Botrychium daucifolium, Osmunda huegelina, Pellae boivinii, Huperzia phlegmaria, Psilotum nudum, Doryopteris ludens, etc. In addition to native species, exotic species like Regnellidium diphyllum, Davallia feejensis, Adiantum peruvianum etc. are also grown here.
BAMBUSETUM
Bamboos, members of the Poaceae family, are renowned for their rapid growth, arborescent nature, and monocarpic perennial characteristics, offering many environmental, social, and economic benefits. Their versatile applications span soil stabilisation, erosion prevention, handicrafts, pulp and paper production, furniture making, construction materials, fences, edible shoots, medicinal uses, aesthetic enhancements, and animal fodder. However, excessive exploitation and various biotic stresses have detrimentally impacted forest bamboo diversity. KSCSTE-MBGIPS conserves over 25 species belonging to 6 genera, including Bambusa bambos, Bambusa multiplex, Bambusa tulda, Bambusa wamin, Bambusa striata, Bambusa ventricosa, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus brandisii, Dendrocalamus strictus, Dendrocalamus giganteus, Dendrocalamus stocksii, Dendrocalamus sikkimensis, Dendrocalamus membranaceus, Dendrocalamus longispathus, Gigantochloa atroviolacea, Gigantochloa nigrociliata, Ochlandra wightii, Ochlandra travancorica, Thyrsostachys siamensis, Teinostachyum dullooa, and more.
GINGER HOUSE
Ginger house has a beautiful collection ofgingers, bananas, spiral gingers, heliconias, marantas, cannas and heliconias belonging to the families of Musaceae, Marantaceae, Zingiberaceae, Cannaceae, Heliconiaceae, etc., which are collected from different parts of India as well as the world. It covers over 1500 accessions belonging to 300 taxa, of which over 50 taxa are endangered.
ORCHIDARIUM
Orchids are the most fascinating and beautiful flowers because of their shape, size, colours and architecture of flowers. KSCSTE-MBGIPS has a good collection of many wild and hybrid orchids such as Vanda, Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Brassia caudate, Arundina, Peristeria elata, Pholidota imbricate, etc.
PANATHOTTAM (PALM GARDEN)
Palms represent a vast assemblage of graceful, woody monocotyledonous plants characterised by symmetrical, unbranched trunks of striking proportion, crowned with clusters of splendidly feather-like or fan-shaped leaves, all falling within the Arecaceae/Palmae family. MBGIPS palmetum conserves over 50 species of palms such as Aiphanes horrida, Areca catechu, Areca triandra, Arenga wightii, Bismarckia nobilis, Caryota mitis, Caryota urens, Crystachys renda, Dypsis lutescens, Elaeis guineensis, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Licula grandis, Nypha fruticans, Phoenix sylvestris, Pritchardia Pacifica, Ptychoperma elegans, Rhapia humilis, Roytonea regia, Wallichia deniflora and Wodywtia bifurcation etc.
VAIDYAMADAM ( MEDICINAL GARDEN)
KSCSTE- MBGIPS conserves and cultivates over 350 varieties of different medicinal plants including endangered ones. Those used in traditional Indian system, which are conserved and cultivated here include Curculigo orchioides, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Ipomoea marginata, Maranta arundinaceae, Asystasia gigantic, Artimisia nilagrica, Trichopus zeylanica, Acorus calamus, Plumbago zeylanica, Coscinium fenestratum, Helicteres isora, Asparagus racemosus, Alternanthera sessilis, Terminalia chebula, Stevia rubodiana, etc.
NAKSHATHRA VANAM (STAR FOREST)
KSCSTE-MBGIPS established a mythological garden in 1998 as a novel step for creating public attention on trees. For each of the 27 birth stars, a tree is denoted as per the Ephemeris (table denoting position of celestial bodies over time), and a person caring his birth tree will get prosperity; this belief of the people has been perpetuated at Nakshthra Vanam. Acacia chundra, Aegle marmelos, Aporosa cardiosperma, Bambosa bamboos, Butea monosperma, Calotropis gigantean, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus reliogosa, Flacourtia indica, Musea ferrea, Neolamarckia cadamba, Salix teterasperma, Spondias pinnata, Terminalia cuneata and Vateria indica etc. are planted and maintained.
SYSTEMATIC GARDEN
KSCSTE-MBGIPS has set up two large greenhouses, i.e., dicots and monocots, following the classification of Benthem and Hooker (1862-1893). As per Taxonomic position and family characters, the live plants are displayed with illustrations following the APG (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group ) classification system.
JANAKIYA (RET PLANT CONSERVATORY)
Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) plant species are conserved and maintained here in conservatory based on International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red list. More than 85 species are conserved here such as Acrotrema arnottianum, Adenia hondala, Aglaia barberi, Azima tetracantha, Baliospermum montanum, Canarium strictum, Celastrus paniculatus, Dalbergia malabarica, Drypetes confertiflora, Eriocaulon cuspidatum, Haldina cordfolia, Hopea parviflora, Ixora polyantha, Kingiodendron pinnatum, Lagerstroemia microcarpa, Mesua ferrea, Murdania crocea, Piper silentvalleyense, etc.
GARDEN OF MALABAR SPICES
Garden of Malabar Spices section at MBGIPS has more than 59 spices and condiments collection such as Acorus calamus, Amomum subulatum, Cinnamomum spp, Coffea arabica, Garcinia spp, Kaempferia spp, Murrya koenigii, Myristica spp, Piper spp, Plectranthus amboinicus, Tamarindus indica, Vanilla spp, Syzygium aromaticum, Zingiber officinale, etc.
BUTTERFLY GARDEN
An exclusive area of the garden is dedicated to attract different types of butterflies, bees and other pollinators by raising various flowering plants (Dysophylla, Cassia, Crotalaria) pleasant to them. Hundreds of beautiful butterflies like Blue mormon, Blue tiger, Common crow, Grass yellow, etc. can be seen circling around the plants from one flower to another in this garden.
BOTANICAL MUSEUM, HERBARIUM & LIBRARY
The museum has preserved huge live specimens along with native aquatic plants for aquarium displayed in tanks to provide quality education. There are photographs of curious and rare plants, portraits of scientists, pests and pollinators, wood samples, models and botanical charts, etc. MBGIPS herbarium contains more than 11000 plant specimens, making it the best among the states. It is also recognised as an international herbarium for algae, lichen, fungi, pteridophytes, bryophytes, and angiosperms under the acronym MBGH. The library contains more than 2000 books, 1000 issues, and back volumes of journals that are open to students and researchers.
Apart from these major facilities, the institute has taken up a unique project to set up a lichen conservatory to preserve and showcase the diversity of the plant, which is widely used for many purposes, yet poorly understood by researchers. The live lichen garden was envisaged as a facility to create better awareness about the species among students and researchers. The lichen is collected from the wild and is grown in a conservatory that simulates the microclimatic conditions and natural habitat where lichens survive in the wild.
Within a short time, the Malabar Botanical Garden & Institute for Plant Sciences (MBGIPS) has gained global attention due to its niche area, the aquatic plants. Considering the competency of the institute, the government of Kerala has entrusted MBGIPS with the project of developing an aquatic park in the 15 acres of wetlands adjoining the institute in a phased manner. The Aquatic Biopark is the first in the country and will feature various model ecosystems, including mangrove vegetation, marshy lands, and freshwater systems. Apart from the conservation of germplasm and its research, the institute also conducts an Academic Attachment Programme for UG and PG students. This unique programme provides a real-life organisational experience for the students to develop specific organisational skills needed for academics and research. According to Dr NS Pradeep, who is in charge of the director, this programme has transformed the lives of several students and attracted them to an active research career. The garden is open to the public throughout the year, to relish the beauty of our rich biodiversity heritage.
The writer is an adjunct faculty at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. He can be reached at bijudharmapalan@gmail.com.
