A Contribution to the Biological Diversity of Tarkeshwar Sacred Grove in Garhwal Himalayas

Tarkeshwar, a sacred grove in Garhwal Himalaya is situated in Tarasar Reserve Forest (29°50'05" N and 78°47'35" E) occupying 825.5 ha in Garhwal Forest Division out of which 314 ha is generally considered as sacred grove. The sacred grove is named on the presence of a centrally located 600 years old temple of Lord Shiva called Tarasar or Tarkeshwar. There are many legends and myths which are associated with this sacred grove according to the nearby villagers. In a round the year collection this sacred grove revealed 372 taxa of phanerogams and cryptogams. Out of 372 plant species, 311 were angiosperms, 4 gymnosperms, 16 pteridophytes, 15 bryophytes, 23 fungal species. Amongst angiosperms, 261 were dicotyledons belonging to 78 families and 50 were monocotyledons belonging to 10 families. The dominant family of angiosperms in the area was Asteraceae followed by, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Acanthaceae, Rosaceae, Polygonaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Urticaceae, Amaranthaceae and Cucurbitaceae. The most dominant genera were Ipomea and Hypericum.