Aquatic and Wetland Plants of West Bengal

Abstract

Diversity of wetland plants of West Bengal is richest in India and is represented by more than 380 species belonging to 170 genera and 81 families. Wetlands of West Bengal covering only about 8.5% of the wetland areas (considering water bodies > 100 ha) of India, provide shelter for more than 60% diversity of aquatic and wetland plants.

Freshwater wetland habitats of West Bengal harbour 6 genera and 8 species of aquatic and wetland pteridophytes, 19 genera and 32 species of strictly aquatic monocot and 8 genera and 12 species of dicot representatives. Considering flowering plant families having representatives in wetland habitat of West Bengal with respect to their counterparts in terrestrial habitat of India, there are more than 271 species belonging to 103 genera and 39 families. Salt water angiosperm or typical mangrove plant diversity of the Sundarbans of West Bengal is represented by 54 genera and 79 floral species of true mangroves and mangrove associates distributed in 44 families.

A recent survey implies that more than 45 species have become rare, 5 species are already endangered and 6 species are under threat. Current status of some threatened species of West Bengal wetlands are also dealt with in the paper.