Nelliyampathy (‘Poor Man’s Ooty’), a hill station in the Western Ghats of Kerala, is well known for its beautiful scenery, biodiversity and abundance of angiosperms in which many of them are rare and endemic. To explore and familiarize the hilly plant diversity, PG Department of Botany organized a collection trip to Nelliyampathy hills on 11th October 2023 for 3rd Semester M.Sc. Botany students. Students perceived the floral diversity and collected the specimens from different biodiversity spots including Guru point, Kesavan para, Seetharkund, Mampara and Pothundi, which were preserved for taxonomic study and herbarium preparation. The collected specimens comprised different species of angiosperms, bryophytes and fungi that coming under different genera. The trip was coordinated by Dr. Deepa P. (Assistant Professor Adhoc, PG Department of Botany), Mrs. Hibamol (Assistant Professor Adhoc, PG Department of Botany) and Shibla Banu Kalathingal (3rd Semester M.Sc. Botany).
As the research beginners, it is important to understand the research process in a systematic approach by finding and evaluating information to answer a specific question. In this aspect, it was a great opportunity to learn about the plant diversity of Western Ghats in the current scenario. Moreover, the specimens collected can be used to create and maintain databases of plant diversity which are essential for conservation, research and education.
