BOTANICAL EXPEDITION IN INDIAN WESTERN HIMALAYA: A CASE STUDY FROM THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS NATIONAL PARK

Continued floristic surveys and plant inventories are essential for understanding plant diversity, ecosystem dynamics, and promoting both conservation efforts and sustainable development for the well-being of human societies. The current botanical expedition to the Valley of Flowers National Park (VoFNP) has documented a total of 317 (4 gymnosperms and 313 angiosperms) higher plant species. This diverse collection includes Alliaria petiolata (CAL 87711), Anemone polyanthes (85281), Deutzia staminea (87753), Eleutherococcus cissifolius (94196), Epilobium angustifolium (85249), Liparis rostrata (94177), Eremogone kumaonensis (85227), Euphorbia maddenii (87713), Gentiana crassuloides (85223), Gentiana elwesii (73323), Gentiana infelix (85241), Pedicularis heteroglossa (85233), Phryma leptostachya (85205), Polygonatum graminifolium (94180), Rhododendron arboreum var. roseum (87723), Silene baccifera (85209), Trifolium repens (87703), Trifolium resupinatum (87737), Veronica ciliata (85297), representing 16 genera and 15 families as lesser-known plant species in the region (i.e Bhyundar Valley), with new distributional records enhancing our understanding of the local flora. The present expedition further substantiates the presence of several IUCN-threatened categories, namely ‘Critically Endangered (CR)’ species such as Dolomiaea costus and Nardostachys jatamansi; ‘Endangered (EN)’ species like Aconitum heterophyllum, Cypripedium elegans, and Cypripedium himalaicum, along with ‘Vulnerable (VU)’ species including Aconitum violaceum, Cypripedium cordigerum, and Malaxis muscifera in the study area.