"Flora of Angiosperms in Maruthamalai Hills, Coimbatore and Phylogeny of family Acanthaceae and Lamiaceae based on rbcl Sequences"

The present study was carried out in Maruthamalai Hills, Coimbatore district to document the current floristic composition and conservation status of the study area and constructed the phylogentic tree of family Acanthaceae and Lamiaceae based on rbcL sequences. An extensive and intensive floristic survey were undertaken during December 2020- February 2021 in Maruthamalai hills. Taxonomically a total number of 100 species of Angiosperms distributed belonging 87 genera and 35 families have been recorded from the study area of Maruthamalai hills. Out of these 92 species in 80 genera 32 families belongs to Dicotyledons and 8 species with 7 genera and 3 families belongs to Monocotyledons. In the life form category of plants the majority of the species were herbs (45 species) followed by shrubs (23 species), Climber (15 species), trees (13 species) and Small trees (4 species). The most species rich families include fabaceae (11 species) was the dominant. In the present study out of 100 species recorded one species namely Santaum album Linn. is endangered and 33 species are least concern. In the Maruthamalai hills represents 34 invasive and 66 native species. In Acanthaceae 4 invasive species were recorded. The molecular tree shows rbcL based analysis of 11 sequences (8 from Acanthaceae members and 3 from Lamiaceae members) produced 3 major clades. On the basis of the rbcL data our analysis indicates that Anisomeles malabarica, Leucas aspera, Ocimum basilicum, Plectranthus barbatus, Barleria cristata and Barleria pronitis are sister species supported by 66 BS, 69 BS and 91 BS respectively.