DIVERSITY AND ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF PTERIDOPHYTES IN PARAMBIKULAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, KERALA, SOUTH INDIA

Abstract

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the Palakkad revenue district of Kerala, falls under the Anamalai phytogeographical region of the Western Ghats. Floristic studies ill the Sanctuary resulted in the documentation of 81 taxa of pteridophytes including seven endangered taxa. Ethnobotanical information of 1.7 taxa of pteridophytes were also recorded, which include three edible ferns.