Department of P.G. Studies & Research in Botany, Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ballari, India

^*Corresponding author: Kavitha Sagar, Department of P.G. Studies & Research in Botany, Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ballari, India. E-mail Id: drkamsgg@gmail.com

Copyright: © Sagar K, et al. 2023. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Information: Submission: 13/04/2023; Accepted: 15/06/2023; Published: 20/06/2023

Fabaceae is one of the largest orders of flowering plants. This order is distributed worldwide and exhibits the greatest diversity of morphological types in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Fabaceae comprises the major families such as Caesalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae and Papilionaceae. To explore the diversity of this family in Ballari District, regular field visits were made. This is one of the large agriculturally important family. It includes trees, shrubs, and herbs. This family containing ornamental, dye yielding, gum yielding and medicinal plants. Present study enumerated the Family Fabaceae with total 58genera, 122 species largest family Fabaceae covered most of the diversity. Of which 41.33% species are herb, 12.95% species are shrub and subshrub & climbing s herb 0.81% and 31.96% are trees each .The study was documented with flowering and fruiting seasons and distribution in the Ballari and Vijayanagar localities.

Keywords: Acacia; Senna; Indigofera; Fabaceae

Plant diversity is the sum of diversity of life on the earth. It contains all types of population and ecosystems. The studies of biodiversity have greater significance as ecologist and taxonomist try seriously to document the global biodiversity. It is essential to prepare districts floras where there is severe threat to natural vegetation due to identification of species that are in different stages of vulnerability as well as the various factors that influence the existing vegetation in any region [1]. The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, are a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third- largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species [2]. Papilionaceae family are herbs, shrubs or trees. Mostly it is found between and near the tropics. These are found large quantity in the old than in the new world. It is important for yield nutritious food, fiber, shelter and valuable medicines and also important for virulent poison (Sharma M. and Kumar A. 2013) [3]. Fabaceae family plants are reported for their good medicinal values in various plant parts such as leaf, stem, bark and roots and native of these plants, in India, (Ramrakhiyani C. et al., (2016). A number of these plants have great importance in medicinal purposes and also used to produce a large range of natural products including flavors, dyes, poison [4]. Leguminous plants play a vital role in this spheres being the chief suppliers of the vegetable protein to the predominantly vegetarian population of India. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for their grain seed called pulses, which fulfills food desires as a nutrients to humans. Plants of this family are found throughout the world, growing in many different environments and climates. A number are important agricultural and food plants.

Ballari and Vijayanagara are the districts of the Karnataka state in India and located in Kalyana Karnataka region. The district Ballari is located at north east part of the Karnataka, with five talukasi.e Ballari, Kampli, Sanduru, Sirguppa, and Kurugodu. The district covers with 8447 Sq. Kms. with forests and non forest areas. The district is mainly covered by scrub-thorny and dry deciduous forests.

The district Vijayanagara is located in the state Karnataka, this district was carved out Ballari district officially on 2 October 2021 to become a district, with six talukas i.e. Hosapete, Harapanahalli, Kudligi, Hoovina Hadagali, Hagaribommanahalli and Kotturu. The district is covered by 4252 square kilometers with forest and non forest areas. The district is mainly covered by scrub-thorny and dry deciduous forest.

The intensive qualitative field surveys were conducted throughout Ballari and Vijayanagara districts from 2020 to 2022. All the plants growing naturally in various habitats including Wild and cultivated plants were also documented. The collected plant species were identified by using national floras [5,6], state floras [7,8], local and district floras [9-11], books [12], recent literatures and check lists. The collected specimens were photographed, pressed, dried and prepared herbarium followed by standard method of Rao and Jain (1977) . The prepared Herbarium specimens were deposited at Mahatma Gandhi Botanical Garden, GKVK, UAS, Bengaluru.

The intensive qualitative field survey of species of the family Fabaceae of Ballari and Vijayanagara Districts shows 122 species under 58 genera with different Habit. Of which Senna was dominant genera with 11 species; followed by Acacia with 7 species, Crotalaria 6 species; Indigofera with 8 species, Vigna 5 species, Cassia 4 species, Alysicarpus 4 species, Dalbergia 3 species, Desmodium 3 species, Tephrosia 3 species, Albizia 3 species Rhynchosia 3 species Sesbania 2 species Zornia 2 species,Cajanus 2 species, Abrus, Aralia, Butea, Callindra, Canavalia, Clitoria, Chamaecrista, Desmanthus, Dichrostachys, Erythrina, Gliricidia, Hardwikia, Macroptelium, Leucaena, Meliolotus, Melletia, Mucuna, Mundolea, Paracalyx, Parkia, Parkinsonia, Phaseolus, Piliostigma, Pisum, Pongamia, Psorelia, Pterolobium, Saraca, Stylosanthus, Tamarindus, Taverniera, Vauchelia, and other having 1 species. The catalogue of plant species along with the Botanical name, synonyms, habit, colour of the flower, phenology, in the table – 1. Based on life form classification the collected species show more dominant with Herbs (41 species 33.60%), followed by Shrubs (13 Species, 10.65%), Subshrubs (03 Species, 2.45%), Climber (12 Species, 9.83%) Climbing herb (1 species, 0.81%) Lianas (03 species, 2.45%) Under Shrubs (03 Species, 2.45%) Trees (39 Species, 31.96%).

In the present investigation, total 122 species and 58 genera of Fabaceae were recorded from Ballari &Vijayanagara districts. Of which 41.33% species are herb, 12.95% species are shrub and subshrub & climbing s herb 0.81% and 31.96% are trees each . Flowers of most of the species are yellow coloured which draws the attention of all. Most of the collected species have been used as medicines in traditional medicine practices in India especially Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Caeselpinia pulcherrima, Cajanus cajana, Cassia javanica, Crotalaria pallida, Desmodium triflorum, Gliricidium sepium, Indigofera cordifolia, Mimosa pudica, Mucuna pruriens, Macroptelium lathyroides, Tamarindus indica, Vigna radiata, Vigna aconitifolia, Tephrosia purpurea etc. have mentioned in many research papers regarding ethnobotanical studies from various parts of India. Most of the plants are aromatic plants in flowers. Few species are grown as ornamental plants, Parkinsonia aculata, Caeselpinia pulcherrima, Acacia auriculiformis, Mimosa pudica, Delonix regia, Delonix elata, Senna spp. Callindra haematocephala etc. Indigofera cordifolia, Macroptelium lathyroides, Rothia indica , Alysicarpus glumaceus, Alysicarpus tetragonolobus, Rhynchosia minima and Rhynchosia suaveolens etc are reported as weeds of cultivated lands, gardens, and disturbed lands. The present investigation is an effort to document the Fabaceae of Ballari and Vijayanagara Districts where most it is observed that majority of the species are found as natural vegetation and may prove to be potential candidates for exploration of antibacterial, antihelmentic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer , would healing properties. Many plant species mentioned above which have bright coloured inflorescence can be cultivated as ornamentals.

We thank, Mahatma Ghandhi Botanical Garden, Herbarium centre Bangalore, Botanical Surveyof India, Coimbatore, and Pune for permitting to refer the herbarium and library.