Floral Diversity Of Aligarh

The district of Aligarh spreads from 27º88'N latitude to 78º08'E longitude at an elevation of 178m. The greatest width from west to east is about 116km and the maximum length from north to south is about 72km and forms part of the fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab . The district spreads over 4023 square kilometers and this area varies slightly from year to year due to the changing courses of river Ganga and Yamuna. The level of surface is interrupted by the several depressions, Jhils, canals, nadi (river) and some drainage lines. Aligarh district experiences tropical monsoon climate characterized by two extreme conditions of severe cold in winter and oppressive heat in summer with a rainy season in between. The area is much more interesting having rich vegetation wealth due to topographic and climatic specificity. After the work of Duthie (1903-1929) for Upper Gangetic Plain in general, Panigrahi made an attempt to explore the area, however, complete and comprehensive flora did not come into existence. Authors tried to achieve the objectives and to know the traditional medicinal uses of plants, completed in due course with the help of rural inhabitant in this area.