Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 1

Certificate

This is to Certify that the nature study report

submitted by the final year CBZ students of St. Philomena’s

College, Mysore, is a work towards partial fulfillment of the

syllabus as prescribed by the University of Mysore,

for the year 2009 – 2010.

Place: Mysore

Date: 30th October 2009

Signature of the Signature of the

Teacher In charge Head of Department

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 2

Contents

Acknowledgement

Yercaud

Visit to Yercaud

First day

Botanical survery of India

Bhavani singh’s perfumery

Second day

Lady’s seat

Rose Garden

Shevoroy’s hills

Photographs

Our experience

Conclusion

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 3

Acknowledgement

We the student of III Year Bsc (CBZ & BBMB) would like to thank our beloved

principal Rev, Fr. Leslie Moras, who permittred us to go to study tour to Yercaud

in Tamil Nadu.

We are grateful to our lecturers Prof. Maria A

Lazarus, Head of the department of Botany and

Prof. Lizzy Cyriac who accompanied us to our

Botanical study tour to and gave us the

enormous knowledge above the flora in

Orchidarium in Botanical Survey of India in

Yercaud.

This tour was a surely a memorable experience

for us and was possible only because of them.

We also thank Rev. Fr. Anthony who provided

us nice Accomadation at Tilakam Nest.

Professor Maria

Professor Lizzy

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 4

Introduction The tour was organized by our

botany lecturers prof. maria A.L

and prof. Lizzy Cyriac. The main

tour was to have the better

understanding of Altitudinal

vegetation of chidarium herb

garden.

Yercaud is a beautiful hill station

near Salem, Tamil Nadu, India in

the Shervarayan range of hill

(Shevoroy’s) in eastern Ghats.

Yercaud is quit little hill station

on the Eastern Ghats, The only

of its kind in northem Tamil Naidu. It’s a cool place and a less expensive place than

either Ooty or Kodaikanal. Hence yercaud is also known as “Poor man’s Ooty”.

Yercaud is at an altitude of 1515 meters (4969 feet) above the mean sea level. The town

gets its name from the like located at its center-in Tamil “Yeri” means “like” and “Kaadu”

means “Forest”. The height of 5326 feet. Hence Yercaud hill area is also called shevaroy

hills.

Yercaud Presents a cool climate where temperature never rises above 30 C and dip

below 13 C. The peaceful hill station of Yercaud nestles among coffee plantatins ans

thickly forested shopes and is a good place for trekking and boating.

Some of the original forests continue to exist in the Yercaud hills and contain several

endemic species of plants and animals. They have faunal and floral similarities to the

western Ghats.

Yercaud is known for its coffee plantations and orange groves. It has an orchidarium run

by the “botanical survey of India.

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 5

Journey

Day One

On the night of 30th September

2009, we gathered at 09:30pm at

St.Phillomena’s college and

departed from Mysore at 10:10pm

by Bus.

We arrived at Tamil Nadu at

01:00am and reached Yercaud at

07:00.am.

We stayed at Hotel Tilakam Nest .

At 9:00am we had veg- breakfast in the hotel. After that we went to the “National

Orchidarium and Experimental Garden.

At 10:00 in the morning we all were so excited to see the Botanical survey of India, an

experimental garden and the beautiful Orchidarium in yercaud. When e stepped in to the

botanical gardens we saw a large area fully covered with different live specimens of

plants.

There we met Dr. Umar Sheriff, scientist and the

director of the national Orchidrium in the Botanical

survey of India. He gave us the useful talk about

the Botanical gardens. He explained us about the

importance of the Botanical gardens world wide

and about the national Orchidarium.

Dr.Umar Sheriff

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 6

The BSI is a government

organization which was

established in 1890 and was

recognized in 1954. The BSI

aim was to explore plant

resources of the country

systematic survey. It provides

accurate and detailed

information regarding the

occurance, distribution, ecology

and economic utility of plants in

India.

The is collects, identified and distributes plant material, they are useful in educational

and research areas.

Botanical Survey of India (BSI)

BSI comes under Ministry of Environment forest. It has its head quarter in Calcutta. Ten

regional circles are present in different parts of India. They are:

1. Southern Circle- Coimbatore

2. Western Circle- Pune

3. Jodhpur Circle

4. Central Circle-Allahabad

5. Northern Circle- Dehradun

6. Sikkim Gangtok

7. North Eastern Circle-Itanagar

8. Deccan Circle-Hyderabad

9. North Eastern Circle-Shillong

10. Andaman & Nicobar circle

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Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 7

Objectives of BSI

1. To survey the plant resources of the country.

2. To undertake and complete taxonomic studies of all the flora of the country.

3. To enlist the endangered species, to undertake measures for the effective

conservation and to collect and maintain germplasm and gene bank of

endangered, patent and vulnerable species.

4. To bring out volumes of National Flora and Flora of States/Union Territories.

5. To identify, collect and preserve specimens of plants which are economically and

otherwise beneficial to human being and

6. To prepare National Database of herbarium collection including types, live

collections, plant genetic resources, plant distribution and nomenclature.

In BSI we came to know about many plant species with the help of the orchidarium

director Dr. Umar Shariff. He showed variety of live specimens of different species of

plants grown in the national orchidarium with pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and a vast

angiosperms. We came to have a knowledge of all plants with their hybrids and also of

endemic and endangered species.

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Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 8

Family Orchidaceae Orchidaceae, the orchid family, is the largest family of the flowering plants

(Angiospermae).Its name is derived from the genus Orchis.

A majority of orchids are perennial epiphytes, which grow anchored to trees or shrubs in

the tropics and subtropics. Other species are lithophytes, growing on rocks or very rocky

soil, or are terrestrial. Nearly all temperate orchids are terrestrial.

Some orchids, like Neottia and Corallorhiza, lack chlorophyll and are unable to

photosynthesize. Instead, these species obtain energy and nutrients by parasitising soil

fungi through the formation of orchid mycorrhizas. The fungi involved include those that

form ectomycorrhizas with trees and other woody plants, parasites such as Armillaria,

and saprotrophs.[5] These orchids are known as myco-heterotrophs, but were formerly

(incorrectly) described as saprophytes due to the belief that they gained their nutrition by

breaking down organic matter. While only a few species are

achlorophyllous holoparasites, all orchids are myco-heterotrophic during germination and

seedling growth and even photosynthetic adult plants may continue to obtain carbon

from their mycorrhizal fungi.

Orchids are easily distinguished, as they share some very evident apomorphies. Among

these: bilaterally symmetric (zygomorphic), many resupinate, one petal (labellum) is

always highly modified, stamens and carpels are fused, and the seeds are extremely

small.

Orchids generally have simple leaves with parallel veins, although some Vanilloideae

have a reticulate venation. Leaves may be ovate, lanceolate, or orbiculate, and very

variable in size. Their characteristics are often diagnostic. They are normally alternate on

the stem, often plicate, and have no stipules. Orchid leaves often have siliceous bodies

called stegmata. The leaves of some orchids are considered ornamental. eg. Macodes

sanderiana. The leaves of some orchids show xerophytic characters.

All orchids are perennial herbs and lack any permanent woody structure. Orchids can

grow according to two patterns:

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 9

Monopodial

The stems grow from a single bud, leaves are added from the apex each year and the

stem grows longer accordingly. The stem of orchids with a monopodial growth can reach

several metres in length, as in Vanda and Vanilla.

Sympodial

The plant produces a series of adjacent shoots which grow to a certain size, bloom and

then stop growing, to be then replaced. Sympodial orchids grow laterally rather than

vertically, following the surface of their support. The growth continues by development of

new leads, with their own leaves and roots, sprouting from or next to those of the

previous year, as in Cattleya. While a new lead is developing, the rhizome may start its

growth again from a so-called 'eye', an undeveloped bud, thereby branching.

Terrestrial orchids may be rhizomatous or form corms or tubers. The root caps of

terrestrials are smooth and white.

Epiphytic orchid have velamen root which absorb water from humidity. It is made of

dead cells and can have a silvery-grey, white or brown appearance. In some orchids the

velamen includes spongy and fibrous bodies.

There are different colours of Orchids except black and blue. The flowers are aromatic

and it varies in the morning and evening. The orchid flower has two whorls of sterile

elements. The outer whorl has three sepals and the inner whorl has three petals. The

upper medial petal is modified into labellum. The filaments of the stamens are always

fused to the style to form cylindrical structure called the gynostemium. The great majority

of orchids consists of two pollinia. The seeds are generally almost microscopic and very

numerous, in some species over a million per capsule. After ripening they blow off like

dust particles or spores which is adapted for wind dispersal.

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 10

Orchidarium The Orchidarium was established with the view to conserve and study the

indigenous Orchids including the endangered species. It houses about 35,000

sets of Orchids in 249 species. It is the third largest Orchid house of India. It

includes nearly 30 very rare ones.

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 11

The Orchids found in the Orchidarium

Paphiopedilum druryi (Lady’s slipper)

Coleogyne breviscapa-Epiphyte

Coleogyne corymbosa

Aerides crispa

Dendrobium herbaceum

Dendrobium aqueum

Liparis acuminate

Cymbidium aloifolium

Cymbidium bicolor

Parphiopedilum

hirsutissimum

Dendrobium sonia

(Remained bloomed for110days in this

Orchidarium)

Epidendrum radicans

Pholidota imbricata

Dendrobium farmeri

2Eria pseudoclavicaulis

Parphiopedilum fairieanum

Dendrobium crepidatum

Coleogyne prolifera

Coleogyne flaccid

Lady’s slipper Orchid

Psilotum nudun

Coelogyne corymbosa

Spider Orchid

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Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 12

Cymbidium giganteum

Stanhopea wardii

Eria polystachya

Vanda paniculatum

Vanda spathulata

Along with the Orchidarium, there are other

plants in the “National Orchidarium and

experimental garden”. What we found most

interesting in the botanical garden is

Nepenthes khasiana which is an insectivorous

plant. It is a rare opportunity for anyone to see

this plant in its live condition. The pitchers

were so beautiful and there were many of

them.

Paphiopedium fairieanum

Laughing orchid

Pitcher plant Vanda spathulata

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 13

Bhavani Singh’s Perfumery

After we came back from

Orchidarium, we had food

and left for Bhavani Singh’s

Perfumery in the noon.

Bhavani Singh’s Perfumery

is a very Old small scale

Perfumery industries. P.B.

Hari Singh, son of the

Freedom Fighter and

Founder of this Perfumery,

Bhavani Singh established it

in 1931. P.B. Hari Singh

explained us different Herbal Plants, and their importance and the beneficial role. We

saw and learnt about many medicinally valued plants. Different Oils have been

extracted from different place species in nature in many steps. Essentials Oils and

certain other medicines were seen like.

Black Panther Oil

Massage Oil

Brahmi Hair Oil

Eucalyptus Oil

Oil of Citriodora

Oil of Lemon grass

Oil of Almond

Mouth wash

Mosquito repellant

Natural digestive

Beauty solutions like

Aloe vera gel.

Bhavani Singh’s perfumery, find one of the therapy in it, that is Aroma therapy. It is a

powerful therapy in treatment of many diseases, disorders like cold, head aches, fever

and other body pains and also many other problems like stress, tensions etc., can be

treated with aroma therapy.

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Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 14

The following page contains information about some of his products

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 15

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 16

We had our dinner in the hotel. All of us played games after dinner . All the

teachers and the student participated and enjoyed very much. Then we went to

sleep.

Day Two

In the morning at 08:45 we

went to Father Antony’s

Coffee estate, there we had

our breakfast. We had a

delicious Indian breakfast.

Father Antony

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 17

Places visited

Church

After the breakfast on the

way to plant collection we

stopped at a church. All the

students and teachers went

around the church. Some

students took pictures on the

church.

Lady's Seat

One of the Best views that Yercaud premises. The Lady’s Seat offers a splendid

view of the Ghats and the thick growth of trees lined there. One of the most

crowded and visited spots in Yercaud, Lady’s Seat is located 2km south west of

Yercaud town.

It surely was a breath taking

view for us. The view was

spectacular particularly in

the night with the twinkling

lights of Salem town in sight.

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 18

Rose Garden and Shervarayan Cave and Temple

situated in Shevoroy Hills.

Plant collection

On the way to lady’s seat we started to collect plants with the guidance of the teachers.

We collected plants of different families.

Rose garden

At From Lady’s Seat we all went to

Rose Garden to view different

species of flowering plants. We

saw different species of Roses, in

different colours, shapes and

sizes. We also saw many other

different Varieties of floras

including herbs and shrubs and

trees in Rose Garden.

Shevoroy’s Hills

Shevoroy’s Hills of Shervarayan

temple is one of the best place

inYercaud. This is the third

highest range in this part with a

modern cave temple at its top,

The hill top is bald with a real

open view of all the hills around.

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 19

The Servarayan temple

The Servarayan temple is situated at

top the Sevarayan hill. The temple is

a narrow and dark cave having the

God Servarayan and the Goddess

Kaveri inside.

After lunch went back to the

hotel to refresh and collect our

luggage for our journey back to

Mysore. On the way we

stopped Salem .

At 20:00pm we had dinner

in a nice restaurant.

At 21:30 all were settled in

the bus and we started

our journey back to

Mysore.

We reached Mysore at

5:00am.

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Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 20

Conclusion

The tour helped us to intermingle with all our classmates and provided

opportunity to understand each of them and made friendly relation through fun

and joy.

We wished to express our deep gratitude to our Prof. Maria A.L. H.O.D of botany

department and Prof. Lizzy Cyriac for their invested unspairing effort, untiring

energy and time spent for making all the arrangements for the tour. Works cannot

seem to express completely our appreciation to our professors, but we know deep

down how grateful we are for the time and effort they have put for the tour. Many

great memories have surely been lied in the tour.

Nature Study Tour Report – Group Three

Group 3, C.B.Z-5th

Semester, St.Philomena’s College 21

Group Members

Group Members

Jasleena

Javeria ( Leader )

Susai

Somiya

Padma