Further insight into the distribution and morphology of some Viola species occurring in Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya, India

Abstract

Genus Viola is one of the important wild medicinal plants of Indian Himalayan region. Its distribution is not still clear in Himachal Pradesh, India therefore present study was focused on determining the extent of spread of Viola species in the state with emphasis on morphological parameters. Total five species of Viola (V. odorata, V. canescens, V. pilosa, V. betonicifolia and V. kashmiriana) were recorded from the state and among them V. kashmiriana and V. betonicifolia were reported for the first time from districts Kullu and Bilaspur, at altitude of 1264 m and 745 m amsl, respectively. The studied taxa didn't show any marked qualitative difference in accordance with earlier records but substantial variation in quantitative details were observed. These variations can be further used to study the impact of climatic changes on Viola species distribution and adaptation.