Abstract
The forts on hilltops of the Sahyadri (northern Western Ghats) have seen a turbulent historical past and are famous for their architectural style and cultural heritage. Besides this, these hilltops are home to an incredible plant diversity. One of the highest hilltop forts (ca. 1,403m) the Torna, has been explored since 2012 for floral assessment. The study documented ca. 399 plant species of which about 28% are endemic to the Western Ghats and 16 monotypic species were recorded. A brief account of the immense floristic diversity and new findings from Torna fort are summarized in the present article.
Highlights
India is one of the megabiodiverse countries of the world
We extend our thanks to Dr Vinod Shimple, Dr Nilesh Pawar, Dr Alok Chorghe, and Kishor KC for assisting in the field tours to the Torna Fort
The plateau and plains are covered with grasses, sedges, orchids, scrophulariaceae, legumes and other ephemerals, Strobilanthes, etc. (Image 2 C & G)
Summary
India is one of the megabiodiverse countries of the world It has diverse biogeography, and consists of about 18,000 plant species, which is almost 11% of total species in the world (Singh et al 2015). Mountain ranges of the northern Western Ghats are commonly known as Sahyadri. These ranges are very diverse in the habitats, flora and fauna. Torna hilltop with an altitude 1,403m is one of the tallest peaks in Maharashtra and highest peak in Pune District It is one of the renowned historical forts, which served as the capital of Maratha dynasty for 25 years and lies 50km southwest of Pune City in Velhe Tehsil
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