New Additions to the Flora of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India

Introduction

India is one of the world’s megadiverse country, characterized by a wide range of climatic conditions, geographical features, and vegetation types that support rich and diverse plant communities. The country possesses considerable floristic diversity, including numerous endemic, rare, and economically important plant species. The systematic documentation of this diversity is essential for understanding plant distribution patterns, taxonomic relationships, ecological interactions, and conservation priorities. Floristic studies provide fundamental information about the composition and distribution of plant species within a particular geographical region and serve as an important basis for botanical research and biodiversity conservation and management.

Chhattisgarh, located in central India, is endowed with rich natural vegetation and diverse ecological habitats. A substantial proportion of the state is covered by forests, predominantly tropical deciduous vegetation, which supports a variety of angiosperms, pteridophytes, and other plant groups. Variations in topography, soil characteristics, rainfall, and climatic conditions contribute to the distribution of diverse plant communities throughout the state. Despite the availability of floristic information for several regions, continued botanical exploration remains important for improving knowledge of plant diversity, documenting changes in species distribution, and identifying species that have not previously been reported from particular localities.

Bilaspur district, situated in the almost central part of Chhattisgarh, India. represents an important area for floristic investigation because of its varied habitats, including forested areas, open grasslands, agricultural landscapes, wetlands, and human-disturbed environments. These habitats provide suitable conditions for the growth of diverse herbaceous plants, shrubs, trees, etc. The district’s vegetation contributes to regional ecological stability and provides important resources for local communities. Previous botanical investigations, including the publication of Flora’s and articles of Bilaspur district (Madhya Pradesh), Chhattisgarh (Raipur, Durg and Rajnandgaon, Indravati Tiger Reserve, Kanger Valley National Park),  Madhya Pradesh, [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6], [7],[8],[9],[11],[12],[13[14],[15],[16],[17], and [18]. For correct and latest accepted naming of the plant’s, website of POWO website [10] was used. This literature has contributed significantly to the understanding of the area’s plant diversity. Nevertheless, additional field surveys and critical examination of botanical records were conducted to refine the existing floristic inventory and improve our understanding of the distribution of plant species within the district.

Floristic surveys frequently reveal plant species that have not been documented previously from a particular geographical area. Such findings result from intensive exploration of under-surveyed habitats, improved taxonomic identification, seasonal observations, or changes in the known distribution of plant species. A new distributional record for the district of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, is particularly valuable because it extends the documented geographical range of a species at the local level. However, the recognition of a species as a new district record requires careful comparison with previously published floras, taxonomic literature, and other reliable botanical records. Accurate identification and documentation of voucher specimens are therefore essential to ensure the scientific validity of such records. The documentation of new additions to the flora of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India is important for updating the existing checklist of vascular plants and strengthening the baseline information available for future taxonomic, ecological, and conservation studies etc. Such investigations also contribute to understanding the regional patterns of plant distribution and identifying habitats that may require further botanical exploration or conservation attention.

 Furthermore, reliable records of plant species can support future research on vegetation composition, habitat associations, and the sustainable management of local plant resources. In this context, the present study aims to document plant species newly recorded from Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India, through field exploration, taxonomic examination, and a review of relevant published literature etc.

The present study aims to document the new plant species following their accepted botanical names, family affiliations, and growth habits. It also seeks to incorporate newly verified records into the existing floristic inventory of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India. The study is intended to enhance the understanding of the region’s plant diversity and provide valuable baseline information for future botanical research, taxonomic investigations, and biodiversity conservation initiatives.

Materials and Methods

Chhattisgarh came into existence as a new state on November 01, 2000. The present study was conducted in Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh, India. The district is situated in the central-eastern part of Chhattisgarh and supports diverse vegetation types associated with forested areas, agricultural lands, grasslands, wetlands, and human-modified habitats. Variations in topography, soil characteristics, moisture availability, and climatic conditions contribute to the distribution of diverse plant species in the region. The study area was selected to investigate plant diversity and document the plant species that had not previously been reported in the published flora of Bilaspur District (formerly known as flora of Bilaspur District M.P.).

Field surveys were conducted across various habitats of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, from 20 December 2025 to 20 September 2026. Botanical explorations focused on forest margins, open areas, roadsides, agricultural fields, and other natural and disturbed habitats. The collected plant specimens were photographed, carefully examined, and documented, with particular emphasis on their family affiliations and growth habits. Plant identification was carried out based on diagnostic morphological characters, including the characteristics of stems, leaves, inflorescences, flowers, fruits, and seeds, wherever applicable. Standard taxonomic literature, regional floras, pictorial guides, relevant botanical references, online resources, and consultation with subject experts were used for accurate identification and verification. The accepted scientific names, botanical author citations, and family assignments were further cross-checked using authoritative taxonomic databases and published literature. Nomenclatural discrepancies and synonyms were also considered during the verification process to confirm the identity and distributional status of the recorded species and establish their novelty as additions to the existing flora of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India. To determine whether a species represented a new addition to the flora of Bilaspur District, its occurrence was compared with previously published floristic accounts and taxonomic publications etc. Particular attention was given to the Flora of Bilaspur District and the Flora of Chhattisgarh, Flora of Madhya Pradesh etc.

Results

The present study focuses on documenting plant species that represent new additions to the flora of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India. Only those plant species that were not recorded in the previously published flora of Bilaspur District (formerly part of Madhya Pradesh) have been considered new additions to the flora of the district. This assessment takes into account the formation of Chhattisgarh as a separate state from Madhya Pradesh on November 1, 2000. The findings are presented in Table 1.

Details on the family-wise distribution of the recorded plant species are given in Table 2, and in Table 3, habitat variation of the newly added plant species to the flora of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India is given.

The findings of the present study are based on the observation of the Flora of Bilaspur District (Madhya Pradesh), Volume -I and II; Flora of Chhattisgarh, Volume -I, II and III; Flora of Madhya Pradesh, Vol.- I, II, and III; Supplement to the Flora of Madhya Pradesh; Flora of Raipur, Durg and Rajnandgaon; Flora of the Indravati Tiger Reserve; Biodiversity of Kanger Valley National Park; Biodiversity of Chhattisgarh: A checklist. Online sources like POWO and other relevant sources used for the present study are mentioned in the references.

The plants not included in these flora/s are recorded and listed. The present study contributes to the revision and enrichment of the existing floristic inventory of Bilaspur District. Chhattisgarh, India. It also provides useful baseline information for future taxonomic, ecological, and biogeographical research in Chhattisgarh, India. Continued documentation of plant diversity is particularly important in the context of habitat modification and environmental changes, which may affect the distribution and persistence of the plant species.

Discussions

The documentation of new additions to the flora of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India, contributes to a better understanding of the floristic diversity and distribution of plant species in the region. Floristic investigations are essential for updating regional plant inventories, identifying distributional gaps, and improving knowledge of local biodiversity. The new additions of species not previously documented in the flora of Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh, India, highlight the importance of continued botanical exploration and systematic examination of existing taxonomic records.

Bilaspur district encompasses a variety of habitats, including forested areas, grasslands, agricultural landscapes, roadsides, and other disturbed environments. Differences in habitat conditions, soil characteristics, moisture availability, and vegetation structure influence the distribution and establishment of plant species. Surveys conducted across these habitats reveal plant species that have been overlooked in earlier investigations. Consequently, repeated field surveys were conducted to achieve the goal of the present study.

The identification of new district records also emphasizes the importance of revisiting previously published floristic accounts. Historical floras provide essential baseline information, but changes in land use, habitat conditions, survey intensity, and taxonomic knowledge may lead to the recognition of additional species within a geographical area. In some cases, plant species may have been present for a long time but remained undocumented because of insufficient botanical exploration or difficulties in identification. Therefore, a newly reported occurrence should be interpreted primarily as an addition to the documented distribution of a plant species as a new addition to the flora of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India.

A total of one hundred newly recorded plant species belonging to forty-eight different families were documented in the present study, comprising herbs, shrubs and trees. Notably, nine of these (from one hundred plant species) species represent new distributional records not only for Bilaspur District but also for the state of Chhattisgarh, India. (Sr. no. of the listed plants – Table -1. –  2,9,15,49.,54,55,64,65 and 86).

Among the recorded plant species, the family Fabaceae was the most dominant, comprising 20 species, followed by Asteraceae (7 species), Malvaceae (6 species), Acanthaceae (5 species), and Orchidaceae (4 species). Three species each were recorded under the families Cactaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Rhamnaceae. The families Amaranthaceae, Linderniaceae, Molluginaceae, Moraceae, Phyllanthaceae, Plantaginaceae, Rubiaceae, Solanaceae, and Urticaceae were represented by two species each. The remaining 31 families were represented by a single plant species each. As a habit variation of the recorded plants, the maximum was Herb (69 Plant species), followed by Shrub (17 Plant species) and Trees (14 Plant species).

Finally, this study focuses on new additions specifically to Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India. The study includes plant species not previously recorded in the flora of Bilaspur District. It is concluded that the present study highlights the continuing relevance of floristic exploration in improving knowledge of plant diversity at the district level. The systematic documentation of additional plant records, supported by taxonomic verification, provides stronger botanical knowledge of Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh, India, and supports the future importance of the plant species for further teaching, research, and other purposes.

Acknowledgements

    We sincerely thank the authorities and the Head, Department of Botany, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, for providing the necessary facilities needed for the present study. We are also thankful to the officials of the Forest Department of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India, for their invaluable support during the study. The authors are grateful to all those who contributed directly or indirectly to the successful completion of this study.

References

1. Garg A., Sinha G.P. and Mao A.A. (2025). Flora of Chhattisgarh, Vol. III, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.
2. Khanna K.K., Kumar A., Dixit R.D. and Singh N.P. (2001). Supplement to the Flora of Madhya Pradesh, Dehradun.
3. Kumar A. and Rao P.S.N. (2003). Flora of the Indravati Tiger Reserve. Flora of the Indravati Tiger Reserve. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata. 44.
4. Mishra R.P., Naik M.L., Tiwari A.P and Pandey A.K. (2023). Ten new additions to the flora of Chhattisgarh, India. The Indian Forester, 149(5), 562–568. https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2023/v149i5/168465
5. Mudgal V., Khanna K.K. and Hajra P.K. (1997). Flora of Madhya Pradesh, Vol. – II, BSI, Dehradun.
6. Murti S.K. and Panigrahi G. (1999). Flora of Bilaspur District (Madhya Pradesh), Volume II. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
7. Naik M.L., Midhra R.P., Tiwari A.P., Pandey A.K. and Mishra P. (2024). Biodiversity of Kanger Valley National Park, Vol. – I., Chhattisgarh Biodiversity Board. Raipur (C.G.).
8. Pandey A.K., Naik M.L. and Mishra R.P. (2023). Biodiversity of Chhattisgarh: A checklist (1st ed.). Chhattisgarh State Biodiversity Board, Aranya Bhawan, Raipur. 121-126.
9. Panigrahi G. and Murti S.K. (1989). Flora of Bilaspur District (Madhya Pradesh), Volume I: Ranunculaceae to Convolvulaceae. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
10. POWO (2026). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/.
11. Shukla A.N., Tiwari A.P. and Mao A.A. (2025). Flora of Chhattisgarh, Vol. I, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.
12. Shukla A.N., Tiwari A.P., Garg A. and Mao A.A. (2025). Flora of Chhattisgarh, Vol. II, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.
13. Singh N.P., Khanna K.K., Mudgal V. and Dixit R.D. (2001). Flora of Madhya Pradesh, Vol. – III, BSI, Dehradun
14. Tiwari A.P. and Ansari A.A. (2014). New record of angiospermic taxa for Chhattisgarh. The Indian Forester, 140(1), 97–102.
15. Tiwari A.P. (2014). Some new additions of angiosperms for Chhattisgarh. The Indian Forester, 140(4), 439–444.
16. Tiwari A.P. (2015). Some new additions to the angiospermic flora of Chhattisgarh, India. The Indian Forester, 141(12), 1315–1317. https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2015/v141i12/85611
17. Verma D.M., Balakrishnan N.P. and Dixit R.D. (1993). Flora of Madhya Pradesh, Vol. – I, BSI, Allahabad.
18. Verma D.M., Pant P.C. and Hanfi M.I. (1985). Flora of Raipur, Durg and Rajnandgaon. Flora of India Series 3. Botanical Survey of India, Howrah.
19. Other online sources – efloraofindia.com, https://efloraofindia.com