Almora: India’s largest open air fernery was inaugurated at Ranikhet in Almora district, Uttarakhand on Sunday, by well-known ‘Fern expert’ Nilambar Kunetha. The fernery covers over four acres, with Ranikhet providing an ideal location, with completely natural surroundings for plant growth.
The fernery has been developed at an altitude of 1,800 metres, in a shaded area with a seasonal ‘pahadi nala’ passing through it. The place provides adequate moisture, as ferns require shade and moisture to grow and propagate. It has a mix of species from the western and eastern Himalayan regions, along with several species from the Western Ghats. It houses many rare species, prominent among which are Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa) which has been declared as ‘threatened’ by Uttarakhand State Biodiversity Board.
‘The fernery has been developed by the research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department over a period of three years under the Centre’s compensatory afforestation scheme CAMPA. It has a collection of around 120 different types of fern, with only Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram having a larger number of fern species than here’, explained Sanjiv Chaturvedi, The Chief Conservator of Forest (Research).
Only a few plants of this species are left in the wild and is considered one of the most ancient species of fern. It is said that herbivore dinosaur used to feed on its trunk which is rich in starch. The fernery has around 30 species which have incredible medicinal importance. The species include Hansraj (Adiantum venustum) which has been given prominence in Ayurveda as well as in the Tibetan system of medicine as a treatment for many ailments. The fernery also displays some prominent edible species of fern-like Lingura (Diplazium esculentum), a popular vegetable in the hills of Uttarakhand, which is considered highly nutritious. Beside this the fernery also displays many epiphyte, aquatic ferns and popular and interesting ferns like Vishkanya, Mayurshikha, Boston Fern, Lady Fern, Rock Fern, Basket Fern, Ladder Fern, Golden Fern and Horsetail Fern.
Besides the display of various fern species, it also demonstrates interesting facts about ferns, like reference of invisible seeds of ferns in Shakesphere’s play ‘Henry IV’ and the craze of ferns known as ‘Pteredomania’ in the Victorian era. Ferns are significantly prized for their ornamental values and quite a lot of of their species are used for medicinal and edible purposes too. They are used to filter heavy metals from polluted waters, and are also good nitrogen fixating agents.
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