Tree ferns of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, India: Taxonomy, Ethnobotany and Conservation

Tree ferns of the genus Cyathea belonging to the family Cyatheaceae, has 12 species in India. In the present observation only two species viz Cyathea gigantea (Wall. ex Hook.) Holtt. and Cyathea spinulosa Wall. ex Hook. are naturally growing in the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve (MP). The local people collected their young shoots, leaves and pith for food and traditional medicine. The paper elucidates the current diversity, taxonomy, distribution, ecology and conservation status of the tree ferns in the Biosphere Reserve on the basis of revisionary study and field survey. The observation made would be helpful in monitoring and management of remaining population of the tree ferns in the Biosphere Reserve.