The Aquatic Plant Section of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (Ajcbibg): Ex-Situ Conservation and Propagation

Aquatic plants play an important role in aquatic ecosystem, not only as service provider but also as phytoremediation.Rapid urbanization, industrial expansion and ineffective protective measures had a cumulative effect on the loss of aquatic biodiversity.The conservation and awareness of these plants therefore becomes necessary.With this view an aquatic section was developed at AJC Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah.The aquatic section is built in an area of more than 12000 sq.ft. to enrich visitors with different species and cultivars of aquatic plants at the same time serving as an ex-situ conservatory of aquatic plants germplasm.25 types of Nelumbo including both wild and cultivars, 26 types of Nymphaea (cultivars plus wild species), ca.39 types of aquatic ferns, hydrophytes and nymphoides and others are conserved in this newly developed aquatic plant section.