Plant Biodiversity in Shimla: Wild Fruits in May

May is so beautiful:
Orchards are fair;
Branches of fruit trees
Make gardens of air.

Flowers of fragrance
Bloom in the light;
Fall like the snowflakes
Showering white.

Orchards of heaven
Grow with a grace,
And like a blessing
Perfume the place.  

•  Helen Maring 

       May is a time for many wild fruits and beautiful blooms in this region in the North West Himalaya. These wild fruits are cherished by one and all either from the wild or purchased from roadside venders. Some of them are listed below:

1. Box Myrtle, Bayberry

 Hindi: Kaiphal, Kaphal
Shimla: Kale bhaure

Sanskrit: Katphala, Mahavalkala
Botanical name: Myrica esculenta   

Synonym: Myrica sapida
Family: Myricaceae (Bayberry family)

Kaphal is one of the many delicious wild fruits found throughout mid-Himalayan region. The fruit are deep-red colored similar to raspberries.   

  

2. Yellow Himalayan Raspberry

Hindi: Lalanchu, Hinsal

Vernacular Names: Heer हीर, Achhu आछू, Bhumla भूमला (रोहड़ू), Akhe (आखे),  Akhre आखरे

Botanical name: Rubus ellipticus   

Synonym: Rubus rotundifolius
Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)

It is also a very tasty wild fruit found in the North West Himalaya.

Plant Biodiversity in Shimla (H.P.)

We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity. 

• E. O. Wilson (American Biologist)

   

Earth is inhabited by millions of living organisms ranging from microscopic bacteria to gigantic blue whale and towering General Sherman (Giant Sequoia). All these living organisms constitute biodiversity (also known as biological diversity) of the Earth. In simple words, it is the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in the biosphere. It is variety of life in the world. Biodiversity is the foundation for life and for the essential services provided by ecosystems. The term biological diversity was used for the first time by wildlife scientist and conservationist Raymond F. Dasmann in 1968. The term biodiversity first appeared in a publication in 1988 when entomologist E. O. Wilson used it as a title in his publication. Biodiversity is a shortened term of biological diversity. United Nations’ Earth Summit (1992) has defined biological diversity as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part that includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

The United Nations had named 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) and designated 2011-2020 as UN Decade of Biodiversity to create awareness amongst the people on the issues of biological diversity.

       International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) falls in the month of May every year. So, I have decided to write monthly posts on ‘Plant Biodiversity in Shimla (H.P.)’ from this month onwards. The worthy readers are requested to give their comments or add additional information if they have any. I will try to include the plant species which occur in the radius of 15km from Shimla city.