வேளாண் மற்றும் விவசாயிகள் நலத்துறை DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE Government of Puducherry

‶AU JARDIN ZOOLOGIQUE AT PONDICHÈRY″
(ESTABLISHED IN THE YEAR 1826)

INTRODUCTION

The Botanical Garden is situated in the south west of the Puducherry city. The oval shaped garden spreads over an area of about 11 hectares. The mean annual temperature is about 28℃ and mean monthly temperature ranges between 31.7℃ (May, June) and 24.2℃ (December and January). The mean annual rainfall in 1253 mm.

HISTORICAL GLIMPSES

The Botanical Garden was established by the French in 1826, however mention of it has been made in 1740 itself. The main purpose of the Botanical Garden at that time was to study the performance of various cultivable plants and to identify suitable plants based on their adoptability to the agro-climatic conditions of Puducherry. In the year 1829 a vast collection of eight to nine hundred species were grown in an area of 7500 square meters was reported by the famous traveler Victor Jacquemont.



In 1838, an eminent Botanist Mr. S.G. Perottet took charge of the garden and enriched it with new and rare species of plants uniquely for their value of plant collection and creating a live herbarium. Besides, introducing new species he was also responsible for beautifying the garden. Later, Mr. Countest Lacour (1870), Mr. Pelletier (1875) and Mr. Reynaud (1885) succeeded and were instrumental for introduction of a number of new plants. In 1890, Mr. Achart was appointed as the chief of Agriculture in Puducherry and in 1900 he was appointed as the Director of the Botanical Garden. Other eminent botanists who succeeded Mr. Achart are Rev. Father Dessaint, (1884), Monseigneur Leveille’ (1887 to 1892), Dr. Paramanandha mariadassou, Mr. Soupramania Poulle, Mr. Giblon and Dr. Bigot. After the merger of Puducherry with the Union of India in 1954, the Department of Agriculture was entrusted with the responsibilities of maintaining the Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden now is a garden of tree and plant collection.

BEAUTIFUL TREES OF THE JARDIN BOTANIQUE

The trees in the Botanical Garden are a mixture of indigenous and exotic trees ranging from deciduous to evergreen species, each contributing to the general floral wealth, glory and beauty of the garden. The endangered species and specimens of the Tropical Dry Evergreen species. The tall and monster like Khaya senegalensis greeting the visitors is an introduced species from Central Africa, the huge Cannon ball trees (Couroupita guianensis), which produces sweet smelling typical flowers from the trunk adds fragrance, spirituate and beauty, the tall and erect majestic royal palms (oreodoxa regia), the old and gigantic silk cotton trees (Bombax malabaricum) with its broad green trunks revealing its old age through the well developed at the bottom buttresses, the sweeping callistemon (bottle brush), are unique to this. Adenanthera pavonina, Anthocephalus cadamba, Samania saman, Albizzia, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Michelia champaka, Crescentia cujeta, Sweitanea mahagoni, Kignelia pinnata, Ficus species and the colourful flowering trees of Delonix regia, Peltophorum ferrugineum, Saraca indica, Butea frondosa, Plumeria species, Spathodia caampanulata, Milligtonia hortensis, Tabebuia rosea are a few of the others members adding an array of unimaginable, chroma, aroma beauty and naturalness to the Botanical Garden.

The diversified collection of tree species with their varying colour of the flowers, shape of crowns, height and different periods of flowering, fruit production, leaf shedding and the visit and cries of seasonal insects like the call of the cycads after the first rains and the birds, bats offers a variety of scenery and every month there is something new to be seen in the garden. The Nature’s offering of flowers and fruits all-round the year satisfies one’s peace and joy makes the visit to the Garden a worthy one. The fossil park displayed amidst the palm collection and the cycads are rare and unique and indeed a curiosity even for a casual visitors.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

The newly established Musical Dancing Fountain with water gatting out in different patterns and designs in multi-colour dancing to the music is an added attraction to the visitors. The children Lotus fountain is a scenic spiritual park to meditate in silence, specially devoted for children. To the delight of tiny tots, a midget joy train is operated and a ride in it thrills not only the trots but also the parents. The children play corner is another attraction for children. The Annual Flower Show with display of flowers of all kinds are conducted to create a re conmaissance among nature lovers and children to update their knowledge about flowers and the bounty of nature. The flower shows is so popular among the public and tourists that it can be referred as a “Flower Festival”.

OTHER FEATURES

• Office –cum- Interpretation Centre
• Conservatory
• Cactus   Succulents House
• Medicinal Plants
• Thematic Garden

Thus this 187 years old Botanical Garden is an unique heritage landmark for Puducherry, important sightseeing and amusement for tourists, living herbarium for students of botany, bio museum for forestry and naturalist. It continues to remain as the only lung space of tree and green zone in the heart of the City.

OBJECTIVES OF THE GARDENS

The primary objective of the Botanical Garden is to promote education, exsitor conservation of flora, to spread awareness about our floral heritage and to serve as a one spot centre for education, amusement, peace, joy and an abode for tourists.

EVENTS / ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE YEAR

• Advising service to the public a gardening
• Production and sale of plants, manure, pots, etc.
• Conduct of Thematic exhibitions / Shows.
• Conduct of Training Programmes to Public   Farmers
• Conduct of Annual Flowers, Fruits   Vegetables Show
• Children Joy Train Trip.
• Musical Dancing Fountain Show.

GALLERY OF THE TREE SPECIES IN THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, PUDUCHERRY

NAME OF THE SPECIES
Alangium salvifolium (L.f.) Wangerin	Anacardium occidentale L.	Holigarna arnottiana Hk.f.
Lannea coromandelica (Hout.) Merr.	Mangifera indica L.	Rhus sp nov. A
Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz.	Annona cherimola Mill	Annona muricata.L.
Annona reticulata L.	Annona squamosa L.	Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hk.f. & Thomson
Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Thwaites	Polyalthia suberosa (Roxb.) Thwaites	Polyalthia sp.
Alstonia macrophylla.Ex G Dou	Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br.	Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall. Ex
Plumeria alba L.	Plumeria obtusa L	Plumeria pudica L
Plumeria rubra L.	Thevetia perviana (Pers.) D.Schum.	Wrightia tinctoria (Roxb.) R. Br.
Brassia actinophylla Endll.,	Schefflera sp.	Schefflera stellata Harms.
Schefflera wallichiana (Wt & Arn) Harms	Araucaria excelsa R. Br.	Areca catechu L.
Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr.	Borassus flaballifer L.	Brahea edulis H. Wendl.
Caryota urens L.	Cocos nucifera L.	Dypsis decaryi
Dypsis lutescens (H.weldl) Beentje   J.Dransf	Elaies guineensis Jacq.	Livistona chinensis (Jacq) R. Brau
Phoenix sylvestris Roxb.	Pritchardia martii	Rhapis excelsa (Thunb) A. Henry
Roystonea regia O.F. Cook	Saribus rotundifolius (Lam.) Blume	Trithrinax acanthocoma Drude
Veitchia montgomeryana H.E. Moore	Veitchia merrillii	Zombia antillarum (Desc) L.H. Bailey
Crescentia alata H.B.K.	Crescentia cujete L.	Dolichandrone falcata Seem
Jacaranda mimosifolia D.Don	Kigelia pinnata (Jacq) DC	Markhamia platycalyx (Baker) Sprague
Millingtonia hortensis L.f.	Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent.,	Radermachera xylocarpa K.Schum.
Spathodea campanulata Beauv.	Stereospermum colais (Buch-Ham-Ex Dillaw) Mafber	Tabebuia speciosa Stendl
Tabebuia argentea (Bureau   Schum) Britton	Tabebuia chrysotricha (Mart.ex.Dc.) stendl.	Tabebuia pentaphylla Hems.
Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) Bertero ex A.DC	Tecoma stans (L.) Kunth	Bixa orellana L.
Adansonia digitata L.	Bombax malabaricum (DC.) Schoot   Endl.	Ceiba pentandra Gaertn.
Cordia dichotoma Forst. F	Cordia sebestena L.	Estreia pubescens Willd.
Crataeva magna (Lour)Dc.,	Crataeva nurvala (Lour.)DC	Casuarina equisetifolia J.R. Forster
Cassine glauca (Rottb.) Kuntze	Pleurostylia opposita (wall.) Alston	Calophyllum inophyllum L.
Clusia rosea	Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Robinson	Garcinia spicata (Wt. & Arn.) Hkg.
Anogeissus acuminata Roxb.	Anogeissus latifolia. Dc. Wallich. Ex	Terminalia alata Roth.
Terminalia arjuna Wt.   Arn.	Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb.	Terminalia catappa L.
Terminalia chebula Retz.	Terminalia mantaly	Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston.,
Thuja orientalis Linn.,	Cycas circinalis L.	Cycas revoluta Thunb.
Shorea talura Roxb	Dillenia indica L.	Diospyros buxifolia (Blume) Hiern
Diospyros discolor Willd	Diospyros ebenum J.Koenig ex Retz	Diospyros ferrea (Willd) Bakh
Diospyros montana Roxb.	Diospyros ovalifolia W.f.	Diospyros peregrina (Gaertn) Gurke
Diospyros sylvatica Roxb.	Elaeocarpus serratus. L.	Muntingia calabura L.
Aleurites moluccana (L) willd	Averrhoa carambola L.	Breynia rhamnoides Vetz. Muell, Arg.
Bridelia retusa spreng var squamosa	Cleistanthus collinus (Roxb.) Benth.ex Hook.f.	Dimorphocalyx glabellus Thwaites
Drypetes roxburgii (Wall) Hurusawa	Emblica officinalis Gaertn.	Hura crepitans L.
Jatropha curcas.L.	Mallotus philippensis - (Lam) Muell.Arg	Phyllanthus reticulatus.L.
Reutealis trisperma (Blanco) Airy shaw	Suregada angustifolia (Ball.ex.muell) Arg.	Theobroma cacao.L.
Amrhetia noblis Lam.	Bauhinia purpurea. L.,	Bauhinia racemosa L
Bauhinia tomentosa L.	Bauhinia variegata L.	Brownea coccinea Loeff. Ex.Griseb
Caesalpinia coriaria (Jacq) - wild	Caesalpinia ferrea (or) crista	Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw.
Cassia fistula L.	Cassia Javanica L	Cassia siamea DC
Delonix elata gamble	Delonix regia (Boj) Hk.	Hymenaea courbaril. L.
Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC) Backer	Saraca asoca (Roxb) Wild	Senna spectabilis irwin ( DC) Bauerly
Tamarindus indica L.	Butea monosperma Taub.	Dalbergia sisoides L sisodia
Dalbergia latifolia Roxb.	Dalbergia paniculata Roxb.	Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.
Erythrina indica Lam.	Erythrina variegata L.	Gliricidia maculata H.B.K.
Millettia peguensis Ali.,	Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre	Pterocarpus indicus Willd.
Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb.	Pterocarpus santalinus L.f.	Acacia auriculiformis A Cunn. Ex Benth.
Adenanthera pavonina L.