Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute of Plant Sciences (MBGIPS) is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

located in Olavanna Grampanchayat,

Kozhikode District Kozhikode (), or Calicut district, is one of the 14 districts in the Indian state of Kerala, along its Southwestern Malabar Coast. The city of Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is the district headquarters. The district is 67.15% urbanised. ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Considering aquatic plant species, it is one of the leading botanical gardens in India. The botanical garden is a member of the

Botanic Gardens Conservation International Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a plant conservation biology, conservation Charitable organization, charity based in Kew, Surrey, England. It is a membership organisation, working with 800 botanic gardens in 118 countries, who ...

and has international agenda registration. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Govt. of India has approved MBGIPS as a “Lead Botanic Garden” in the conservation of aquatic plants. In 2015, the institute became a research institute under the

Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) is an autonomous body constituted by the Government of Kerala in November 2002 to encourage and promote science and technology-related activities in Kerala State. Prior to the ...

(KSCSTE). It is also the accredited research center of the

University of Calicut The University of Calicut, also known as Calicut University, is a State ownership, state-run public university headquartered at Tenhipalam in Malappuram district of the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1968, it is the first university to ...

and the Regional Centre of Expertise in Sustainable education of United Nations University, Japan. Of the 742 species mentioned in van Rheede's

Hortus Malabaricus ''Hortus Malabaricus'' (meaning "Garden of Malabar") is a 17th-century botanical treatise on the medicinal properties of flora of the Malabar coast (the Western Ghats district, a region principally covering the areas which are presently in th ...

, 432 are bred here. Many rare endangered aquatic plants, 150 species of

pteridophytes A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that disperses spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as "cryptogams", meaning that their means of reproduction is hidden. Ferns, ...

, more than 60 species of

bryophytes The Bryophyta s.l. are a proposed taxonomic division containing three groups of non-vascular land plants (embryophytes): the liverworts, hornworts and mosses. Bryophyta s.s. consists of the mosses only. They are characteristically limited i ...

, 52 species of fruit trees, 60 species of

aromatic plants An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...

and many medicinal plants are protected in the botanical garden. It is home to more than 400 Indian aquatic plants, and is the largest collection in the country in this category.

History

The institution started as a Govt. Botanical Garden in 1991, and later in 1996 it was upgraded as Malabar Botanical Society, an autonomous body with a government grant. In 2015, the institute became a research institute under the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment.

Development

A new Block for Advanced Research, Guest House Complex and Aquatic Biopark are under construction at Malabar Botanical Garden.

Approach

The botanical garden is located at a distance of 8 km from the city of Kozhikode. The Botanical Garden is located at a distance of 8 km from the

Kozhikode Railway Station Kozhikode railway station also known as Calicut railway station is one of the largest railway stations in the state of Kerala, India. At in financial year 2018–19, it is the largest in terms of passenger revenue in Palakkad division. The sta ...

and 25 km from the

Kozhikode International Airport Calicut International Airport , also known as Kozhikode Airport or Karipur Airport, is an international airport located in Karipur, Malappuram district of Kerala, India. It serves the Malabar region of Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and P ...

. The park is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on government working days.

Awards

* 2014: Leadership Award from the National Academy of Biological Sciences

References

{{reflist Botanical gardens in India

History

Development

Approach

Awards

See also

References