Studies on littoral flora of Andaman Islands

Abstract

Marine macrophytes of Andaman islands were qualitatively surveyed. In all 40 genera, 64 species of marine algae, 17 genera, 22 species of mangroves while 3 genera, 3 species of seagrasses are reported. There were 26 species of rhodophyta, 21 species of chlorophyta, 14 species of phaeophyta and 3 species of cyanophyta. The dominants were ACETABULARIA CALYCULUS, CODIUM TAITENSE. HALIMEDA species. DICTYOSPHAERIA CAVERNOSA, PADINA PAVONIA, POCOCKIELLA sp. TURBINARIA species, GALAXAURA species. The mangrove flora is dominated by RHIZOPHORA APICULATA, R. MUCRONATA and AVICENNIA MARINA. Seagrasses THALASSIA HEMPRICHII and HALODULE UNINERVIS were commonly observed in the infralittoral zone