January 2026 - Rajasthan Biodiversity Network

Flora of Bansyal – Khetri – Bagor Conservation Reserve, Jhunjhunu District, Rajsathan

by Dr. Satish Kumar Sharma | Jan 1, 2026 | Flora, Species, Uncategorised

Dr. Dharmendra Khandal

Conservation Biologist

Tiger Watch, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan

Dr. Satish Kumar Sharma

Assistant Conservator of Forests (Retd.)

14-15, Chakri Amba, Rampura Circle, Udaipur, Rajasthan

Praveen Singh

Field Biologist,

Tiger Watch, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan

Bansyal- Khetri – Bagor Conservation Reserve is situated in Khetri tehsil of Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan state. It was notified as a Conservation Reserve by the Government of Rajasthan through notification number F3 (13) Forest/2016, dated April 10, 2018 under the Section 36A of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Area of Khetri-48, a Protected Forest block of Jhunjhunu Forest Division is included in this conservation reserve. Area of the reserve is 3966.654 ha.

Once, hills of the area were clade by the dense Anogeissus pendula forest (5B/E₁Forest) but due to heavy biotic pressure, Anogeissus pendula has reached in its degraded form at most of the places and now instead of 5B/E₁Forest it has acquired the shape of 5B/E₁/DS₁Anogeissus scrub. Two types of forests are confined to the area namely, 5B-Northern tropical dry deciduous forests and 6B- Northern tropical thorn forests. Many subtypes of these two major types of forests are present in the area (Hudda, 2019). A list of present main subtypes of the forests is given below:

Table 1: Forest types of the area

S. No.	Major forest type	General edaphic type	General degradation type	Seral type
1	5B – Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests	C2 – Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest	5B/E1/DS1 – Anogeissus scrub	DS1 – Dry deciduous scrub DS3 – Euphorbia scrub DS4 – Dry grassland
2	6B – Northern Tropical Thorn Forests	C1 – Desert Thorn Forests E1 – Acacia senegal forest E4 – Salvadora scrub	E1/DS1/IS1 – Desert dune forest and desert dune scrub	DS1 – Ziziphus scrub DS2 – Tropical Euphorbia scrub

S. No.

Major forest type

General edaphic type

General degradation type

Seral type

5B – Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

C2 – Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest

5B/E1/DS1 – Anogeissus scrub

DS1 – Dry deciduous scrub

DS3 – Euphorbia scrub

DS4 – Dry grassland

6B – Northern Tropical Thorn Forests

C1 – Desert Thorn Forests

E1 – Acacia senegal forest

E4 – Salvadora scrub

E1/DS1/IS1 – Desert dune forest and desert dune scrub

DS1 – Ziziphus scrub

DS2 – Tropical Euphorbia scrub

Environment condition:

This area is prone to aridity as rainfall is low, varying from 350mm to 450 mm per annum. Perennial streams and rivers are missing in the area. Winters are severe over here and temperature falls as low as 0°C. to -3°C. Summers are hot and temperature rises up to 45°C to 47°C.

Few planted rarities:

Chirani forest nursery is close to the area. Two Mahogani (Swietenia mahogani) trees are present in the nursery which are 20-25 years old. Four Mopane (Colophospermum mopane) trees are also present in this nursery. These planted rarities should be protected.

Wild animals:

Bansyal- Khetri- Bagor Conservation Reserve is an abode of many mammalian species like Northern plains Langur (Semnopithecus entellus), Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Indian gazelle (Gazella bennettii), Common leopard (Panthera pardus), Jungle cat (Felis chaus), Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), Grey mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), Striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), Grey wolf (Canis lupus), Golden jackal (C. aureus), Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis), Desert fox (V. v. pusilla), Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis), House shrew (Suncus murinus), Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica), Five- striped squirreal (Funanbulus pennantii), Indian desert jird (Meriones hurrianae), Indian long – tailed tree mouse (Vandeleuria oleracea) etc. Once tiger (Panthera tigris) and its main prey base Sambar (Rusa unicolor) were common in the hilly forested area but now tiger has gone and common leopard has become an apex predator. Till 2010, a small population of Sambar was present in the forest area but now their numbers are decreasing. Forest Department should start Sambar restoration plan in the area. This is the Sambar’s western most gene pool of Rajasthan.

The gaps in knowledge of local flora:

Information about floral diversity of forests of Jhunjhunu district can be had from the working plan of the district (Rathore, 2012) but Bansyal- Khetri- Bagor Conservation Reserve was not in existence at the time of starting of this working plan. Hence, no specific information is available in this working plan about the conservation reserve. Hudda (2019) has prepared the first management plan of this conservation reserve but information about floral diversity is very scanty in this plan. Therefore, to bridge this gap, present study was done.

Scrub-covered hill slopes of the Bansyal–Khetri–Bagor landscape, representing northern tropical thorn and dry deciduous vegetation shaped by low rainfall and shallow rocky soils. Image: Praveen

Methodology

Area was visited many times from 2018 to 2025. Three season field surveys were done during winters, summers and rains to list the flora. Help of existing floras (Bhandri, 1990; Shetty and Singh, 1987,1991,1993) were taken to identify the plant species in the field. To identify the grass flora, special surveys were done late in the monsoon season when grasses are found in flowering stage. Rainy season was found very useful to record the tuberous and ephemeral species. During rainy season, aerial parts of tuberous species become visible and field identification also become easy. Help of local forest field staff was taken to prob the area.

Flora of Bansyal- Khetri- Bagor Conservation Reserve:

The findings of the surveys are presented below:

Table 2: Dicot flora of Bansyal- Khetri- Bagor Conservation Reserve

S. No.	Family	Scientific name	Habit*
1	Menispermaceae	Cissampelos pareira	TS
		Tinospora cordifolia	CS
		Cocculus hirsutus	SS
		Cocculus pendulus	SS
2	Papaveraceae	Argemone mexicana	H
3	Fumariaceae	Fumaria indica	H
4	Cleomaceae	Cleome gynandra	H
5	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium irio	H
6	Capparaceae	Capparis decidua	S / ST
		Capparis sepiaria	SS
		Crateva odora	T
		Maerua oblongifolia	S
7	Caryophyllaceae	Polycarpaea corymbosa	H
8	Portulacaceae	Portulaca oleracea	H
9	Tamaricaceae	Tamarix aphylla	T
10	Flacourtiaceae	Flacourtia indica	S / ST
11	Malvaceae	Abutilon indicum	US
		Abutilon ramosum	S
		Hibiscus caesius	H
		Hibiscus micranthus	H
		Malvastrum coromandelianum	H
		Sida acuta	US
		Sida cordata	H
		Sida cordifolia	US
12	Sterculiaceae	Melhania futteyporensis	US
		Sterculia urens	T
		Waltheria indica	H
13	Tiliaceae	Corchorus aestuans	H
		Corchorus depressus	H
		Corchorus tridens	H
		Corchorus trilocularis	H
		Grewia damine	S
		Grewia flavescens	S
		Grewia tenax	S
		Triumfetta pentandra	H
14	Zygophyllaceae	Tribulus terrestris	H
15	Oxalidaceae	Oxalis corniculata	H
16	Rutaceae	Limonia acidissima	T
17	Simaroubaceae	Ailanthus excelsa	T
18	Balanitaceae	Balanites aegyptiaca	T
19	Burseraceae	Boswellia serrata	T
		Commiphora wightii	S
20	Meliaceae	Azadirachta indica	T
		Melia azedarach	T
21	Celastraceae	Maytenus senegalensis	T
22	Rhamnaceae	Ziziphus glabrata	T
		Ziziphus mauritiana	T
		Ziziphus nummularia	S
		Ziziphus xylopyrus	UT
23	Vitaceae	Cayratia carnosa	C
24	Sapindaceae	Cardiospermum halicacabum	C
25	Anacardiaceae	Lannea coromandelica	T
		Rhus mysorensis	S
26	Moringaceae	Moringa concanensis	T
		Moringa oleifera	T
27	Fabaceae	Abrus precatorius	TH
		Alhagi maurorum	S
		Alysicarpus vaginalis	H
		Butea monosperma	T
		Clitoria ternatea	TH
		Crotalaria burhia	H
		Crotalaria medicaginea	H
		Desmodium triflorum	H
		Indigofera linifolia	H
		Indigofera linnaei	H
		Melilotus alba	H
		Melilotus indica	H
		Mucuna pruriens	TH
		Rhynchosia minima	TH
		Tephrosia villosa	US
		Tephrosia purpurea	H
		Trigonella hamosa	H
28	Caesalpiniaceae	Bauhinia racemosa	T
		Cassia auriculata	S
		Cassia italica	H
		Cassia fistula	T
		Cassia pumila	H
		Senna tora	H
		Tamarindus indica	T
29	Mimosaceae	Acacia catechu	T
		Acacia jacquemontii	S
		Acacia leucophloea	T
		Acacia nilotica	T
		Acacia senegal	T
		Acacia tortilis	T
		Dichrostachys cinerea	S
		Mimosa hamata	S
		Prosopis juliflora	T
		Prosopis cineraria	T
30	Combretaceae	Anogeissus pendula	T
		Anogeissus sericea var. nummularia	T
31	Cucurbitaceae	Citrullus colocynthis	C
		Cucumis melo var. agrestis	C
		Cucumis prophetarum	C
		Mukia maderaspatana	C
		Coccinia grandis	C
		Diplocyclos palmatus	H
		Luffa acutangula	C
		Momordica balsamina	C
		Momordica charantia	C
		Momordica dioica	C
32	Cactaceae	Opuntia elatior	S
33	Molluginaceae	Mollugo cerviana	H
34	Aizoaceae	Trianthema portulacastrum	H
		Zaleya govinda	H
35	Rubiaceae	Borreria articularis	H
		Borreria pusilla	H
		Mitragyna parvifolia	T
36	Asteraceae	Acanthospermum hispidum	H
		Ageratum conyzoides	H
		Ageratum houstonianum	H
		Bidens biternata	H
		Blumea lacera	H
		Caesulia axillaris	H
		Echinops echinatus	H
		Launaea resedifolia	H
		Oligochaeta ramosa	H
		Parthenium hysterophorus	H
		Pulicaria crispa	H
		Sonchus asper	H
		Tridax procumbens	H
		Vernonia cinerea	H
		Verbesina encelioides	H
		Xanthium strumarium	H
37	Salvadoraceae	Salvadora oleoides	T
		Salvadora persica	T
38	Apocynaceae	Catharanthus pusillus	H
		Wrightia tinctoria	T
39	Asclepiadaceae	Calotropis procera	S
		Ceropegia bulbosa	C
		Leptadenia pyrotechnica	S
		Pergularia daemia	TU
		Pentropis spiralis	C
		Wattakaka volubilis	TS
40	Periplocaceae	Cryptostegia grandiflora	SS
		Hemidesmus indicus	SU
41	Gentianaceae	Enicostema verticillatum	H
42	Boraginaceae	Arnebia hispidissima	H
		Heliotropium bacciferum	H
43	Ehretiaceae	Cordia dichotoma	T
		Cordia gharaf	T
		Ehretia laevis	T
44	Convolvulaceae	Evolvulus alsinoides	H
		Ipomoea carnea ssp. fistulosa	S
		Ipomoea coptica	TH
		Ipomoea dichroa	TH
		Ipomoea nil	TH
		Ipomoea obscura	TH
		Ipomoea pes-tigridis	TH
		Merremia emarginata	H
		Rivea hypocrateriformis	CH
45	Cuscutaceae	Cuscuta chinensis	H
		Cuscuta reflexa	H
46	Solanaceae	Datura innoxia	H
		Lycium barbarum	S
		Physalis minima	H
		Physalis peruviana	H
		Solanum xanthocarpum	H
		Solanum nigrum	H
		Withania somnifera	US
47	Scrophulariaceae	Kickxia ramosissima	H
		Lindenbergia muraria	H
		Verbascum chinense	H
48	Bignoniaceae	Tecomella undulata	T
49	Pedaliaceae	Pedalium murex	H
		Sesamum indicum	H
		Sesamum mulayanum	H
50	Martyniaceae	Martynia annua	H
51	Acanthaceae	Adhatoda zeylanica	S
		Barleria prionitis	US
		Dipteracanthus patulus	H
		Elytraria acaulis	H
		Justicia procumbens	H
		Peristrophe paniculata	H
52	Verbenaceae	Clerodendrum phlomidis	S
		Lantana camara	S
53	Lamiaceae	Leucas aspera	H
		Leucas cephalotes	H
		Ocimum canum	H
		Salvia aegyptiaca	H
54	Nyctaginaceae	Boerhavia diffusa	H
		Commicarpus verticillatus	H
55	Amaranthaceae	Achyranthes aspera	H
		Celosia argentea	H
		Digera muricata	H
		Pupalia lappacea	H
56	Chenopodiaceae	Chenopodium album	H
		Chenopodium murale	H
57	Polygonaceae	Polygonum glabrum	H
		Polygonum plebeium	H
		Rumex dentatus	H
58	Loranthaceae	Dendrophthoe falcata	S
59	Euphorbiaceae	Euphorbia caducifolia	S
		Euphorbia hirta	H
		Euphorbia microphylla	H
		Jatropha gossypifolia	S
		Phyllanthus fraternus	H
		Ricinus communis	ST
		Securinega leucopyrus	S
60	Ulmaceae	Holoptelea integrifolia	T
61	Moraceae	Ficus arnottiana	T
		Ficus benghalensis	T
		Ficus racemosa	T
		Ficus religiosa	T

Table 3: Monocot flora of Bansyal- Khetri- Bagor conservation reserve

S. No.	Family	Scientific name	Habit*
1	Hydrocharitaceae	Hydrilla verticillata	H
2	Dioscoreaceae	Dioscorea bulbifera	TH
3	Liliaceae	Asphodelus tenuifolius	H
		Asparagus racemosus	SU
		Dipcadi erythraeum	H
		Urginea indica	H
4	Commelinaceae	Commelina benghalensis	H
		Commelina erecta	H
		Commelina forskalaei	H
		Cyanotis cristata	H
5	Arecaceae	Phoenix sylvestris	T
6	Lemnaceae	Lemna perpusilla	H
		Spirodela polyrhiza	H
		Wolffia microscopica	H
7	Potamogetonaceae	Potamogeton crispus	H
		Potamogeton pectinatus	H
8	Typhaceae	Typha angustata	H
9	Cyperaceae	Cyperus arenarius	H
		Cyperus atkinsonii	H
		Cyperus difformis	H
		Cyperus iria	H
		Cyperus rotundus	H
		Cyperus triceps	H
		Eleocharis atropurpurea	H
		Fimbristylis barbata	H
		Fimbristylis tenera	H
		Scirpus roylei	H
10	Poaceae	Apluda mutica	H
		Aristida adscensionis	H
		Aristida funiculata	H
		Arthraxon lanceolatus	H
		Bothriochloa pertusa	H
		Brachiaria ramosa	H
		Brachiaria raptans	H
		Cenchrus biflorus	H
		Cenchrus ciliaris	H
		Cenchrus setigerus	H
		Chloris barbata	H
		Chloris virgata	H
		Chrysopogon fulvus	H
		Cymbopogon martinii	H
		Cymbopogon jwarancusa	H
		Cynodon dactylon	H
		Dactyloctenium aegyptium	H
		Dactyloctenium sindicum	H
		Desmostachya bipinnata	H
		Dichanthium annulatum	H
		Digitaria pennata	H
		Echinochloa colona	H
		Eleusine coracana	H
		Eragrostis ciliaris	H
		Eragrostis minor	H
		Eragrostis tenella	H
		Heteropogon contortus	H
		Melanocenchris jacquemontii	H
		Oplismenus burmannii	H
		Oropetium thomaeum	H
		Panicum antidotale	H
		Panicum turgidum	H
		Perotis indica	H
		Phragmites karka	H
		Saccharum bengalense	H
		Saccharum spontaneum	H
		Sehima nervosum	H
		Setaria verticillata	H
		Sporobolus diander	H
		Sporobolus ioclados	H
		Sorghum halepense	H
		Stipagrostis plumosa	H
		Tetrapogon tenellus	H
		Tetrapogon villosus	H
		Tragus roxburghii	H
		Urochloa panicoides	H
		Vetiveria zizanioides	H

* Habit

Tree: T= Tree (Tall, medium sized), ST= Small tree/ Under tree

Shrub : S= Shrub, TS = Twining shrub, CS= Climbing shrub, SS= Scandent shrub/ Straggling shrub, TU= Twining undershrub, SU=Scandent undershrub, US= Undershrub,

Herb : H= Herb, TH= Twining herb, C= Climber

Summary :

Summary of the various taxa recorded during the present study is depicted below :

S. No.	Group	No. of Families	No. of Genera	No. of Species
1	Dicotyledons	67	185	242
2	Monocotyledons	12	55	96
	Total	79	240	338

Acknowledgements:

We thank Sh. R.K. Hudda, Dy. C.F. Jhunjhunu for assistance and support during the course of study.

References:

Bhandary, M.M. (1990): Flora of the Indian Desert (Reprint). MPS Repros, Jodhpur.
Hudda, R.K. (2019): Management plan for Bansyal- Khetri- Bagor Conservation Reserve (2019-20 to 2028-29).
Rathore, M.S. (2012): Working plan of Jhunjhunu Division (2012-13 to 2021-22).
Shetty, B.V. & V. Singh (1987, 1991, 1993): Flora of Rajasthan, Vol. I, II, III. Botanical Survey of India.

Flora of Bansyal – Khetri – Bagor Conservation Reserve, Jhunjhunu District, Rajsathan

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