pradip krishen - Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park

Text & PhotographyPRADIP KRISHENLayout & DesignKADAMBARI MISRAMehrangarh Museum Trust, JodhpurFirst published in 2011 by MMT JodhpurCopyright © 2011 MMT JodhpurText & Photographs copyright © 2011 Pradip KrishenAll rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmittedin any form without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.the smallPlant Guide toRao Jodhadesert rock parkISBN 978-81-910471-3-4Printed and bound in New Delhi byAegean Offset PrintersACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis publication would not have been possible without Bapji’s unwavering visionand the support of the Trustees of the Mehrangarh Museum Trust and KarniSingh, Director of Mehrangarh Museum. Catherine Dohrn, Trustee of ParrotiaFoundation (Switzerland) generously supported the ‘last mile’ of the opening ofthe Park, including this publication. Rao Raja Mahendra Singh, former CEO, MMT,played a seminal role in starting the work of the Park and shaping its direction.Several others have been pillars of support: Dr. Mahendra Singh Naggar, DirectorGeneral, MMT; Shailesh Mathur, Engineer, MMT; and the wonderful team ofpeople who work inside Rao Jodha Park, especially Devendra Yadav and VinodPuri. We owe a real debt to the pioneering taxonomist of Marwar’sdesert flora, Prof. M.M.Bhandari, who is no longer with us.This first publication of the Park is dedicated to his memory.pradip krishenmehrangarh museum trust

IntroductionThis is a short version of a morecomprehensive field guide to theplants of Rao Jodha Desert RockPark, a little morsel to whet yourappetite while the longer version isin preparation. I hesitate to put anumber to how many plants we haveinside the Park because it goes upwith each counting, but a reasonableestimate would be about 300 speciesof trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs,including grasses and sedges. Wefeature 42 plants in this Small FieldGuide, some of the more common orinteresting ones you are likely to seeas you walk around the Park.If you are visiting Rao Jodha Parkfor the first time, you will probablygo through the Visitors Centre anddescend into the stormwater gullyunder the City Wall, which is how weplanned the start of our Visitors Trail.Over the next 2 years or so, the Trailwill bifurcate and become a networkof trails that you can use to explorethe Park. This is of course the way weintend our visitors to experience thePark. But it is by no means the onlyway to walk through the Park and I’msure there will be some who will readthis without ever having travelled toJodhpur at all. To all of you, whereveryou are, welcome to the wonderfulworld of desert plants from the Thardryland.THE HEART OF ROCK COUNTRYThe rock that everyone knows inJodhpur is Vindhyan sandstonebecause it is so extensively mined andused. Everything in Jodhpur is builtwith bricks of dressed sandstone.Not so well known is rhyolite, a hard,brittle volcanic rock which makes upthe entire hill on the right as you windyour way up to Mehrangarh. It tendsto form characteristic long, verticalcolumns with flat faces and once younotice it, has a signature that allowsyou to recognize it instantly. RaoJodha Desert Rock Park is situatedon an outcrop of volcanic rhyolite sospecial that the rock feature has beendesignated a National GeologicalMonument.We began work on the Park early in2006. Our aim was to try and restorethe natural ecology of the rocky tractadjoining Mehrangarh Fort, an areaof 70 hectares (about 175 acres). Thehistoric City Wall had been repairedin 2005 which made it possible toprotect the land from foraginganimals. If we were successful inbringing back native plants, weimagined that this tract could becomean outdoor museum of Marwar’s‘lithophytes’ – plants speciallyadapted to living in rocky habitats. Wealso had a clear sense that 5 or 6 yearsdown the line, we wanted to welcomeour first visitors into the Park.HOW PLANTS ADAPTDesert plants come in manydifferent forms. Some – the so-calledpantropical weeds – are unbelievablyhardy, able to cling on somehow in awide diversity of habitats. But desertrock is a harsh, difficult environmentand most plants that are able tosurvive here have to be speciallyequipped in some way to deal withextremely low levels of moisture. Rockis even more unforgiving than sandand that is why scientists use a specialterm – ‘lithophyte’ – to describe plantsthat are able to eke out a living inrocky habitats. Rao Jodha Desert RockPark has one plot of salty sand andsome wet areas, so it’s not exclusivelyabout rock-adapted plants, but inmost respects it is a park featuringlithophytes from the Thar desert.If many of the plants look unfamiliar,it is because the vast majoritybelong to an ecological province thatextends westwards into the greatdeserts stretching through Pakistan,Afghanistan and the Middle East intonorth Africa. This is in contrast withthe rest of northern and easternIndia, whose plants have affinitieswith northern (trans-Himalayan) orsouth-east Asian (Indo-Malayan)botanic regions. This makes perfectsense because, above all, plantsneed to be in tune with theirenvironment. All the evolutionaryadaptations that plants need to livehere were wrought somewhere inthe contiguous swathe of desertsstretching westwards.Adaptations to desert-living arevaried and inventive. Being succulent(able to store water in its tissues) likea cactus, is probably the most usefultrick. Thhor (Euphorbia caducifolia) isthe most prominent succulent of theThar desert. It does so well, especiallygrowing on rock, that it provides amicrohabitat – cool, shady, protectedby its spines – that allows many otherplants to live within its wide embrace.No surprise then, that we chose thhoras the emblematic plant for our Park.

ohido desert/marwar teakTecomella undulata | family Bignoniaceaehabitat Sandy plains and valleysfeb-markumatiyo gum arabic treeAcacia senegal | family Mimosaceaehabitat Dry, rocky hills and gravelly plainsA small, thorny tree superbly adaptedto growing in dry, rocky places in thedesert. Kumatiyo starts putting onnew growth with the first showers ofthe monsoon and is quickly covered bywhite bottlebrush-shaped floweringspikes. This is the only desert acaciawith spines arranged in sets of 3 – the2 outer ones only slightly curved, themiddle spine strongly hooked. Flat,pale brown pods decorate the tree inearly winter and the seeds are collectedwhen still green to make a Marwarivegetable. This tree is the source forgum arabic used in processed food.Kumatiyo’s native range stretches rightacross the middle eastern desert intoArabia and Senegal.jul-aughingoto desert dateBalanites roxburghii | family Balanitaceaehabitat Sand, clay or gravelapr-mayHingoto (also: hingua, hingorni) is a smallish tree with stiff, green twigs andOne of the most striking flowering trees of the Thar Desert, coming into bloomstout leaf-bearing thorns. The curious, furry flowers appear early in summerat a time when most other trees in the desert are still dormant in late winterand turn into woody fruit filled with a somewhat unpleasant smelling pulpor early spring. The flowers vary from deep yellow to vibrant orange. Rohido isthat is relished by wild animals like the neelgai, porcupine and jackal. Anotherprized for its close-grained timber which makes one of the best carving woods intraditional use for the pulp – now very rarely employed – is for cleaning silk.India. This tree features in the Red Data Book of India’s endangered plants butHingoto spreads rapidly by root-suckers and is often seen growing in clumps atis still fairly easy to spot in sandy places when you drive through Marwar.the edges of sandy fields or in road cuttings.6 trees plants of rao jodha park 7

peeloo toothbrush treeSalvadora persica | family Salvadoraceaesargooro bitter drumstick treeMoringa concanensis | family Moringaceaehabitat Wastelands, marshy placesdec-aprhabitat Sandy dunes and rocky hillsnov-janDesert trees of great character with knobbly trunks and a dark canopy offleshy leaves. Peeloo (also: meettha jaal, dhalu) is found in a vast arid territorystretching west to Arabia and is thought to be the ‘Mustard tree’ of the OldTestament. The small, peppery berries come in colours ranging from bright rubyred to white. The miniscule greenish-yellow flowers are easily overlooked.An unmistakable relative of thesonjna or drumstick tree, only wilderand capable of taking you completelyby surprise when you see it in unlikelyplaces in the desert. It looks a lot likesonjna with its much-divided fernyleaves, luminously pale green whenthey first appear. Its roots will alertyou to the difference, for sargurosurvives by growing enormous rootsthat anchor it in sand dunes andpenetrate gravelly ground. This issurely one of the most beautiful wildtrees of the Thar desert. Its whiteflowers – like little birds with theirwings drawn back, about to takeflight – are pink-tinged, but the fruitis bitter and is not eaten.kharo jaal olive-leaved salvadoraSalvadora oleoides | family Salvadoraceaehabitat Sandy plains, also rocky groundmar-aprThis salvadora usually grows in seasonal watercourses and rocky depressions.Its slim, graceful, olive-like leaves are unmistakable but so is the dense canopywhich often droops right down to the ground hiding its bole altogether. Thetrunk is even more gnarled and wonderful than peeloo’s and offers refuge tomany small creatures within its corrugated folds and hollows.8 trees plants of rao jodha park 9

aakado giant milkweedCalotropis procera | family Apocynaceaeoont kantalo globe thistleEchinops echinatus | family Asteraceaehabitat Sandy plainsall yearhabitat Sandy plains, rockdec-marA characteristic thistle from the daisyfamily though you have to peer quiteclosely past its spines to see tiny, blueflowers arranged in a compound head.Oont kantalo can grow nearly a metretall and colonizes small tracts, especiallysandy or rubbly wastelands. Its leavesare deeply divided into long, thinsegments each of which ends in a spine.A large bush or less commonly a small tree upto 4 m tall with pretty flowers, verycommon in some parts of the desert. Aakado (also: aak) likes disturbed soil (suchas abandoned fields) where it can form nearly pure colonies especially in saltysand. Aakado fruits yield a fibre that finds many uses for desert folk.gangeti white crossberryGrewia tenax | family Tiliaceaehabitat Rocky hills, ravinesjul-sepghatbor bushweedFleuggia leucopyrus | family Phyllanthaceaehabitat Rocky hills, ravinesjul-augGangeti (also: gangerun) is a tall, leggy,somewhat untidy shrub upto about 2 mtall that survives surprisingly well in rocky,inhospitable places in the desert. Its smallGhatbor is a large, long-limbed shrub with attractive, orbicular leaves. It reacheswhite flowers stand out but the best wayits greatest size near water but does not mind making a niche on dry, rockyof recognizing it in the wild is by its brightground. The flowers are tiny, pale yellowish, both males and females produced inorange fruit, usually 2-4 berries joinedgreat profusion on separate plants. The fruits (only on female plants, of course)together. The fruits are edible, but only just.are white, spherical, only about 4 mm in diameter.12 shrubs plants of rao jodha park 13

kair bare caperCapparis decidua | family Capparaceaehabitat Sandy or rocky placesapr-may, sept-octkheer kheemprambling milkweedSarcostemma acidum | family Asclepiadaceaehabitat Dry rocky placesjul-augA rambling shrub full of milky latexwith smooth, jointed branchesand no leaves at all. Doing withoutleaves altogether is an adaptationthat quite a few desert plantsuse to cut down on water-lossfrom leaf-surfaces. The essentialwork of photosynthesis is done bychloroplasts in green stems. Kheerkheemp (also: khursani tanto, artthhor) produces its white flowers atthe butt-ends of flexuose twigs. Theflowers have a delicious fragrancethat is most intense at night andearly in the morning. Kheer kheemplikes rocky hillsides and outcrops.kheemp broom brushLeptadenia pyrotechnica | family Apocynaceaehabitat Sandy placessep-decA spiny bush or small tree with a dense mop of wiry, green, leafless branches,one of the emblematic plants of the Thar desert. Kair (also: kerro, teent, dela)A large, thin-stemmed bush up to 2.5 m high, beautifully adapted to living in dry,leaves are tiny and quickly shed, part of a strategem to deal with extremedeep sand. Kheemp has slender leaves on stems packed with milky latex, anddrought. Twice a year, kair produces masses of bright orange flowers that makedesert folks use the dried stems for thatching and to make brooms. The tinya very pretty sight. The dark pink fruits are pickled or cooked as a vegetable.flowers are velvety-hairy and resemble sea creatures more than anything else!14 shrubs plants of rao jodha park 15

thhor leafless spurgeEuphorbia caducifolia | family Euphorbiaceaehabitat Rocky areas, gravel plainsjan-marA tall, multi-stemmed, cactus-like succulent that is a reliable indicator of rocky orgravelly substrates in the Thar desert and is one of its emblematic plants. Despiteits English name, thhor (also: danda thhor) puts forth fleshy leaves at the tops ofits stems for a short while at the height of summer. There are 2 forms of flowers– most commonly bright red but also green, with intermediate colours of red orpink. The flowers themselves are borne on curious structures that are peculiarto the very large and diverse spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Thhor is a vitallyimportant component of the desert flora. Because it is large, offers shade andprotection (by its thorns), it often becomes a miniature ecological niche in itself,supporting a host of other plants and small creatures like rodents and lizards.16 shrubs plants of rao jodha park 17

dabi indian cadabaCadaba fruticosa | family Capparaceaegoogal mukul myrrhCommiphora wightii | family Burseraceaehabitat Sandy/rocky placesdec-marhabitat Dry rocky hillsjan-febA dense, rambling shrub from the caper family that arrests attention when itis in flower. Its pale white, delicate petals have long claws and a little tube-likestructure in their midst. The ovary is borne at the end of a long stalk, like withmany other plants in this family. Dabi fruit are cylindrical, about 2 cm long, with amealy jacket that peels back to reveal a surprisingly bright orange inner covering.Googal is the most valuable medicinalplant of the Thar desert, overexploitedand now becoming rare because of itsreputation in Ayurvedic medicine. It is inthe Red Data List of endangered plants.Googal forms a low, stout, thorny shrubor rarely, a small tree with characteristicshiny, peeling bark and tiny red flowers.Googal’s most important feature is itsresinous sap known as ‘Indian bdellium’or ‘gum googal’ which exudes fromits trunk in the cold season. Ayurvedauses a steroid extract of this resin tomake a medicine that is supposed tolower cholestrol. Gum googal releasesa myrrh-like fragrance when burnedover a naked flame and sells in a formknown as ‘dhoop’ in Indian bazars.rabad belrubber vine / purple allamandaCryptostegia grandiflora | family Periplocaceaehabitat Dry habitats near waterall yearAn evergreen climbing shrub with milky latex and pretty,pale pink flowers,native to Madagascar. Rabad bel (also: vilaiti aakado) was introduced into Indiaaround World War I as a source of rubber for airplane tyres but interest quicklywaned when efforts to tap its latex proved uneconomical. It has since run wildin dry parts of India and has taken up residence close to water. We feature it inRao Jodha Park as a curiosity and try and ensure it does not become invasive!18 shrubs plants of rao jodha park 19

vajradanti spiny white barleriaBarleria acanthoides | family Acanthaceaehabitat Rocky plateaux in Marwaraug-novpeelo vajradantiporcupine flowerBarleria prionitis var. dicantha | family Acanthaceaehabitat Rocky hillsidessep-janThis barleria is endemic to Marwar and has beenseen only in a few places in Barmer district. It haslarger, more profuse flowers than the commonvariety prionitis and seems more at home inrugged, rocky hillsides. Peelo vajradanti oftenseeks refuge inside large thhor bushes, takingadvantage of the cool microhabitat they provide.kakori booti desert petuniaRuellia patula | family Acanthaceaehabitat Rocky areas, wastelandsjul-octA low, spiny bush with pure white, long-tubed flowers that open at dusk andlie flat and spent when you see them in the morning. Pale brown leafy bractsLike vajradanti, the pure white flowers of kakori booti open at dusk and the plantwith delicate veins are positioned on either side of the flowers and at dry timeslooks devastated when you see the flowers lying on their sides en masse in theof the year when most leaves are under stress, these bracts form the mostmorning. Most white flowers in the wild are pollinated by night-flying moths soconspicuous part of the plant. Vajradanti (also: chapari) is found in rocky partsit makes perfect sense that the flowers become redundant as soon as darknessof the desert westwards through the middle-east as far as N Africa.lifts. Kakoori booti is found in dry, rocky places in the desert west to Africa.20 herbs plants of rao jodha park 21

melhania (no local or common names)Melhania magnifolia | family Malvaceaeseddera (no local or common names)Seddera latifolia | family Convolvulaceaehabitat Sandy or rocky sitesall yearhabitat Crevices in rockoct-marOne of the hardiest plants of theThar desert, able to survive in dry,bare rock. You can sometimes see itgrowing in straight lines, followingminute fissures in volcanic rhyolitewhere it is able to access minusculequantities of soil-dust and perhapsa little moisture. It is likely (thoughwe are not yet certain) that it issomehow able to utilise atmosphericdew to meet its requirements ofmoisture. Seddera has tiny whiteflowers that are intensely hairywhen you look at them through ahand lens. It is surprisingly easy togerminate the seeds.Melhania is an outstanding genus of flowering undershrubs from deserthabitats and it is strange that the plants are not better known or cultivated.This species – one of 3 Melhanias in Marwar – has a curious habit of opening itslovely flowers at about 4 pm – varying a bit with the seasons, of course.chirki (no common names)Pavonia arabica | family Malvaceaehabitat RSandy or rocky sitesjul-octA desert plant from a widespread genus sometimes called ‘swamp-mallows’,though the epithet seems singularly inappropriate for a species adapted to dry,rocky sites. This is a small herb, less than 25 cm high but it is hardy and flowers formany months and could easily find its way into cultivated dry gardens.22 herbs plants of rao jodha park 23

jungli pyaaz indian squillDrimia indica | family Liliaceaehabitat Rocky or gravelly placesaprilgeedar tambakuchinese mulleinVerbascum chinense | family Scrophularaceaehabitat Sandy edges of riverbedsfeb-mayA one metre tall annual that comes up in winter at the edges of tanks andstreams. The local name means ‘jackal’s tobacco’ and refers to its lobed, tobaccolikeleaves at the base of the plant. The plant can look very pretty with masses oflarge, yellow flowers borne all along its tall, erect stems, devoid of leaves.This lily is called jangli pyaaz (wild onion) because of its large, onion-likeunderground bulb. The flowers are sometimes referred to as ‘dingy lilies’ becausethey disdain bright, attractive colours and open only at night, fading by firstlight. Jungli pyaaz is highly esteemed in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and iswidely distributed from the middle east to Africa.missi cowpea witchweedStriga gesnerioides | family Scrophularaceaejalbooti frog fruitPhyla nudiflora | family Verbenaceaehabitat Rocky areasaug-sephabitat Moist margins of pondsall yearJalbooti is native to the Americas but has become naturalized in damp placesMissi is in some contexts regarded as a pesky weed because it parasitizes wheatthroughout the warm tropics. You can sometimes see it growing in extensiveand millet crops but it behaves in exemplary fashion in the desert, growingturflike mats at the edges of ponds or marshy areas. Tiny white flowerson the roots of thhor bushes and doing them no harm at all. The pretty, pinksurounding a fleshy central axis are attractive. Jalbooti is also called ‘sawtoothflowers appear in the rains, then quickly turn into fruit before disappearing.fogfruit’, ‘turkey tangle’ and ‘matchweed’ in English.24 herbs plants of rao jodha park 25

dhamaso indian fagonbushFagonia indica | family Zygophyllaceaepindru wall lindenbergiaLindenbergia muraria | family Orobanchaceaehabitat Gravel plains and sandsep-marhabitat Rocks and old wallssep-marPindru (also: basanti) has a curious habit of appearing in the grouting of walls inold monuments, as if it has a nose for history. A liking for lime mortar is probablythe reason but it also likes dry, rocky areas in general. The small, bright, 3-lippedyellow flowers with red spots are worth looking at closely with a hand lens.A hardy, small undershrub found on gravel, clay or sand in the desert in a vastnative range stretching across the middle east to the Sahara in northern Africa.The purple or lilac flowers with long-clawed petals attract a host of smallinsects to pollinate them. The curious fruits are shaped like one of those fancifulRussian ribbed domes that you see in postcards of Red Square.bekario heart-leaf indigoIndigofera cordifolia | family Fabaceaehabitat Sand and rockaug-novoont kantalo (2)knapweedOligochaeta ramosa | family Asteraceaehabitat Wastelands, disturbed sitesoct-marLike the globe thistle (Echinops) thisplant also goes by the name ‘oontkantalo’. One of the places you aremost likely to find it growing wild isaround ruins of old buildings or alongdry, gravelly roadsides. It is easy towalk past this oont kantalo withoutpaying it a second glance but theflower heads are most interestingwhen seen close up.This is without any doubt the most widespread ephemeral herb of the Thardesert, germinating with the first rains and quickly covering sand dunes andgravelly slopes alike. In the record rains of 2010, bekario blanketed dunes insouth Jaisalmer to the extent that the sand was no longer visible. You have topeer closely to notice tiny red flowers which are pea-like in form and very pretty.Long after it has died out, bekario leaves a grey fuzz behind in the sand.26 herbs plants of rao jodha park 27

jungli gobi creeping launeaLaunaea procumbens | family Asteraceaekunden grey leaf heliotropeHeliotropium ovalifolium | family Boraginaceaehabitat Abandoned fields, wastelandsoct-junhabitat Rocky or sandy placesnov-junA small, common desert herb from avery large genus known as ‘heliotropes’because they orient their flowerstowards the sun. The tiny flowers arearranged in peculiar structures like thearms of an octopus, called ‘scorpioidcymes’. Although kunden prefers togrow near the dry margins of waterbodies,you will sometimes find loneplants growing in dry spots in pure rock.A small, prostrate herb with gay, yellow flowers borne in great profusion. Jangligobi (also: van gobi) is easy to confuse with 3 other species of Launaea found inthe Thar desert, as well as Sonchus, all of which have bright yellow dandelionlikeflowers. Both Launaea and Sonchus tend to inhabit waste spaces andabandoned fields and are sometimes found growing in rocky sites as well.ghamra coat buttonsTridax procumbens | family Asteraceaehabitat Waste places and roadsidesmay-janringani thorny nightshadeSolanum virginianum | family Solanaceaehabitat Rocky or sandy placesall yearA small annual with low, spreading (hairy) branches and erect flowering stems.The centre of the flowering head is yellow, the outer ray petals pure white.An immensely prickly, low, perennial shrub that springs up unbidden onGhamra is sometimes considered an invasive pest but can brighten up difficultdisturbed ground. You often find it growing in waste rubble near stone mines.sites and the plant has a host of medicinal and healing uses too. Ghamra is aRingani (also: bhatkataiya, bhoo ringani, kateli) sports deep purple flowers mostfavourite forage-plant for many different species of butterfly.of the year and is an unmistakable relative of the baingan or eggplant.28 herbs plants of rao jodha park 29

santari tigerpaw morning gloryIpomea pes-tigridis | family Convolvulaceaepeelvaan weeping cockleCocculus pendulus | family Menispermaceaehabitat Rocky or gravelly placessep-octhabitat Sandy or rocky placesnov-decSantari is a fairly common twining annual that comes up in the rains and flowershandsomely immediately afterwards. The deeply lobed leaves are thought toevoke the impression of a tiger’s pugmark, a useful way to distinguish it frommany other morning glories that flower at the same time. The petals are thefaintest shade of lilac possible and open in the evening.When you drive through a sandy landscape in the Thar, this is the most commonclimber you are likely to see, twining on khejdi trees. Small-leaved and with tiny,inconspicuous flowers, peelvaan looks immensely attractive in new leaf when itdevelops a grey-green canopy with a silvery sheen. Peelvaan is also capable ofgrowing in rock crevices if it can find purchase in soil, and in good examples ofsuch sites it forms great cascades of leaves tumbling down the rock.orapa desert bush-cherryMaerua oblongifolia | family Capparaceaerotabel midnapore creeperRivea hypocrateriformis | family Convolvulaceaehabitat Dry areas generallymar-aprhabitat Rocky or gravelly placesaug-novOrapa (also: hemkand) is a strong climber with a thick, woody stem, not veryRotabel (also: phang, phanji) is the ‘moonflower’ of the Indian desert, openingcommon in the desert. It attracts attention by its opulent long-stamenedat dusk and emitting a perfect perfume to elicit attention from the night-flyingflowers. One of orapa’s peculiar attributes is that the leaves on young shoots domoths who seek it out. It can become a large, woody climber, inconspicuousnot look at all like the adult leaves, making it hard to recognize unless you areexcept when it springs to life in the rainy season. The pure white flowers areaware of the disguise. The fruits are like a long, sticky string of knotty berries.among the loveliest of desert blooms.30 climbers plants of rao jodha park 31