Flora and Fauna at my work place

After a life as homemaker for almost two years I am really relishing my career life.What makes my work interesting is that I am striving to make the world around me better in a small way by bringing awareness about Environment through workshops and seminars, doing research on Climate Change and help the State of Andra Pradesh in making its State Action Plan on Climate Change.But do you know what makes me want to go back to office every day ??? Its the Scenic Beauty around it(except for the rumor that there are snakes around).....

Environment Protection Training and Research Institute is surrounded by a botanical garden that maintains rare, endemic and endangered plant species of Eastern Ghats of India.One fine example is the Euphorbia Sebastinel thats found in Mahatrastra got transfered to our botanical garden very recently.


Phenology: Almost throughout the year with a peak between August-October.

Decumbent herbs, 10-25 cm high (Image 1); stems many from root stock; nodes thickened; internodes 1-1.5 cm long. Leaves opposite, subsessile, proximate at apex, oblong to elliptic-oblong, base inequilateral, apex acute or apiculate, margins serrate, 5-10 x 3-5 mm, pubescent; nerves obscure; stipules triangular, laciniate, ca. 2mm long. Cyathia terminal, one or two; peduncles ca. 1mm long; involucres turbinate, ca. 1 x 1 mm, pubescent; involucral lobes triangular, toothed, exceeding the glands; glands four, minute, orbicular; limbs of glands obovoid, ca. 0.5 x 0.8 mm, irregularly wavy at apical margin, white or pink. Staminate flowers: pedicels ca. 0.5mm long; anthers subglobose, transversely dehiscing; bracteoles filiform, ca. 0.7mm long. Pistillate flowers: gynophores ca. 1.5mm long; ovary subglobose, ca. 1 x 1 mm, pubescent; styles three, free from base, ca. 0.4mm long, bifid at apex. Capsules ovoid, ca. 1.5 x 1.5 mm, acutely keeled, pubescent only on keels, maturing outside the cyathia. Seeds oblong, obtusely tetragonous, ca.1 x 0.5 mm, smooth or obscurely 2-3 grooved on faces.

Habitat: Rare, in the transitional area of land and water to dry bank in moist gravely soil. The common associates are: Eclipta alba, Sida acuta, Tribulus lanuginosus, Euphorbia hirta, Euphorbia indica and invasive neotropical species such as Ageratum conyzoides, Alternanthera ficoidea and Parthenium hysterophorus.

There are many others but I dont have any correct info to share. May be after some time I will collect few pics to blog.Another main attracting sight on my office campus is the flock of peacocks and peahens.....



Another great attraction are the ducks in the pond...



My campus is also known for snakes.But so far I was lucky to have not seen them.Soon I will post most photos of EPTRI.