Comprehensive Morphotaxonomic Survey and Species Inventory of Ferns and Fern Allies of Nilgiri Hills, Ooty

Fern and their allies were collected from different areas of Udhagamandalam and Coonoor, Tamilnadu, India. The region is encompassed by the lofty and great mountains of Nilgiri hills. Great altitudinal variation, high forest cover, adequate rainfall and due to its varied topography, the region is suitable for sustaining a rich fern flora. Hence, the aim of the present research was to conduct a thorough, systematic survey of the region in order to identify an array of pteridophytes. Specimens were collected during March-October 2020-21 at an altitude of 2700m. A total of 20 species of ferns and their allies were collected belonging to different families. A list of the species along with their nomenclature, synonyms, ecological and distributional notes have been provided so that it will be easy for their identification to the younger generation.