Flowering plant wealth of sand dunes and coastal areas of Kanniyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India

Qualitative floristic surveys were conducted in the sand dunes and coastal areas of Kanniyakumari district, one of the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. Qualitative field surveys helped us to record 311 species from 233 genera and 75 families from the study area. With forty-four species, the Fabaceae dominate the study area, followed by Amaranthaceae (17 species), Asteraceae (17), Poaceae (16), and Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Malvaceae (15 species each). Herbs (146 species) are the dominant life forms in the study area, followed by shrubs (60 species), trees (48 species), creepers (17 species), and climbers (40 species). The current study recorded five endemic species from the study area. Further, the present study area harbors a considerable number of threatened species. Besides, a few mangroves and their associates are also recorded. The recorded plant diversity implies the need for the conservation of sand dunes and coastal areas. Compared to other coastal areas in Tamil Nadu, the research area was endowed with a greater number of species. The sand dunes and coastal area of Kanniyakumari district act as a habitat for a significant number of flowering plants. There is very little ecological data, including functional features (e.g., leaf traits, shoot traits, whole plant traits, and survival strategies); further research is required to comprehend the sand dune and coastal flora's survival strategies.