A group of researchers recently discovered a Myristica swamp forest in Kumbral, Maharashtra, which is protected by the local community.
About Myristica swamp forest
- Myristica swamp forest comprised mainly of evergreen trees of the Myristicaceae family—one of the most primitive families of flowering plants renowned for the nutmeg tree species.
- The Myristica swamp, like a mangrove, is found inside a forest. But mangroves thrive in saline water, Myristica requires freshwater.
- This species has stilt roots, or knee roots that pop up above the water level to breathe creating a varied habitat for many life forms.
- Myristica swamps are relict tropical ecosystems thought to be millions of years old and are spread across the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karanataka, Goa and were recently discovered in Maharashtra.
- These groves harbour endemic and endangered plant species including those with medicinal properties. These groves also have close ties with indigenous rituals and religion.
- Unlike regular subterranean tree roots, the evergreen trees have evolved to live in the waterlogged conditions of the swamps and feature two types of bizarre-looking roots: knee roots and stilt roots.
