Desmids of Janjgir Champa of Chhattisgarh

Desmids are fresh water algae often considered as indicators of oligotrophic environment for water bodies. Though desmids are reported from several parts of India but some parts of central India especially Chhattisgarh state is lagging behind in the study of this particular microflora inspite of its rich biodiversity. Therefore, an attempt has been made to study the desmid flora of Janjgir Champa of Chhattisgarh. In the present investigation, a total of 49 taxa of desmids including 29 species of Cosmarium, 8 species of Staurastrum, 5 species of Closterium, 1 species and 2 varieties of Arthodesmus, 1 species of each Spondylosium, Desmidium, Cylindrocystis and Euastrum were recorded respectively. Among all desmid flora Cosmarium was found to be the most abundant species followed by Staurastrum and Closterium.