FREDERICK NORONHA
Some useful books on Goa might not get talked about, written about, or even showcased in discussions. Much hype and visibility over a book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good book, neither the lack of it suggests otherwise.
‘Floristic Diversity of Goa: Along Zuari and Sal Rivers’ is a useful title. This was something one found mentioned on Facebook, through the post of scientist professor Janarthanam. Celly Quadros, Venecha Carvalho and Krishnan Sellappan’s 304-page book is a “comprehensive guide, featuring a vast collection of plant pictures and detailed descriptions”.
Its authors suggest this would make it an “invaluable resource” for researchers, biodiversity enthusiasts, laypersons and the next generation of conservationists. This work has emerged from the Quepem Government College’s department of botany. In ten chapters, we come across ‘true mangroves’, mangrove associates, other observed flora, grasses and sedges, miscellaneous plant species and also mushroom diversity. There is also a chapter on leaf forms and inflorescence types. To wind up, we get a glossary and bibliography.
Incidentally, “true mangroves” are plant species specially adapted to live and grow in salty, tidal coastal swamps. These are found in mangrove habitats and have features like salt tolerance and aerial roots that let them survive there. Mangrove associates grow near mangroves and tolerate similar coastal conditions, but can live in other environments too. Sedges are grass-like plants, usually found in wet or marshy places, having solid, often triangular, stems.
Almost every other page has a colour photo, with its description alongside. There are also the vernacular names given. Take the ‘tero’ (Colocasia esculenta) for instance. We are told that its corms (underground plant stems) are boiled, mashed and used as a thickener in soups and stews. Its leaves are also cooked and consumed as vegetable, as it has “many nutritional as well as medicinal properties”.
For our generation, which grew up studying little about the local trees and plants mainly as we simply lacked local textbooks then, this comes across as an informative book.
Many in Goa would have encountered the Bherli or Bil’lo Maad (Caryota urens). But few would know that this tree, which grows up to 20 metres, flowers just once in their lifetime and dies after flowering. Likewise, the root has been used for treating tooth ailments; its bark and seed are used to treat boils. It is commonly known as the Fishtail Palm.
Some plants are common and better known. Others we might recognise from the images, or not at all. Those of us away from the riverine areas might never guess that there are so many varieties of mangroves, for instance. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow in coastal tidal zones; they protect shorelines and support rich ecosystems.
Then there’s the Toothbrush Tree (Kharijal, Salvadora persica) which has tender twigs used for teeth cleaning. Research is underway in its potential for antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits, we are told.
Other plants some might know are the rosary pea (Manjoti), the elephant foot yam (suran), the jackfruit (panas or ponos), the white silk cotton tree (shamel), our widespread coconut though now facing pressures from pests, jungle flame or flame of the woods (pitkuli), the touch-me-not (lajje vhakal), drumstick (moshing), sesame (til), teak (sail), even the mango (ambo).
Capturing the traditional knowledge gives useful additional insights to what we know. The teak’s wood is very durable and resistant to fungi. It was used for roofs, doors, windows, frames, staircases and construction. Leaves were even earlier used by fishermen to sell fish.
The section on mushroom diversity is good. More for its images rather than its text; so which are poisonous and which are edible?
This is a welcome title adding to the field of local studies. QGC principal Dr Pravina Kerkar argues: “The Rivers Zuari and Sal are not merely geographical entities but the lifelines of South Goa, nurturing vibrant ecosystems, supporting local communities, and enriching our region’s natural and cultural heritage.”
From the preface, we learn that Quadros, the principal investigator, grew up along the banks of the Sal’s tributaries in Navelim. Prof S Krishnan has been a guide to the co-authors and M.Sc. student Moses. Other co-author, Venecha Carvalho, is a student.
The book, published in 2025, came out of a research project sanctioned by the Government of Goa’s Department of Science & Technology and Waste Management. Photographs, catchy and well displayed, are by Subandu Jacques Mandal and Tejas Desai. The all-colour printing of this larger-than-average sized book hikes its price to Rs 900. Its co-authors can be contacted via the Government College Quepem, or Goa University.
It’s interesting that the authors see their work not just as a “scientific record” but also a “call to action for policymakers and authorities”.
Beyond the technical information, the authors also make a call for “river conservation and anthropogenic threats”. Nature’s balance along these riverbanks is “increasingly under threat” the book cautions us. This comes about both from human-generated pollution and unsustainable activities.
To cite page 286: Construction along the riverbanks has altered the landscape, often destroying natural vegetation and replacing it with concrete embankments. Plastic waste has become a ubiquitous pollutant, choking water channels and degrading habitats.
In addition, indiscriminate dumping of solid waste and untreated effluents directly into the river has contributed to the deterioration of water quality and the surrounding environment. These activities, carried out with long-term ecological considerations, have already begun to disrupt both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Three pages and a map tell us just enough about the Zuari and Sal rivers. One is Goa’s longest river, that’s the Zuari with a 100 km length. The River Sal runs only some 35 kilometres. Yet, it is still the third-longest river in Goa. Issues facing these two rivers are succinctly brought up, even if this is not the main focus of the book.
Other books on the flora of Goa include Naithani et al’s 1997 work on the forest flora, Peter Killips’ on the flora and fauna (1998), the Botanical Survey of India’s 1985 ‘Flora of Goa, Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagarhaveli’, besides others. But most of the earlier books might be hard to come by, and subject to the printing restrictions of those times.
This is a work that could be of value to the student of plants and botany, but not just that. Anyone wanting to know this crucial part of the state could also find it a worthy read. Easy to recommend for schools and colleges libraries as well.
