TAXONOMY OF NODULATED LEGUMINOUS FLORA OF DERA ISMAIL KHAN NORTH-WESTERN PAKISTAN

An extensive survey was carried out during 2005-2007to investigate nodulated leguminous weed species, whichgrow in agricultural and non-agricultural fields of NorthWestern Part (Dera Ismail Khan) of Pakistan. Studies revealedthat 18 such weed species belonging to 10 genera arecommonly found in the research area. The genera withnumber of species are: Alhaji (1 sp.), Argyrolobium (1 sp.),Astragalus (2 spp.), Cajanus (1 sp.), Lathyrus (2 spp.), Lotus(1 sp.), Medicago (5 spp.), Melilotus (3 spp.), Sesbania (1sp.) and Vicia (1 sp.). Key to the species of the area wasdeveloped for easy and correct identification differentiation.Results were systematically arranged by alphabetic order ofbotanical names, followed by synonym (if any), description ofthe plant, flowering and fruiting period, type, local andgeneral distribution. Nodulated leguminous plant specimenswere collected, identified, preserved, mounted and depositedas voucher specimens in the Department of Plant Sciences,Quaid-i-University, Islamabad, for future references.