Located at an altitude of over 8,850 feet atDeoban, nearly 99 kilometres fromDehradun, and spread over around three acres,Indias first cryptogamic gardenopened for tourists on Sunday. It houses almost 76 different species of cryptogams, a primitive plant species found since the Jurassic era. Cryptogams are considered among the best bioindicators, as they grow only at places without pollution and with ample moisture.
The garden has been developed in Deoban as it has a majestic pristine forest of Deodar and Oak trees, besides being pollution-free, said Sanjiv Chaturvedi, chief conservator of forests (research).
Notably, Uttarakhand is Home to 539 species of lichens, 346 species of algae, 478 species of bryophytes and 365 species of pteridophytes.