Center for Plant Conservation

A Historic achievement
Flora of Pakistan

Flora of Pakistan is the complete modern account of the plants of South Asia. It is comprehensive and most reliable documented series covering diversified flora spread in various regions of Southwest Asia in general and Pakistan in particular.

It is edited by world renowned scientists Syed Irtifaq Ali, Eugene Nasir & Muhammad Qaiser. The treatment of some larger families such as Poaceae (T. A. Cope, Kew), Cyperaceae (I. Kukkonen, Helsinki), Labiatae (Ian Hedge, Edinburgh) and Rosaceae (Landrein, Borosova, Osbone & Ghazanfar, Kew) has been done by the world renowned taxonomists. The Flora of Pakistan project was initiated in 1968 and produced 225 treatments covering flowering plants, ranging in size from a few pages to approximately 500 pages (such as Poaceae) and the last fascicle Cactaceae 225 was published in February 2021.

The Flora provides detailed description of families and genera and species along with complete synonymy, and keys to the genera and species, vernacular names, line drawings of selected species, type information. It also provides baseline information on the geographical and ecological distribution, phenology, and ethnobotanical uses of plants. The description of the species is followed by the examined specimens scattered in local and foreign herbaria such as Kew, BM, B, M, W, arranged according to a 2° x 2° grid system.

Online Flora: The entire Flora is online (beside the hard copy) with the collaboration of Missouri Botanical Garden, USA. TROPICOS:

http://www.tropicos.org/ project/ Pakistan

Flora of Pakistan@efloras.org/flora taxon

Hard copies of complete volumes are available at Centre for Plant Conservation, and Prof. Dr. S. I. Ali Botanic Garden, University of Karachi.

The herbarium is a place where a collection of dried plant specimens are kept for scientific studies. These specimens are arranged according to a particular system of classification. Nowadays a modern herbarium is a sort of research laboratory, training and reference centre and a permanent data store house of all the plants of an area. Herbarium is a fundamental source of identification of plants and a permanent reference centre. It serves basic need of identification for basic and applied research in botany, biology, agriculture, pharmacy, genetics pharmaceutical chemistry, aerobiology and biotechnology. Karachi University Herbarium has more than 150,000 plants species (mostly flowering plants), including those which are several decades old. A collection of taxonomic literature mainly dealing with flowering plants is also present in the herbarium. The types of new taxa (new species, sub-species, varieties) are properly preserved and kept here for future use. It also acts as a data store house and provides a major source of information on habitat, ecology, distribution of rare and endangered species. Herbarium also acts as a source of library and laboratory for the systematic research. The herbarium Staff provides significant service to the public by identifying unknown plants and by answering a number of questions about the plants, their distribution patterns, ecology and usefulness. A rich collection of specimens provides a sound foundation for training in plant biodiversity also in order to draw relationship of wild and cultivated plants, their affinities and correct identification (which is the key for the utilization of a particular species, unknown species hardly get any attention), the name of a plant is the key to its literature. One has to take information from other branches of science such as pollen morphology, chemistry, ecology, genetics etc. The data is therefore collected from these branches of science which not only helps in identification but also the better understanding of biodiversity and different environmental problems.

Herbarium facilities

Herbarium (KUH) has more than 150,000 plants species (mostly flowering plants), including those which are several decades old.

• Plants identification and authentication is done by Plant Taxonomists.
• Preparation of Herbarium specimen (Poisoning and mounting) and issuance of voucher specimen/ accession number.
• Collection of Plant specimen (on demand).

Seminar Library
Herbarium Library housed more than 2000 books and 240 journals on Plant Sciences and a large number of floras, proceedings and monographs for research scholars and students.

However due to loss of habitat, human disturbance and deforestation, many plants species are facing the threat of extinction. It is estimated that the habitat destruction from Propagation and cultivation of endangered species. Provide a major link between In situ and Ex situ Conservation. Involved in natural planning process such as biodiversity strategies. Introduction of new crops for agriculture and discovery of plants for medicinal use.

Botanic Garden is an institution which holds well documented plant species in living form for the purposes of conservation, research, display and education. Due to the topographical variation different species of plants including wild, medicinally important and flowering species present in Pakistan. Due to urbanization, deforestation, over grazing and habitat loss many plant species are in danger and seems to be extinct, Botanic Garden is looking forward to conserve the plants of Pakistan especially those which are threatened or those which are nearly to be extinct from Pakistan.

Prof. Dr. S. I. Ali Botanic Garden facilities

Botanical Garden is a conservation center spread over an area of 35 acres divided into 13 regions, holds well documented approx. 3000 plant species, in living form for the purposes of conservation, research, display and education. Also organize different activities for learning such as workshops (Germination/ Organic gardening).
Educational visits are provided for several students of colleges and university and facilitate for the preparation of Nature-based learning projects and presentation.
Urban forest is now established having more than 200 plants.
Open for plantation derived.

Seed Bank

• Seed bank has been established in the botanic garden.
• It contains seeds of more than 500 different species collected from different regions of Pakistan.
• Includes wild, cultivated, ornamental and medicinal plants
• Seed collections on demand.
• It provides facility in seed exchange program and many more are under process.

Field visits
Various field visits to interior Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan and KPK organize for research and training purposes.

Propagation unit/ Nursery
A wide range of plants are also propagated by different methods in the propagation unit.

M.Phil. Eligibility: B.S., MSc. in Botany, or relevant fields from a HEC recognized University.

Ph.D. Eligibility: M.S., M.Phil. in Botany, or relevant fields (with CGPA 3.00 or more or its equivalent qualification) from a HEC recognized University.

As per University rule or guideline, LINK , admissions will be granted on the basis of Test and Interview to be conducted by the respective departmental research committee and other relevant information will be available in admission section.

Minimum Qualifying marks in the entrance test for M.Phil. & Ph.D. program are 50% (Fifty percent).

RESEARCH AREAS
Basic and applied fields of Plant Sciences such as Plant Systematics, Plant Taxonomy, Plant biodiversity, Plant Conservation, Phyto-chemistry, Tissue culture, Germ plasma storage, Ethnobotany, Horticulture and Plant nano-technology.

RESEARCH FACILITIES/ LABORATORIES:

• A well-equipped tissue culture laboratory is established to conserve the country's rare plant species, through in-situ as well as ex-situ conservation.
• Scanning Electron microscope Lab
• Spectrophotometer Lab
• Atomic absorption Lab
• Facility of other equipment such as Microplate reader/ Elisa reader, centrifuge, digital microscope and Rotatory evaporator with chiller are also available.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:
Students holding M. Phil. / Ph.D. degrees from Centre for Plant Conservation can apply in different fields of biological departments, pharmaceutical industries, educational, research institutions, and scientific organizations (Government or Non-Government sectors).

PROGRAMMES OFFERED:
M.Phil. and Ph.D.

Research Productivity

• Publications 2026 :: Click here

• Research-based Calendar 2024 :: Click here

• Botanical excursion of Research students 2026 :: Click here

• Institutional visits 2026 :: Click here

• National visits :: Click here

• International visits :: Click here

• Research Collaborations & Training course at national level :: Click here

• Research collaboration & Training course at International Level 2026 :: Click here

• International Biodiversity day 2025 :: Click here

Events

• Celebrated Open House (March 15th -16th 2023 :: Click here

• Celebration of Biodiversity Day (22nd May, 2024) :: Click here

Contribution to Red data book of Pakistan: Evaluation of Conservation Status of Some Endemic Taxa of Sindh-Pakistan

The Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialization (ORIC), University of Karachi, proudly congratulates Dr. Roohi Bano, Associate Professor, Centre for plant Conservation, University of Karachi, on being awarded a research project under the SRSP Projects Award.
Project Title: Contribution to Red data book of Pakistan: Evaluation of Conservation Status of Some Endemic Taxa of Sindh-Pakistan. Principal Investigator: Dr. Roohi Bano, Centre for Plant Conservation, University of Karachi.
This SRSP Project Award recognizes the scientific merit and national importance of documenting and evaluating threatened endemic plant species of Sindh for the Red Data Book of Pakistan.
ORIC will extend complete administrative and technical support throughout the project lifecycle to ensure successful execution and translation.
We wish Dr. Roohi Bano great success in this important work.

A modern and fully equipped Centre for Plant Conservation was established at the University of Karachi. This centre is divided into two major sections. (i) Botanic garden and (ii) the herbarium. In the Botanic garden conservation of many threatened plant species further several interesting flowering, wild and fruit plants are being cultivated. 

The Botanical Garden of the University of Karachi was inaugurated by the Governor Sindh the Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan on 12 September, 2007. Spread over an area of 35 acres more than two thousand species of plants are growing at the garden. The entire garden has been developed with the treated water supplied from the Sewerage Treatment Plant, specially set up within the Campus.  The objective of the Centre of Plant Conservation which includes Karachi University Botanic Garden and Karachi University Herbarium is to improve the environment, creating awareness and for the promotion of conservation of natural resources. Centre is actively engaged in various research activities including tissue culture of endemic and rare plants. 

For further information please contact

Prof. Dr. Roohi Bano
Director 
Centre for Plant Conservation
Prof. Dr. S.I. Ali Botanical Garden and Herbarium
University of Karachi
Phone: 9221-99261364 (Direct) , 9221-99261300 Ext: 2557, 2371
cpc@uok.edu.pk
roohibano@uok.edu.pk