FACILITIES IN THE DEPARTMENT
Ø Class rooms with ICT facility
Ø Laboratories – Bsc. Lab & Tissue Culture Lab
Ø Major Equipments
· Revolutionary Table Top High Speed Cooling Centrifuge with rotor head R242 – REMI
· Deep Freezer (-200C) – ROTEK
· pH meter - Eutech Cyberscan & Systronics
· Hot Air Oven
· Water bath with thermostatic control
· Electronic Balance – Schimadzu – Model ELB -300 & Model AX-200
· Stereo Zoom Trinocular Microscope – LABOMED- Model CZM6 with Sony Digital Camera
· Single Beam UV-VIS Spectrophotometer – LABTRONICS- Model LT-290
· Autoclave
· Laminar Air Flow Chamber
Ø Gardens
· Mother Frances’ Medicinal Garden
A Medicinal garden have been set in the campus for propagating medicinal plants that help prevent or cure everything from cold to cancer. Plants have the ability to synthesize a wide variety of chemical compounds that are used to perform important biological functions and to defend against attack from insects, fungi and herbivorous mammals. The use of plants as medicines predates written human history.
As drugs are derived from chemicals in plants, it’s excessive use lead plants at risk of extinction from over-collection and deforestation. This threatens the discovery of future cures for disease. In this point of view conservation of these plants through gardening is a necessity.
The purpose of our medicinal garden is to conserve the plants, give students an opportunity to understand the growing role of nature in healing and wellness as well as interaction with the environment. The garden now consists of about 200 medicinal plants.
· Nakshatra Garden
A Garden where trees associated with the 27 constellations or nakshatras was constructed in our campus under the Dept. of Botany. It was inaugurated on 27th November 2013 by the Principal. Fencing of ‘Nakshatra Garden’ and fixing of name board were also done with the financial support obtained from the Central Bank of India, All Saint’s Branch, Thiruvananthapuram.
It is believed that each constellation of the zodiac is associated with a tree, which consist of medicinal, social, aesthetic or economic value and if one plants a tree associated with one's star, that will bring good luck.
Each tree here keeps giving energy to that particular person / people born during that particular star. So any ailments or health problems are set right / healed / cured when you spend / request / talk / meditate near or under that particular tree, corresponding to their star. So the presence of the complete set of 27 trees directly creates a healthy and sound physical, mental, psychological and spiritual beings which is the ultimate and absolute bliss to oneself and to the earth too.
· Mahatmaji Jaivodyanam
A garden with endemic and common trees of Kerala in 3 cents of land. The trees planted include endemic plants like Gluta travancorica (Chenthuruni), Canaga odorata, Couropita guanensis (Nagalingam), Baccaurea courtallensis (Wight) Müll.Arg. (Mooty) etc. A ‘jaiva veli’ was constructed around Mahatmaji Jaivodhyanam, a project undertaken in collaboration with Kerala State Biodiversity Board.
· Ornamental Garden
A garden with flowering plants has constructed in the campus under the guidance of the Department of Botany. Labelling and documentation of the plants in the garden was done by students.
· Eden Garden
An orchard with Malaysian fruit trees in memory of Sr. Mary Agnes is established and is maintained. The orchard includes 27 fruiting trees like Durian, Mangosteen, Rambuttan etc.
· Ferndale
Ferndale is a conservatory for growing members belonging to Pteridophytes. The collection include different varieties of ferns and other pteridophytes such as Selaginella, Psilotum, Pteris, Adiantum, Ferns etc.
Ø Greenhouse & Polyhouse
Greenhouse houses a collection of non-hardy plants. It displays a living collection of plants, while serving as a valuable teaching resource. The plant collection includes orchids, cacti and succulents, ferns, begonias, bromeliads, and other warm temperate, tropical, and subtropical plants. Plants in the collection are used primarily as teaching resources and others are representatives of particular genera, families, or geographic locations.
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Ø Botanical Museum and Herbarium
Department of Botany maintains a Botanical Museum where well preserved specimens of plants and plant parts are arranged scientifically. Separate sections are allotted to major plant groups like algae, fungi, bryophytes, pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Most of the specimens are collected by the staff and students of the department during the study tour conducted every year. A Herbarium is also maintained in the museum harbouring around specimens. Well preserved herbarium sheets are arranged according to Bentham and Hookers Classification and stored in the racks of Herbarium Cabinet made of wood.
Ø Library and Information Services
The Department Library is maintained along with College library and it has over 500 books and 2 subscribed journals. The library provides inflibnet facility.