Species Diversity (Flora and Usage Plants) of Machakhel National Park

There were identified 548 species belonging to 293 genera and 104 families in the Machakhela National Park (Georgia, Adjara) under review. 19 Pteridophytes and 529 Spermatophytes were detected out of this 548 species, Spermatophytes also contained 5 Gymnospermae and 524 Angiospermae species. The life form spectrum of the species was as follows: trees 30 (5,5%), shrubs 31 (5,7%), tree-shrubs 18 (3,3%), Perennial herbs 278 (50,7%), Biennial herbs 53 (9,7%), Annual herbs 90 (16,4%), Annual-Biennial herbs 19 (3,5%), Biennial-Perennial herbs 5 (0,9%). There are 55 endemic species (10,0 %) in the flora of Machakhela National Park area, including Caucasian – 21 (3,8%), Georgian – 3 (0,5 %) , Colchic – 25 (4,6 %) , Adjara-Lazetian – 4 (0,7 %) , Ajarian – 2 (0,4 %) species. 10 species (1,8%) included in “Red List” of Georgia, 60 (11,0%) are recommended for the “Red List” of Caucasus and 5 (0,9%) included in IUCN “Red List”. The alien flora is pre­se­nted by 44 species – 8,0% ( adventive-6, invasive-4, subspo­ntaneous-4, naturalized-25, unknown-5 ). The area is a very important relictual refuge for many plant species. The region is also rich with usage plants (265 species, 48,4%): ornamental – 83 (15,1%), traditional medicine – 116 (21,2%), traditional culinary – 66 (12,0%).