Gardens and Museums |
Garden
The Botanical garden is the green
center of
MGM college. When it was started in the year 1970 it had a variety of 100 species of plants. It is situated
in an area of about half an acre surrounded by the Chemisrty, Zoology, Botany
and Home Science departments. The Botanical garden was named "Botanica"
during the Golden Jubilee year-1999-2000.
The trees in the Campus have been attached with name plates which provide
taxonomical information regarding each tree. Arches covered with flowering
creepers welcome all inside the garden. There are a number of trees and plants
inside the garden. A large number of medicinal plants, a few rare ferns, some
xerophytes and other plants required for the regular practical classes have been
grown. There is a fern house in the garden where different varieties of ferns
have been grown. The garden is well maintained and watered regularly.
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| Orchid plant in flowering | Nepenthes ( Pitcher plant ) |
Highlights of Garden
 | The star attraction of the garden is the insectivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes) brought from Assam which has survived inside the Botanica despite the unfavourable weather conditions. It is flourishing in the garden, producing pitchers during the rainy season, which trap insects. |
| Another rare plant, the Telegraph plant is known for its trifoliately compound leaf in which the two smaller leaflets on the sides show jerky movements throughout the day as if they are busy sending telegraphic messages. |
| The Govania plant is known for the fact that, when its stem is cut, sap oozes with considerable force, like water gushing out of a tap. |
| Cananga Odorata is a rare tree, the only one in Udupi. |
| About 40 cycas plants, garden pites, belonging to two species are growing in the garden and the college campus with the male and female plants producing cones |
| Zamia, another gymnasperm of Africa also grows here. |
| Parkia is a tall tree with round, tennis ball like inflorescence |
| There are a few pools in the garden where hydrophytes like Pistia, Eichornia, Chara, Marsilea, Hydrilla, Lemna, Utricularia, Nymphea, Azolla etc. have been growing. |
| Medicinal plants like Ashoka (used in the Ayurvedic drugs , Ashokarishta), Colus aromaticus kus-kus grass and lemon grasses medicate the atmosphere of the garden. |
Botanical Museum
The Botany Museum of MGM College is the largest in the whole state of
Karnataka. One of the significant features of this Museum is the orderly
arrangement of the vast diversity of plants, from the primitive algae to the
advanced Angiosperms (flowering plants). The Botany Museum is housed in the
Vijnana Mandira Wing of the college. The Museum has Botanical Specimens orderly
arranged in about 30 large cupboards. Charts and models adorn the
Museum.Specimens are collected, yearly, during collection trips arranged for the
purpose. The museum has been providing useful information to the students of
Botany.
Highlights of Museum
| More than 150 species of Algae |
| More than 100 species of Fungi |
| About 40 species of Bryophytes |
| About 120 species of Pteridophytes |
| About 41 species of Gymnosperms |
| About 150 species of Angiosperm |
| About 40 plants pathological specimen |
| The Museum has 5 to 6 species of insectivorous plants |
| Huge cones of cycas plants are being preserved here |
| A large sized mushroom, the size of a small umbrella, is also preserved |
| About 20 to 25 specimens of plants with freaks are being preserved |
| There are 4 cupboards containing the mosses of South India |
| The algae collection from the Lakshadweep Island are an asset to the Museum |
| Rare charts of fossil plants adorn the Museum |
| There is a collection of ferns of Ooty |
Zoological Museum
The Zoology Museum of MGM
College is the largest museum in the whole of Udupi District. When it was opened
to the public during the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the college, it
recieved immense appreciation from all. It is located in the Vijnana Mandira
wing of the college. It has all its specimens arranged according to the Phyla
they belong to. Besides, the museum has models, dissected specimens, charts and
other teaching aids.ss
Highlights of the Museum
| The Museum has specimens of 1027 species belonging to 742 genera arranged in about 30 cupboards. |
| The prime attraction of the Museum is the huge skeleton of the Baleen Whale. The baleen Whale is one of the largest living creatures on the earth, weighing about 130 tons when alive. The skeleton weighs about 7.5 tons, with its skull alone weighing about 2.5 tons. The vertebral column of the whale is 13 metres in length. |
| Another remarkable specimen is the long snout of saw fish. |
| The Museum has excellent specimens of aquatic creatures like long-fish, jelly-fish, octopus etc. |
| The Museum has a huge shell of a Turtle. |
| Besides, the Museum houses specimens of fishes found along the West Coast of India. |
| The Specimen of an Otter and a Pangolin are noticeable in the Museum. |
| There is a good collection of sea shells in two cupboards. |
| There is also a wide collection of beautiful corals. |
| A garland made up entirely of cocoons of silk worms has been preserved in the Museum. |
| The Museum has preserved embryos of porcupine, cow, man, rabbit and deer. |
| The developmental stages of the Silk Moth, the honey bee and chicks have also been preserved. |
| The Museum has a very good osteology section. There are skeletons of man, black buck and other animals. There are also skulls of man, cat, dog, crocodile, monkey, tortoise, tiger etc. |
| Many animal fossils have models like digestive system, ear, eye etc. |
| The Models of dinosaurs were a major attraction when the museum was opened to public. |