The closed evergreen forest, called the shola, occurs above 1700 m in patches in the higher hills of South India in the
Nilgiris, Annamalai and Palani hills. Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical montane forests which attain a
low height of about 16–20 m. These forests have high ecological significance in protecting the head waters of rivers by
holding up of water received by precipitation like a sponge, thus preventing rapid run-off. (Correspondence)

Genetic diversity was studied among 20 common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) landraces collected from different traditional farming villages of Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India, with Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Evaluation of genetic diversity is essential for conservation, management and to trace the hybrids.