10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 4 Issue 4 2013 (October - December) River Karala is the most important natural drainage channel of Jalpaiguri town, West Bengal, India. At present the river is draining about 5.20 sq km or 40 % of the total municipal area. It originates from the Baikunthapur reserve forest. Due to its slow flowing nature, a large number of macrophytes grow abundantly. During our survey, 137 macrophytic species belonging to 107 genera are reported and classified according to their growth form and enumerated with floral diversity. Due to anthropogenic activity, the macrophytic diversity of the river is highly disturbed. The present status and need of conservation are also discussed in this paper. ANURAG CHOWDHURY AND A.P. DAS Karala River, Diversity, Growth form, Stress. 1336-1343