BOTANY ALUMNI MEET 2017

FORMER HOD prof HAMZA SIR INAUGURATING THE ALUMNI MEET 2017

Note on the identity of Salacia vellaniana Udayan, Yohannan & Pradeep (CELASTRACEAE)

                                    RESEARCH ARTICLE

                                       Note on the identity

    of Salacia vellaniana Udayan, Yohannan & Pradeep

                                                     (CELASTRACEAE)
                                    N. Sasidharan and K. Muhammad Anaz
            Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Thrissur 680 653, Kerala
                                                       Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Gamble (1916) described 3 new species of Salacia viz. S. malabarica, based on the collections of TF Bourdillon from ‘Colatoorpolay, Travancore’; S. beddomei on the collections of RH Beddome from Anamalays and S. talbotii on the collections of WA Talbot from North Kanara. Whiting & Kaul (1940) renamed Salacia talbotii Gamble as S. gambleana as the former name is a later homonym of S. talbotii Baker f. (1913). Udayan et al., (2013) described S.vellaniana as a new species from Vellanimala, Thrissur District of Kerala. Sasidharan and Sivarajan (1996) identified similar specimens from Vellanimala, Thrissur as S. macrosperma based on the fimbriate calyx lobes, entire leaf margins and nearly smooth fruit surface. In the light of description of S. vellaniana, we made a critical study of the specimens from Vellanimala, Thrissur with the species of Salacia so far described from Peninsular
India. It is found that S. vellaniana shares many characters with S. gambleana. Gamble (1916) differentiated S.talbotii from S. macrosperma based on the smaller oblong coriaceous leaves with entire margin, 4-6 mm long petioles, 1-8 flowered cymes (against 22-30 flowered cymes), 3 or 4 stamens and pale reddish-orange echinate fruits.

Examination of the protologue and images of the type specimens of S. talbotii (WA Talbot 1361, WA Talbot 1217, 2.6.1885, North Kanara) it is found that S. vellaniana is very much matching with S. gambleana.

Udayan et al., (2013) described the petals as ovate-lanceolate, but it is not reflected in the illustration. In fact the petals are ovate-oblong with obtuse apex. The filaments are flattened and tapering towards apex and reflexed as described by Gamble. The ovary of S. vellaniana was descried as 3-loculed with 1 ovule in each locule and fruits
globose or obovate, tuberculate, pale reddish-orange; seeds 3. Observation of fresh specimens from the type locality (Vellanimala), reveal that there are 2 ovules in each locule and up to 5 seeds in the fruits, further endorsing the similarity with S. gambleana. The fruit surface varies from nearly smooth with 1 or 2 warts to completely rugose with linear ridges. Thus, there are no true diagnostic characters to distinguish S. vellaniana from S. gambleana. It can be confirmed that Salacia vellaniana was erected based on imperfect study of materials by the authors



Therefore, it is reduced to a synonym of S. gamblei Whiting & Kaul. Description based type specimens and our fresh collections are provided along with images.

Salacia gambleana

Whiting & Kaul, Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew. 1940:300.1940; Ramamurthy & Naithani in NP Singh et al., (eds.) Flora India 5:153.2000; Punetkar & Lakshminarasimhan, Fl. Anshi National Park 153.2011. Salacia talbotii Gamble, Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew. 1916:133.1916 (non EG Baker, 1913); Saldanha & Singh in Saldanha Fl. Karnataka 2:92.1996.
Salacia vellaniana Udayan, Yohannan & Pradeep, Candollea 68: 148. 2013. syn. nov.
Scandent lianas; young branchlets brownish, often lenticellate. Leaves opposite to sub-opposite, 6-11 x 2.5-3.5 cm, oblong, apex acute to acuminate, base cuneate or attenuate, margin entire or remotely crenate, subcoriaceous; lateral nerves 5 or 6 pairs, reticulations faint; petiole 4-6 mm long. Flowers in simple fascicles of 2-8, from axillary or extra-axillary tubercles; pedicel 4-6 mm long. Calyx lobes 5, triangular ovate, green, ca. 1 mm long, margin fimbriate. Petals 5, 1.8-2 x 1-1.2 mm, ovate-oblong with a small notch towards the apex, obtuse, erect, green with a tinge of yellow towards the upper margins. Disk green turning creamy yellow, 1 x 1.5 mm, oblong, tapering towards apex, completely covering the ovary. Stamens 3, rarely 4, discoid, 0.2 mm long, creamy-white with a brown tinge, arising from within the disk; filaments flattened, recurved, creamy-white when young, become yellow with orange tinge later. Ovary 3-loculed; ovules 2 in each locule; stigma simple, pale green. Fruits globose or obovoid, 3-4.5 x 2.5-3.5 cm, rind 2-2.5 mm thick, smooth to tuberculate, with thickened linear ridges, pale reddish-orange; seeds 2-5,
ellipsoid, slightly angular, immersed in pulp, 1.5-2 x 1-1.5 cm, brown. [ Plate I].

Distribution: Western Ghats of Kerala and Karnataka

Specimens examined: Maharastra, North Kanara WA Talbot 1361 dated 25.01.1886 ; 1217 dated 02.06.1886 [http://specimens.kew.org/herbarium/ K000669982, K000669983 accession on 19.12.2014 10.45 IST] ; Kerala Thrissur, Vellanimala N. Sasidharan 3079 dated 18.04.1984; 27903 dated 11.01.2013; 3940 dated 13.03.1987; 3484 dated 10.05.1985 [KFRI]; PS Udayan et al., 03371, dated 23.02.2005 ; 06121 dated 20.06.2009 [Herbarium CMPR, Kottakkal].

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan, Scientist, Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, P.O. Botanic Garden, Howrah, for providing details on the distribution in Karnataka. We are also thankful to Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for permitting to use the scanned images of Salacia talbotii type specimens. The first author acknowledges the financial assistance for the study from MoEF, Government of India.

References
Gamble, JS, 1916. Decades Kewensis. Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1916: 131-136.
Gamble JS, 1918. Family Hippocrateaceae. In The Flora of the Presidency of Madras. Adlard & Son Ltd., London. Whiting MM and KN Kaul 1940. New or Little Known Plants from Southern India XIII . Bull. Misc. Inf. Kew 1940:300-302.
Sasidharan, N. and V.V. Sivarajan 1996. Flowering Plants of Thrissur Forests. Scientific publishers, Jodhpur. Udayan PS, Regy Yohannan, Devipriya MS, Devipriya V & AK Pradeep, 2013. Salacia vellaniana Udayan,Yohannan & Pradeep (Celastraceae), a new species from India. Candollea 68(1):147-149.

celebrating 2K+ page viewers

ABSTRACT OF Ph. D THESIS OF Dr. ARCHANA CP

Title of Thesis: Scaling up of Microrhizome and Minirhizome Technology for Disease Free Planting Material Production in Ginger and Turmeric

                                     Dr. ARCHANA CP

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) belonging to the family Zingiberaceae are two commercially important medicinal spices. These are rhizomatous perennials grown as annuals. Ginger is thought to have originated in the tropical jungles of Asia and commercially grown in India, China, South- East Asia, West Indies, Mexico, Africa, Fiji and Australia. Turmeric is a native of Southeast Asia. In ancient India, ginger was considered as Mahoushadi (great cure). Turmeric, the golden spice- the dried rhizomes of C. longa, is famed as the spice of life. It has strong association with socio-cultural life of Indian subcontinent and was described as ‘herb of sun’ by people of Vedic period.

The productivity of ginger and turmeric in India is decreased due to many diseases that affect the quality and quantity of the rhizome produced. In field, ginger and turmeric are prone to a number of pathogens and diseases of soil-borne and rhizome-borne nature. The success of these crops mainly depends on the use of clean, good quality seed material. The objective of the present study was to develop an efficient method for enhanced microrhizome production in three high yielding varieties each of ginger (IISR Mahima, IISR Rejatha and IISR Varada) and turmeric (IISR Alleppey Supreme, IISR Prabha and northeast cultivar Lakadong).

                

Culture initiation was successfully achieved using rhizome bits with at least two viable buds on MS basal medium supplemented with 0.1mgl^-1 Kinetin and 7gl^-1 agar and 15gl^-1 sucrose. The cultures were multiplied in MS medium supplemented with 0.5mgl^-1 NAA, 2mgl^-1 BA, 25mgl^-1 Adenine sulphate, 30gl^-1 sucrose and 8gl^-1 agar.

Single shoots isolated from the multiplied cultures were inoculated and used for studying the microrhizome induction potential under varying conditions. Almost all the cultures, irrespective of the cultivars, grown in higher sucrose levels showed microrhizome formation as evidenced by basal bulging of the pseudostem. Cultivar wise differences in microrhizome induction response were observed throughout the trials in both ginger and turmeric. In ginger and turmeric, higher concentration of sucrose, concentration of NH₄NO₃, light regime and supplementation of Abscisic acid were conducive for microrhizome induction. The type and size of culture vessel also influenced microrhizome induction. The development of microrhizome in different trial media was confirmed through visual observation of bulging of basal portion of the pseudostem and was further confirmed using anatomical and histochemical techniques. Micorhizomes showed all the characters of conventional rhizome, like presence of starch grains, oil cells etc. 

                                       

After three months of in vitro growth, the microrhizome induced plants were planted out in the nursery and after a season of growth, minirhizomes formation was achieved. Comparative field evaluation of microrhizomes, micropropagated rhizomes, minirhizomes and conventional rhizomes indicated superior yield performance of minirhizomes.

The chemical constituents of microrhizomes, micropropagated rhizomes, minirhizomes and conventional rhizomes were compared using various phytochemical tools like Thin Layer Chromatography, Gas Chromatography and High Performance Liquid Chromatography and qualitative similarity could be established. The genetic stability of microrhizome derived, micropropagated, and minirhizome derived plants with conventional rhizome derived plants was confirmed using RAPD markers. The pathogen free nature of microrhizomes and micropropagated rhizomes was confirmed by in vitro plant pathological screening using disc culture method on Potato dextrose agar medium, Plate count agar medium and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride medium.

In short, the microrhizome and minirhizome technologies developed in the present study could be used for the large scale production of genetically stable and pathogen free planting materials in ginger and turmeric within a short period of time without compromising the quality and quantity of the produce. These high quality rhizomes can be used in various fields of research for the identification, comparison and isolation of different components and for the conservation and exchange of pure germplasm.

Micropropagation and conservation of Clerodendrum serratum (L.) MOON.

Micropropagation and conservation ofClerodendrum serratum (L.) MOON.

HAMZA P.V
Associate Professor,
HoD, Botany, PSMO College, Tirurangadi
2014

SUMMERY OF THE REPORT ON
UGC AIDED MINOR RESEARCH PROJECT ON Micropropagation and conservation ofClerodendrum serratum (L.) MOON

                                 Introduction

Clerodendrum serratum(L.) Moon (syn. (Rotheca serrata(L,) steane & Mabb) belong to the Family Verbenaceae is small perennial shrub found in India, Malasia and Pakistan. It is native of of East inda and Malasia and distributed through out India and Srilanka. It has a long history has a source of potential chemotherapeutic agents in various system of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani etc. It is one of the most important plants from traditional systems of medicine found all over the world.

Its common name is Cheruthekku, Kurukutti (Malyalam)

Bargi (Sanskrit)

Micro propagation

Various accessions of the species were collected from Botanical Garden, Calicut University; forest of wayanad and Nilambur and southern regions of Kerala.

Culture were initiated from immature shoots carrying atleast single viable bud.

Culture initiation was conducted in basal MS medium (Murashigae and Skoog ( 1962)

Medicinal properties of Clerodendrum serratum are due to the presence of major groups of chemical constituents like phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids and steroids. In present study three chemical compound are taken in to consideration for the comparison of quality of micro propagated plants to mother plant.

Results

A total of stem accessions were collected from Kerala were planted in the field and green house of PSMO college were established and showed flourished growth. Culture initiation was successfully carried out from juvenile and mature segments in basal M.S medium

The nodal segments cut from the initiated cultures were inoculated in to various multiplication media. All these cultures were responded.

During phyto chemical analysis there was no significant variations were observed between micro propagated plant and mother plant in their chemical compositions.

Summery

The study can be used for large scale propagation and conservation of this threat species and assures the resource base enhancement of the species and there by availability of spore and pathogen free raw materials to the pharmaceutical industry

In-vitro plant regeneration in Kaempferia rotunda Linn. through somatic embryogenesis

In-vitro plant regeneration in Kaempferia rotunda Linn. through somatic embryogenesis 

     P.H Musthafaanad

assistant professor  psmo college

Why humans couldn’t         
                                                                                                                                                                
 exist without plants                  Mohammed Raees Saidalvi  
                                                         S4 Bscbotany

      One of the oldest forms of life on Earth are Plants. They have been part of life much before the arrival of human beings on the planet. Man has depended on the plants for his survival from times immemorial so much so that plants have become an integral part of human beings. Whether human beings or animals would be able to live on in the absence of plants is beyond doubt.

There are about 30000 to 50000 species of plants on earth of which humans must have used about 7000 so far for food. The contributions of plants to people are varied. The first and foremost role of plants in our lives is they produce oxygen which is the lifeline to all human beings and animals. The stomata present in the leaves breathe in carbon dioxide available in the atmosphere and making use of light and water, release oxygen in the process of photosynthesis. Next comes the food chain. Plants provide the food required to different species and are the first in the food chain. They are available in abundance on earth providing food directly to people (those vegetarians who eat plants) or in indirectly (those who eat animal food which in turn depend on plants for their survival). Another major contribution to mankind is they regulate atmosphere, climate, soils and the water. They maintain the balance in ecosystem. Soil erosion would be a disaster making it impossible to grow food and support life. The shrubs and grasses hold the top soil in place thereby preventing its erosion from natural causes. They also serve as windbreaks, noise controllers, glare reducing buffers and also settling chambers for particulate pollution in the air. Another vital role is production of nitrogen in legumes which enriches the soil. So cutting and felling of plants is not advisable. Plants also provide the energy for millions of households in the form of wood and charcoal. Fuel is essential for people both for cooking purposes and keeping themselves warm in deterring climatic conditions. People can't survive without food and fuel. Even before the advent of science man used products or parts of plants to get relief for his pains and bodily problems. The growth of science and technology has helped in making tremendous strides in the medical field where life-saving medicines have been developed from plants from by isolating plant proteins. Plants also provide the raw material for producing clothing, farming tools etc... Cotton, synthetic fibers such as rayon all come from plants. Products like paper, wood, paints and by-products like turpentine, mulch, decorative barks, resins and dyes are all taken either from plants or plant extracts. Shelter, fencing, roofing materials and other building materials are all from the plants.

The disappearance of plants from the earth would be disastrous to both people and also animals. Actually it would be worse than any other natural calamity or even manmade nuclear threat. Bigger animals are dependent on smaller animals which in turn have plants for their food. People may find solutions or make other arrangements to problems arising from the non availability of plants, but the required quantity of food and oxygen both for human and animal consumption would be impossible to replace. So there wouldn't be any people or even animals without plants. An earth without plants means a planet without animals and people. To protest for ourselves we have to protest for plants!