Studies on the reproductive biology and seed biology of Aconitum nagarum Stapf: a threatened medicinal plant of North East India
Keywords:
Aconitum nagarum, Floral biology, Medicinal plant, Reproductive biology
Abstract
Present study was undertaken to study the reproductive behaviours and seed biology of Aconitum nagarum. As per the present study, the species starts flowering from october first week onwards. The flowers are blue in colour, arranged as slender raceme, petals and filaments glabrous, carpel five and bisexual. The flowers bloom acropetally and anthesis was observed between 6.00 - 6.30 AM. Anther dehisced longitudinally from 7.00 AM till 9.30 AM. The number of anthers were found to be 49 per flower. It was observed that flower colour changes as the plant goes on fully dehisced. The flowering duration per flower varied from 4-6 days followed by fruit formations and matures within 10-15 days. The average flowers per plant varied from 8-28 and common pollinator was found to be bees. Mean seeds per plant was ~270-540 and pollen per anther was approximately 1000 - 2000. The seeds exhibited ~38% germination from seeds stratified at 4°C for 96 h.
References
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Pages JP, Pache D, Joud N, Magnan N and Michalet R. 2003. Direct and indirect effects of shade on four forest tree seedlings in the French Alps. Ecology, 84(10): 2741-2750.
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Sinam YM, Kumar S, Hajare S, Gautam S, Chatterjee S, Variyan PS, Shantibala GA and Sharma A. 2012. Isolation and identification of antibacterial compound from Indo-Himalayan Aconitum nagarum. Asian Pacific J. Tropical Disease 2 (Supplement 2): S878-S882.
Singh KP, Bhavana KP and Dhakre 2010. Reproductive biology of Evolvulus alsinoides L. (Medicinal herb). Intl. J. Bot., 6(3): 304-309.
Srivastava N, Sharma V and Kamal B. 2010. Advancement in research on Aconitum species (Ranunculaceae) under different area: A Review. Biotechnology. 9(4): 411-427.
Tommasi F, Paciolla C, De Pinto MC and De Gara L. 2006. Effects of storage temperature on viability, germination and antioxidant metabolism in Ginkgo biloba L. seeds. Pl. Physiol. Biochem., 44(5-6): 359-368.
Verma NK, Verma AK and Kumar D. 2009. Effect of storage container on seed germination and viability in Aconitum heterophyllum and Podophyllum hexandrum - endangered medicinal plants species of Himalayan region. Biological Forum -An Intl. J., 1(1): 8-11.
Walters C. 2004. Appendix 2 in Ex situ conservation, supporting species survival in the wild. Guerrant, Havens and Maunder, Island Press.
Zhang F, Peng SL, Luo F and Ding LS. 2005. Two New Norditerpenoid Alkaloids of Aconitum nagarum. Chinese Chem. Let., 16(8): 1043-1046.
Barbedo CJ and Cicero SM. 2000. Effects of initial quality, low temperature and ABA on the storage of seeds of Inga uruguensis, a tropical species with recalcitrant seeds. Seed Sci. Technol., 28(3): 793-808.
Deb MS, Jamir NS and Deb CR. 2012. Studies on seed biology of Cinnamomum tamala Nees. (Lauraceae): a valuable multipurpose tree. Intl. J. Ayurved. Herbal Med., 2(5): 817-826.
Dong JY, Li ZY and Li L. 2000. Diterpenoid alkaloid from Aconitum nagarum var. lasiandrum. Chinese Chem. Let., 11(11): 1005-1006.
Fu JR, Zhang BZ, Wang XP, Qiao YZ and Huang XL. 1990. Physiological studies on desiccation, wet storage and cryopreservation of recalcitrant seeds of three fruit species and their excised embryonic axes. Seed Sci. Technol., 18(3): 743-754.
Ji H and Wang FP. 2006. Structure of lasiansine from Aconitum nagarum var. lasiandrum. J. Asian Nat. Products Res., 8(7): 619-624.
Kitajima K. 2007. Seed and seedling ecology. In: (eds. Pugnaire, F. I. and Valladares, F.) Functional Plant Ecology, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Tylor & Francies Group, p. 549-580.
Kwit C and Platt WJ. 2003. Disturbance history influences regeneration of non-pioneer understory trees. Ecology, 84(10): 2575-2581.
Mo EF. 2014. India's Fifth National Report to the Convention on biological diversity. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, p.142.
Moza KM and Bhatnagar AK. 2007. Plant reproductive biology studies crucial for conservation. Curr. Sci., 92(9): 1207.
Oliveira LMQ and Valio IFM. 1992. Effects of moisture content on germination of seeds of Hancornia speciosa Gom. (Apocynaceae). Annals Bot., 69(1): 1-5.
Pages JP, Pache D, Joud N, Magnan N and Michalet R. 2003. Direct and indirect effects of shade on four forest tree seedlings in the French Alps. Ecology, 84(10): 2741-2750.
Pandey H, Nandi SK, Nadeem M and Palni LMS. 2000. Chemical stimulation of seed germination in Aconitum heterophyllum wall and A. balfourii Stapf.: important Himalayan species of medicinal value. Seed Sci. Technol., 28(1): 39-48.
Sharma E and Gaur AK. 2012. Aconitum balfourii Stapf: A rare medicinal herb from Himalayan Alpine. J. Medicinal Pl. Res., 6(22): 3810-3817.
Silva CID and Silingardi HMT. 2001. Reproductive biology of tropical plants, international commission on tropical biology and natural resources. UNESSCO-EOLSS Sample Chapter. p.1-27.
Sinam YM, Kumar S, Hajare S, Gautam S, Chatterjee S, Variyan PS, Shantibala GA and Sharma A. 2012. Isolation and identification of antibacterial compound from Indo-Himalayan Aconitum nagarum. Asian Pacific J. Tropical Disease 2 (Supplement 2): S878-S882.
Singh KP, Bhavana KP and Dhakre 2010. Reproductive biology of Evolvulus alsinoides L. (Medicinal herb). Intl. J. Bot., 6(3): 304-309.
Srivastava N, Sharma V and Kamal B. 2010. Advancement in research on Aconitum species (Ranunculaceae) under different area: A Review. Biotechnology. 9(4): 411-427.
Tommasi F, Paciolla C, De Pinto MC and De Gara L. 2006. Effects of storage temperature on viability, germination and antioxidant metabolism in Ginkgo biloba L. seeds. Pl. Physiol. Biochem., 44(5-6): 359-368.
Verma NK, Verma AK and Kumar D. 2009. Effect of storage container on seed germination and viability in Aconitum heterophyllum and Podophyllum hexandrum - endangered medicinal plants species of Himalayan region. Biological Forum -An Intl. J., 1(1): 8-11.
Walters C. 2004. Appendix 2 in Ex situ conservation, supporting species survival in the wild. Guerrant, Havens and Maunder, Island Press.
Zhang F, Peng SL, Luo F and Ding LS. 2005. Two New Norditerpenoid Alkaloids of Aconitum nagarum. Chinese Chem. Let., 16(8): 1043-1046.
Published
2014-10-21
How to Cite
Langhu, T., & Deb, C. R. (2014). Studies on the reproductive biology and seed biology of Aconitum nagarum Stapf: a threatened medicinal plant of North East India. Journal of Research in Biology, 4(7), 1465-1474. Retrieved from https://ojs.jresearchbiology.com/ojs1/index.php/jrb/article/view/365
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