PRAKRITI, 05th April 2021, Vol. III, Issue 09

Weekly magazine

P R A K R I T I Quest For Nature

Flora of the week Fauna of the week of the week

Adhotoda vasica sylhetensis Netta rufina or or or Adulasa roofed Red-crested Pochard

Officers’ Club Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun PRAKRITI, 5th APRIL 2021, VOL. III, ISSUE 09 FLORA OF THE WEEK Adhotoda vasica (Adulasa)

Justicia adhatoda is a with lance-shaped leaves 10 to 15 centimeters in length by four wide. They are oppositely arranged, smooth-edged, and borne on short petioles When dry they are of a dull brownish-green colour. They are bit- ter-tasting. When a leaf is cleared with chloral hydrate and examined micro- scopically the oval stomata can be seen. They are surrounded by two crescent- shaped cells at right angles to the ostiole. The epidermis bears simple one- to three-celled warty hairs, and small glandular hairs. Cystoliths occur beneath the epidermis of the underside of the blade. The trunk has many long opposite as- cending branches, where the bark is yellowish in color. Flowers are usually white and the inflorescence shows large, dense, axillary spikes. Fruits are pu- bescent, and are with club-shaped capsules. Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Clade: Order: Family: : Species: adhatoda

Distribution Justicia adhatoda, commonly known as Malabar nut, adulsa, adhatoda, vasa, vasaka, The 's native range is the (Assam, , , and SriLanka), and . It has been introduced elsewhere.

Chemical composition: The leaves of Justicia adhatoda contains phytochemicals such as alkaloids, tannins, saponins, phenolics and flavonoids.The most important is vasicine, a quinazoline alkaloid. The vasicine yield of the herbage has been measured as 0.541 to 1.1% by dry weight. Bromhexine, a serine protease inhibitor with mucolytic properties available over-the-counter in Europe, was originally derived from Justicia adhotada.

Traditional medicine: This shrub has a number of traditional medicinal uses in Siddha Medicine, Ayurvedic, and Unani systems of medi- cine.

Central Academy for State Forest Service P.O. New Forest, Dehradun - 248 006, Uttarakhand Guided by : Photography & Compiled By : Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS , President Officers’ Club Ph : 0135-2754575 / Fax : 0135-2756168; E-mail : [email protected] Ashok Kumar, SFS 2019-21, P1 Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President Officers’ Club P R A K R I T I, 05th April 2 0 2 1, V O L. III, I S S U E 09 FAUNA OF THE WEEK

Pangshura sylhetensis

Assam roofed turtle

The Assam roofed turtle or Sylhet roofed turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) is a

species of the turtle of the family found in the Brahmaputra-

Meghna drainage in India (Assam) and parts of eastern Bangladesh. It was

formerly placed in the genus and the defunct genus .

The species has a triangular and elevated carapace with a prominent spiked

keel and 26 strongly serrated marginal plates. The carapace is olive brown,

with a lighter (yellowish to beige) keel. The head is small and has a weakly

hooked upper jaw; a narrow pink stripe runs from the back of each eye to the

middle of the back of the head. Adults may attain a maximum length of 20.5 Conservation overview IUCN Status: Endangered cm, although body sizes of 16 cm are more common.

C The Assam roofed turtle is a rare species known only from a few individuals; it is Kingdom: Animalia

believed to have one of the narrowest distributions of any south Asian geoemydid. Phylum: Chordata

Threatened by: Class: Reptilia

Logging of primary forests that causes siltation Order: Testudines Capture for food and the pet trade Incidental capture in fishing gear Family: Geoemydidae Protection Status: Genus: Pangshura

IUCN: Endangered

CITES: Appendix II. Species: sylhetensis India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 : Protected under Schedule I

Distribution:

The Assam Roofed Turtle (Pangshura sylhetensis) is a small freshwater turtle.

Primarily in running waters in the hills of north-eastern India and north-eastern and south-eastern Bangladesh.

Ecology : The species is . In the cooler months of the dry season, from December to February, it basks during most of

the day; individuals living in cooler hill streams may do so year round. The turtle is shy and never basks on river banks, but only on emergent logs or rocks. At the slightest disturbance, it will dive quickly to the middle of the river, hiding between rocks.

Juveniles often flee into accumulations of dead leaves for camouflage and remain motionless.

Reproduction : Assam roofed nest between late October and February, corresponding with the cool, dry season, and

produce clutches of 6 to 12 eggs. Hatchlings appear mainly between March and April, at the beginning of the southeast

monsoons. The eggs need to undergo a diapause at cooler temperatures lasting between 6 and 8 weeks in order to hatch

successfully .

Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Guided by: PhotographyPhotography & Compiled & Compiledby: by: Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President, Officers’ Club P.O. New Forest, Dehradun- 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President, Officers’ Club Gyan Singh | SFS2019 – 21| P2 Ph: 0135-2754575/ Fax: 0135-2756168; E-mail: [email protected] Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club Atish Kumar | SFS2019 – 21| P2 V V V a P R A K R I T I, 5th APRIL, 2021, V O L. III, I S S U E 09 BIRD OF THE WEEK

Netta rufina

Red-crested Pochard

The red -crested pochard (Netta rufina) is a large diving

duck. The scientific name is derived

from Greek Netta "duck", and Latin rufina, "golden-

red". Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in

southern Europe and it extends from the steppe and semi-

desert areas on the Black Sea to Central and

Mongolia, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent and

Africa. It is somewhat migratory, and northern

winter further south into north Africa.

The adult male is unmistakable. It has a rounded orange

head, red bill and black breast. The flanks are white, the

back brown, and the tail black. The female is mainly a pale brown, with a darker back and crown and a whitish face.

Eclipse males are like females but with red bills. They are

gregarious birds, forming large flocks in winter, often mixed Male Female with other diving ducks, such as common pochards. They Red-crested pochards prefer to nest in eutrophic ponds and lakes feed mainly by diving or dabbling. They eat aquatic , that are bordered by emergent halophytes and beds of and typically upend for food more than most diving ducks. macrophytes. They also nest near slow-current rivers with

clearings of open water or islands with and grasses. Prior IUCN Status: Least Concern to the 1980's, red-crested pochards preferred nesting near

brackish water. Kingdom Animalia

Red-crested pochards build nests by the lakeside among Phylum Chordata vegetation and lay 8–12 pale green eggs. The birds' status in the Class Aves British Isles is much confused because there have been many

escapes and deliberate releases over the years, as well as natural Order

visitors from the continent. However, it is most likely that they Family

are escapees that are now breeding wild and have built up a Genus Netta successful feral population. Species rufina

Distribution: Breeding populations of these pochard species occur in Europe and Central Asia. These birds winter in

the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. The red-crested pochard species were introduced into British Isles and a successful breeding population is established there.

Central Academy For State Forest Service Guided by: Photograophy & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun- 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President Officers’ Club Bryan Zorintluanga | SFS 2019 – 21| P3 Ph : 0135-2754575/ Fax: 0135-2756168; E-mail : [email protected] Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President Officers’ Club V V V a a a n