Article ID: AEN-2020-01-04-020 Pleurospermum candollei - Savior of Altitudinal Sickness
Antul Kumar*, Anuj Choudhary and Harmanjot Kaur Department of Botany, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
The high altitude cold deserts harbours rich diversity of endemic medicinal plants and considered to be hotspots of biodiversity. The altitudinal sickness is the prime issue for explorer and plant researchers especially working on alpine flora and fauna. For Mother Nature, everything is precious and valuable and provides lots of survival keys at these regions.
Introduction Pleurospermum candollei is a cold arid herbaceous plant species. It is endemic species and confined to high altitudinal alpine regions of western Himalayas. The species is termed by Charles Baron Clarke.It is belonging to family Umbelliferae or Apiaceae. Seeds are substitute for fennel and boiled along with tea to get rid from diarrhoea and cold. P. candollei is a perennial herb, highly aromatic, pungent and gives skink smell in nature. It is distributed to central mountainous regions of Asia's including india Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, but few species of genus also reported from Europe. In India, species in confined to Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand representing the range of western Himalayas (Khan & Syed, 2015). The family considered to be 16th-largest family of angiospermic plants, representing 434 genera and more than 3,700 species including economically important well-known spices such as plants such as coriander, caraway, ajwain, fennel, lovage, cumin, angelica, dill, chervil, silphium, parsnip and sea holly. Flowering occurs in month of mid- June to September. The small caryopsis fruiting bodies containing numerous seeds at shattered during October and undergo for seeds ripening for period of 4-5 months via vernalization (chilling treatment to ensure seed maturation in next season).
Fig 1. Sample of Pleurospermum candollei growing at (A) Rohtang pass (B) Baralacha pass in Lahaul-Spiti 2017-18 (Himachal Pradesh)
This temperate delicated herbaceous plant bears small flowers arranged in flock on terminal end of each branch. The family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) is also called "herbaceous that represented mostly aromatic plant species known after the genus Apium and also regarded as parsley carrot or celery family. Pleurospermum candollei is also known as Shabdun, paper cup flower,
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andHymenolaena candollei.In holy Ramayana, plant is considered as divine herbal plant and worship in many regions of Uttrakhand state. In valleys of Dronagiri (mountain of gods), Saussurea gossypiphora and Pleurospermum candollei both herbs collectively known as “Mrita Sanjeevani” used in ailment of lord Lakshmana in Vedicperiods. The communities reside in tribal region brings these lifesaving herb for worship in home. It is known as Shiva or Bana plant in Dhouladhar hilly areas by local Gaddis communities. Habit: The species is mainly found in altitudinal range above 3400 m in alpine regions having sloppy grasslands, open mountains with rock crevices and lake banks. It is a small sized annual herb attain upto the size of 10 to 30cm. There stalks are green, hollow with leaf bases below the inflorescence or lowers parts.Leaves are similar to adiantum fern appears ovate, pinnate, petiolate and arranged in opposite manner.Majority of Inflorescence is double flock, single flower or single flock and having small leaflets present under a flock are called a sweep.Both actinomorphic and zygomorphic type of flowers are present in inflorescence bunch(actinomorphic toward with larger herdand zygomorphic flowers at marginal edge). Leaf base is 10 to 15 bractlets or involucral bracts and sheathing are white and appearsleaf- like structure. Flowers are minute whitish in color which are longer than the flowers with greenish mid rib and white color with broad margin.
Fig 2. Seed collection of specimen at Suraj tall at Lahaul Spiti Himachal Pradesh (2017-18)
Importance: Many medicinal practitionersin local tribal communities commonly used the herbal formulation containing P. candollei plant parts used in curing of heart problems gastric troubles stomach disorders, blood pressure, abdominal problems, and decrease cholesterol.The Amchis (Tibetan medicinepractitioners) usesroots of P. candollei for curing cold, fever, food poisons and other toxic poisons. The fruits P. candollei are for used for the ailments of dyspepsia, stomach ache, flatulence, renal related diseases. The aromatic nature of the plant causes dizziness, if smells frequently.
Conclusion: No doubt, Himalayas are rich source of endemic, endangered and live saving medicinal plants. The survival of tribal communities and their average age provides enough evidence toward the potential of these plants. The solely dependency of medicinal practitioners in diseases treatment by using only formulation of herbal plants without any valid research documentation put lots of question in the range of medicinal properties of these plants.
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References: Abbas, Z., Khan, S.M., & Abbasi, A.M. (2016) Ethnobotany of the Balti community, Tormik valley, Karakorum range, Baltistan, Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine 12, 38. Khan, S., & Syed, N. Ul H. (2015). Medicinal plants of Turmic valley (Central Karakoram national Park) Gilgit, - Baltistan, Pakistan. Journal of Bioresource management. 2. 81-90. 10.35691/JBM.5102.0025.
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