Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online)

BIOPHYTUM REINWARDTII (ZUCC.) KLOTZSCH. – A

NEW RECORD FOR STATE

A. S. REDDY AND ANJALI SHRAMA BRD SCHOOL OF BIOSCIENCES,

SARDAR PATEL UNIVERSITY, VALLABH VIDHYANAGAR, Universal Impact Factor 0.9285:2012; ANAND, GUJARAT- 388 120. 1.2210:2013 Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected]

Index Copernicus ICV 2011: 5.09 ABSTRACT: ICV 2012: 6.42 ICV 2013: 15.8 While collecting the ethnobotanical knowledge from the people residing in the Shoolpaneshwar wildlife Sanctuary, South Gujarat a voucher specimen of NAAS Rating 2012 : 1.3; Biophytum reinwardtii were collected and identified. On scrutiny of literature, 2013-2014:2.69 it is revealed that this species is recorded from parts of Himalaya, Andhra

Received on: Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. Whereas it is not recorded from , th 7 May 2015 Rajasthan adjoining states of Gujarat as well as from Gujarat. But its presence

Revised on: is recorded during ethnobotanical study of Shoolpaneshwar WLS of Gujarat, th 10 July 2015 forms a new record for Gujarat.

Accepted on: 12th July 2015 KEY WORDS: Shoolpaneshwar WLS, New record, Biophytum reinwardtii.

Published on: INTRODUCTION: 1st September 2015 Biophytum reinwardtii (Oxalidaceae) is an annual herb which looks like a Volume No. miniature tree. Commonly it is known as Reinwardt's Tree Plant in English, Online & Print Lajjalu in Sanskrit; Mothi lajwanti in Marathi and Ukdo, Lajamadio in 67 (2015) Gujarati (www.flowersofindia.net). It is erect, hairy, grows up to 4-12 cm tall. Page No. 8 to 11 Leaves are evenly pinnate about 5-6 cm long, crowded at the top of stem. Leaflets are stalkless, ovate to obovate, rounded at tip, equal at the base in 7-10 Life Sciences Leaflets pairs. Flowers pseudoumbellate, clustered on 2-5 cm long, hairy peduncle at is an international open access print & e the top having 3-7 pedicillate flowers. Sepals are lanceolate, acute hairy, journal, peer reviewed, exceeding the capsule. Petals yellow with red streak near the base of each lobe, worldwide abstract spathulate, obtuse (Fig. 1). Stamens 10, Style 5. Capsule 0.3 long, ovoid. Seed listed, published every month with ISSN, RNI grooved, muricate. Flowering and Fruiting were found in the month of August Free- membership, to December. downloads and access.

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Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online)

It is moderately different form commonly occurred species Biophytum sensitivum in Table (1). However both species were noted from Shoolpaneshwar WLS, during ethnobotanical study of an area. The entire study area spreads over 60,770.78 hectares of tropical moist and dry deciduous mix forests lands located between 73-32’ and 73- 54’ East longitude and 21- 34’ and 21- 52’ North latitude in the southern part of Gujarat. It is divided into five forest ranges namely Gora, Fulsar, Piplod, Sagai and Dediapada of Rajpipla East Division of . The sanctuary becomes the catchment area of two major rivers, namely, Narmada and Karjan and two small rivers, namely, Devganga and Tarav, which make the sanctuary, a rich depository of many medicinal and other useful plants. The tribal’s have sound knowledge of medicinal plants in treatment of several diseases.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In World distribution, Biophytum reinwardtii was found in Tropical South East Asia, China and Java (Pullaiah, 2006; Hooker, 1999). In it is found in the Himalayas, from Garhwal to Nepal, at altitudes up to 1000 m (www.flowersofindia.net). It is also recorded from Andhra Pradesh (Pullaiah, 2006; Pullaiah & Chennaiah, 1997) and Madhya Pradesh (Verma et. al., 1993). However it is not recorded from adjoining states of Gujarat state like Maharashtra (Cook, 1967; Deshpande et. al., 1993; Kamble & Pradhan, 1998), Rajasthan (Shetty & Singh, 1987) as well as from Gujarat state (Shah, 1978). However its presence is recorded during ethnobotanical study of Shoolpaneshwar WLS, of Gujarat, forms a new record for Gujarat state. The specimen was collected from Sagai range, compartment no. 296 and its voucher specimen (ASK-260) was deposited in deposited in the G. L. Shah Herbarium of Sardar Patel University. It’s also found in other compartments of Sagai range namely compartment no. 310 and 298 of Shoolpaneshwar WLS having ecological parameters like 0.011 Density (per sq. m); 9.667 Abundance (per sq. m); 0.111 Frequency; 0.651 IVI. The tribal’s of the study area used this plant in curing fits. About 2-3 whole plants are crushed with water (ratio of plant and water should be 1:2) and extract is administered, only once, in fits. Khanna and Kumar (2009) report the use of whole plant in insanity. Whereas Pullaiah (2006) mentioned that a decoction of herb is used against fever. Leaves and roots are given in insomnia.

CONCLUSION: On scrutiny of literature, it is revealed that this species is recorded from parts of Himalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. Whereas it is not recorded from Maharashtra, Rajasthan adjoining states of Gujarat as well as from Gujarat. But its presence is recorded during ethnobotanical study of Shoolpaneshwar WLS of Gujarat, forms a new record for Gujarat.

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Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Authors are grateful to GEER (Gujarat Ecological and Education Research) FOUNDATION, Gandhinagar for providing financial support for conducting field visits to Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary area.

REFERENCES:

Cooke, T. 1967 (Reprint.). Flora of the Presidency of Bombay, Vol. I-III. Botanical Survey of India, Howrah.

Deshpande S., Sharma B. D. & Nayar M. P. 1993. Flora of Mahableshwar & Adjoining , Maharastra. Vol.2. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

Hooker J. D. 1999. Flora of British India. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Reinwardt%27s%20Tree%20Plant.html.

Kamble S. Y. & Pradhan S. G. 1998. Flora of Akola District, Maharashtra. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

Khanna, K. K. and Kumar, A. 2009. Noteworthy Ethnomedicinal uses of plants from the tribal of Betul district, Madhya Pradesh. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany Vol. 33(4): 933-939.

Pullaiah T. & Chennaiah, E. 1997. Flora of Andhra Pradesh. Vol. I. Scientific Publisher, Jodhpur, India.

Pullaiah, T. 2006. Encyclopaedia of World medicinal plants. Vol. I-V. Regency publication, New Delhi, India.

Shah G. L. 1978. Flora of Gujarat. Sardar Patel University. Vallabh Vidhyanagar.

Shetty B. V. & Singh V. 1987. Flora of Rajasthan. Vol. I. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

Verma D. M., Balkrishnan W. P., Dixit R. D. 1993. Flora of Madhya Pradesh. Vol I. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.

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Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online)

TABLE:-1

Characters Biophytum reinwardtii Biophytum sensitivum Plant Non-Sensitive Sensitive Height 10 cm 8 cm Leaflets 7-20 pairs 6-15 pairs Sepals Hardly exceeding the capsule Exceeding the capsule Pedicels Equaling or exceeding the flower Smaller than flower Flower arrangement In Pseudoumbellate In umbel Flowers Yellow with red streak Yellow Capsule 0.3 cm 0.5 cm

Figure 1: Biophytum reinwardtii (Oxalidaceae)

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