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N 12(3): 1573-1578, 2017 Save Nature to Survive www.thebioscan.com THE HOSTS, ANATOMY AND UTILIZATION OF THE COMMERCIALLY EXPLOITED PARASITIC HERB Balanophora fungosa var. INDICA IN THE WESTERN GHATS REGION OF KERALA, INDIA ASHISH ALEX* AND K. VIDYASAGARAN Department of Forest Management and Utilization, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur-680 656, Kerala e-mail: [email protected] KEYWORDS ABSTRACT Balanophora fungosa Balanophora fungosa var. indica is a dioecious holoparasitic herb found attached to the roots of higher plants. parasite The transect method was used to locate the parasite. In Silent valley it was seen in the tropical west coast wet hosts evergreen forest and west coast semi-evergreen forests. The major host in evergreen forest is Polyalthia fragrans and in semi-evergreen forest it is Agrostistachys longifolia. The spheroidal shaped pollen grains area ranged from anatomy 700-1200 micrometers, perimeter ranged 94-161 micrometers and mean length through major and minor axis Received on : were 32.32 micrometers and 30.44 micrometers respectively. The fresh tubers weighed on an average 0.5 kg and 31.03.2017 when 5 kg of fresh Balanophora fungosa was dried, 1kg of dried matter was obtained. The tuber consists of the parenchyma tissues, which are filled with dark brown coloured sticky resinous substance. The host root consists Accepted on : of the vacuolate parenchyma cells and phenolic compounds filled cells. The tribes of Attappady usually applied 20.05.2017 the paste of Balanophora fungosa on the swellings on their body and marketed it through the tribal cooperative society to the pharmaceutical companies. Unfortunately it is used as an adulterant, so further investigations are *Corresponding required to know more about its pharmacognostical characters. author INTRODUCTION material may be tapped, and for this they get clues from rural or tribal men (Hiremath et al., 2007). For skin diseases, Paliars The herbaceous vegetation is a vital component of the forests, apply the paste of whole plant over the infected part typically comprising the largest proportion of forest diversity (Ignacimuthu et al., 1996). Such documented information on (Jhariya and Oraon, 2012). Balanophora fungosa is a parasitic forest flora may serve as the potential sources which could be herb found attached to the roots of higher plants. It is a utilized for the benefit of the whole human society (Singh and commercial non-timber forest product, collected and marketed Kumar, 2012). to the pharmaceutical companies in the state. The genus Eventhough various studies have reported the occurrence of balanophoraceae consists of several species of fleshy herb this species in Kerala forests. None of them have mentioned parasites which are considered to be rare (Yadagiri et al .,1984). about the hosts associations, use and anatomy of this species. The genus Balanophora (15 species) inhabits the tropical and Since moisture is a must for the growth of the plant; it is expected sub-tropical belts of the world (Hansen, 1972). The distribution to be seen in evergreen forest. This article attempts to document of the plant species depends on many factors such as host plants, pollinators, dispersers and moisture (Rao et al., 2015). the habitat, host association, collection and utilization of This species is found in India, East Malaysia, Taiwan, the Pacific Balanophora fungosa var. indica in Kerala part of Western Islands and northeastern Australia (Hsiao et al., 2010). Ghats. Balanophora species are among the most unusual of all higher plants and are known to parasitize at least 74 species in 35 MATERIALS AND METHODS families (Mabberley, 1987). The color of plant ranges from pale yellow and brown through various hues of pink and red The study was conducted in the buffer zone of Silent Valley to deep purple, but no green due to lack of chlorophyll (Kim National Park. The transect method was used to locate the and Won, 2013).The male flowers are comprised of fused parasite. The methodology stated by Hansen (1972) was stamens (synandria) that usually produce white pollen followed to identify the host of the parasite. The habitat was (Barkman et al., 2003). Balanophora is listed under the App II identified based on the vegetation present. The pollen grains of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered were observed under microscope and measurements were Species of wild flora and fauna) and is prohibited for export taken using image analysis system.To known about the from India (Kipgen and Singh 2010). anatomy of rhizome, hand sections were taken . The sections Ethno botanists bring out suggestions as to which raw plant of the haustorial tissues were taken using rotary microtome. 1573 ASHISH ALEX AND K. VIDYASAGARAN These sections were analyzed under compound microscope. existence of this species. In Silent Valley National Park The tribal settlements were visited to know about the collection Balanophora fungosa var. indica the dioecious holoparasite method and utilization of Balanophora fungosa var. indica. herb is seen in tropical west coast wet evergreen forest and The marketing information about this species was collected west coast semi-evergreen forests. In evergreen forest the major from the Kurumba tribal cooperative society at Chindakki, host of the parasite is Polyalthia fragrans which belongs to the Attappady. family Annonaceae. In semi-evergreen forest the major host is Agrostistachys longifolia which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. Among the seven hosts (Table 1), majority of RESULTS AND DISCUSSION the host belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. In Kerala no Habitat and associated trees studies have reported the host species of the parasite. The In Kerala Balanophora fungosa is distributed in the evergreen host trees reported elsewhere includes Macaranga tanarius forests of Pathanamthitta, Malapuram, Kannur, Palakkad, and Diospyros philippensis (Mabberley, 1987). This species Trivandrum and Idukki districts (Sasidharan, 2004). The is distinctly dioeciously parasitizing the roots of Coffea Arabica, distribution of the plant species depends on many factors Elettaria cardamomum and Acacia decurrens (Shivamurthy such as host plants, pollinators, dispersers and moisture (Rao et al., 1981). This parasite was not found to be so specific to et al., 2015). The moisture is very much essential for the any particular host. The elongation capacity of the host root is Plate 1. Male inflorescence Plate 2: Female inflorescence Table 1: The host trees of Balanophora fungosa in Silent Valley National Park Sl.No. Type of forest Host Local name Family Habit 1 West Coast Wet Polyalthia fragrans Nedunar Annonaceae Tree Evergreen Forests Mallotus albus Vattakumbil Euphorbiaceae Tree (1A/C4) Buchanania axillaris Kozhivalan “ Tree 2 West Coast Semi- Agrostistachys longifolia Kulamavu Anacardiaceae Tree Evergreeen forests Macaranga peltata Vatta Euphorbiaceae Tree (2A/C2) Callicarpa tomentosa Cheruthekku Verbenaceae Tree Xanthophyllum arnottianum Mottal Xanthophyllaceae Tree Table 2: Morphometric parameters of pollen grains of Balanophora fungosa Sl.No. Area* Perimeter* Major Axis* Minor Axis* 1 779.26 94.31 31.03 26.89 2 895.92 109.65 30 28.27 3 907.28 109.65 33.44 28.62 4 1183.31 121.03 34.75 33.1 5 835.97 104.87 29.96 28.65 6 790.54 96.27 35.51 32.75 7 830.25 98.27 32.75 32.06 8 946.95 108.68 32.41 32.06 9 704.12 92.41 29.65 28.96 10 805.38 160.04 33.79 33.1 Mean 867.89 109.51 32.32 30.44 * All measurements in Micrometers 1574 THE HOSTS, ANATOMY AND UTILIZATION Plate 3: A White Pollen deposit on Male inflorescence Plate 4.Microscopic view of pollen grains(40x) Plate 6: Connection between host root and haustoria, dichotomous Plate 5:TS section of parenchyma cells in tuber with brown branching pattern of composite conducting strands coloured resinous substance (40X) lost through the infection of the parasite. small grains (<10 µm), 2) Small pollen grains (10-25 µm), 3) Reproduction in Balanophora Medium size pollens (25-50 µm), 4) Large pollens (50-100 µm), 5) Very large pollen grains (100-200 µm), 6) Gigantic The inflorescences are yellow to pinkish orange in colour, pollen grains (>200µm). The pollens of Balanophora fungosa visible only during the flowering season (during, December to comes under the class medium size pollens. The area of pollen February). The inflorescences (plate 1 and 2) emerge from grains comes in the range 700-1200 micrometers and warty tubers that are attached to their host plants. Pale yellow perimeter in the range 94 -161 micrometers. colored modified leaves are seen below the male and female inflorescence. The female flowers are one among the most Anatomical features reduced in the angiosperms with more than one million hair- Tuber like flowers estimated from a single inflorescence (Hansen, The Tubers are sub-spherical in shape and consist of 1972). The male flowers are comprised of fused stamens parenchyma cells (plate 5). There are many parenchyma cells (synandria) that usually produce white pollen (Barkman et al, that are filled with dark brown or black coloured sticky resinous 2003). The Pollen grains are too small and seen as white substance (Ekambaram and panje, 1935) called balanophorin powdery deposit on the male inflorescence (Plate 3 and 4). (Goeppert, 1841) which attains dark colour when stained. No The male inflorescence is completely covered with the pollen vascular tissue of the parasite was developed in the tuber as sacs. The sacs at the bottom got matured first and opened up long as it continues to be in the vegetative phase (Shivamurthy very quickly. The pollen grains are spheroidal in shape with et al., 1981). At the point of infection on the adventitious root length through major axis ranging from 29.5-35 micrometers of the host, the tuber of the parasite clusters around it. and through minor axis ranging from 26-34 micrometers (Table 2).