13 Sep-Oct-2015 Department of Forest, Environment & Climate
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Sep-Oct-2015 Issue No.-13 Department of Forest, Environment & Climate Change, Jharkhand www.jharenvis.nic.in i Preface ith the rise in human population the biotic pressure Won our forest and biodiversity has increased. So, there is need to integrate advances in forestry science and through these enhance, protect and conserve the biodiversity of the state in sustainable manner. This issue of the newsletter covers the relevance of edible plants in our life, the polyphenol content in moringa, oil contents of Pongamia seeds, breeding behavior of Leopard cat and other issues. I hope this edition will be useful to the students, scientist, foresters, scholars and others. In future editions many published by this centre. more useful / scientific articles /information / news will be Dinesh Kumar, IFS CF, Plantation Research and Evaluation -cum- Envis Coordinator, Jharkhand, Ranchi ii Contents 1 Editorial iv 2 Five common edible weeds in our backyards & surroundings 1-5 3 Variability in Polyphenol levels in Flowers of Moringa 5-8 4 The effect of row spacing on Peppermint production 8-10 5 Breeding of Leopard Cat in Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park 11-13 6 Determination of oil percentage in Pongamia pinnata seeds 14-16 7 Success story of production of ayurvedic ethics-Careya arborea Roxb. 16 8 Environmental Awareness Programme at Bero Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya 17 9 Trainees of Bernihat S.F.S, College Assam 18 Exposure visit of Range Forest Officer 10 Workshop On “Tranqullization Techniques, Capture & Restraints of Wild Animals”. 18 iii Editorial Dinesh Kumar IFS CF plantation research and Evaluation,Jharkhand,Ranchi Cum Envis coordinator Advisory Committee Jharkhand Ranchi Dr. M. Rajiuddin Pro vice chancellor Shri B. C. Nigam, IFS Ranchi University, Ranchi PCCF (Hoff) Ranchi, Jharkhand Dr. Sanjay Singh Shri K. P. Pandey, IFS Scientist E & head FPMB APCCF, Jharkhand, Ranchi Institute of Forest Productivity, Ranchi Dr. P. K. Mishra Reviewer Shri Pankaj Singh Associate Professor Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribag Institute of Forest Productivity, Ranchi Research officer, FPMB Dr. Bharti S. Raipat Head of Zoology Shri Satyaprakash St. Xavier college, Ranchi President Neo human foundation Hazaribag Dr. P. Bhawana Scientist HARP, Plandu, Ranchi iv Five common edible weeds in our backyards & surroundings LAL RATNAKAR SINGH, IFS CCF, Research, Jharkhand Abstract/Summary ree, shrubs & herbs are common in our backyards and surroundings. During a morning walk, we come across a lots of vegetation mostly weeds along the roadsides, drains and waste land. Most Tof us treat many such plants as noxious weeds. If we develop interest in identifying these wild tribal people. A walk with a naturalist shows us plethora of tasty and nutritious plants growing as weed plants, we find that some of them are not only common but most nutritive and popular vegetables of which are not only a source of nutrition but also have great medicinal value. in our surroundings. During rainy season, our surroundings and forest floor is full of such vegetables The most common 5 edible weeds of Jharkhand are following 1. Gandhari sag (Amaranthus viridis) t is the most common species of family Amaranthaceae and Iis almost cosmopolitan in its distribution. It is considered as a tasty food and is eaten in India it in ones surroundings growing asand weed. abroad. In everyOne canvillage easily market find of Jharkhand and even in some markets of towns, it is widely sold. A. viridis is an annual herb which grows from 6 to 50 cm height. It Amaranthus viridis (photograph taken from Ashok Nagar, Ranchi.) rounded, minutely mucronate, 1.25-1.75 mm long, not rupturing all year in subtropical and barely to clearly emarginate. or rupturing irregularly, surface tropicalpropagates climates. by seed It andis in flowers leaf in Flowers are green, monoecious, rough. Seed 1-1.25 mm, round, male and female intermixed, slightly compressed, dark brown September, and the seeds ripen in slender axillary to terminal to black with a paler thick border. fromApril. Aug It is to in October. flower Stemfrom isJuly erect to paniculate spikes 2-12 cm long or usually ascending, glabrous to and 2-5 mm wide, or in dense Leaves, leafy clusters are cooked pubescent, pubescent especially axillary clusters in the lower part upwards. Leaves glabrous or of the stem. Bracts deltoid- to . On a zero moisture basis, 100g as a spinach. It has a mild flavour. pubescent on the veins of the lanceolate-ovate, membraneous of leaves contains 283 calories, lower surface; petioles long (up with a short awn from the green 34.2g protein, 5.3g fat, 44.1g to 10 cm), leaf blade ovate to midrib. Perianth-segments 3, rhombic-oblong, 2-7 x 1.5-5.5 about 1.5 mm long. Stigmas 2-3. ash, 2243mg calcium, 500mg carbohydrate, 6.6g fibre, 16.4g cm, base tapered to blunt, tip Capsule more or less globose phosphorus, 27mg iron, 336mg 1 sodium, 2910mg potassium, be cooked whole, and becomes spinosus because the two 50mg vitamin A, 0.07mg very gelatinous like this, Due to species have different nutritional very small size, all the seeds are requirements [2]. A decoction of 11.8mg niacin and 790mg the entire plant is used to stop thiamine, 2.43mg riboflavin, ascorbic acid [1]. The seed and thus some of the seed pass contains 14 - 16% protein and rightdifficult through to crush the in thealimentary mouth [1]. The plant is emollient and dysentery and inflammation 4.7 - 7% fa [1]. Seed - cooked. canal without being assimilated. vermifuge [3]. The root juice Very small, about 1mm in diameter, but it is easy to harvest A. viridis can co-exist with the during urination. It is also taken and very nutritious. The seed can equally common Amaranthus tois treatused constipation to treat inflammation [4]. 2. Kanteli Chaulai (Amaranthus spinosus) t is called as spiny amaranth and is very similar to the IA.viridis except the spines. It is also an annual herb growing up to 60 cm. It is eaten raw or cooked as spinach removing the spines which are very sharp. The dried leaves contain (per 100g) 267 - 276 calories, 20 - 34.4% protein, 2 - 4.5% fat, 45 - 54% carbohydrate, 9.8 - 10.4% Amranthus spinosus (photograph taken from Garhkhatanga, Ranchi.) 5333mg calcium, 333 - 460mg phosphorus,fibre, 16.6 - 13.5 24% - 152.7mg ash, 1795 iron, - used to treat ulcerated mouths, 13 - 37mg sodium, 337 - 3528mg for later use [5]. The plant vaginal discharges, nosebleeds potassium, 27.9 - 40.8mg beta iscoming astringent, into flower diaphoretic,and dried and wounds [5, 6] The root is carotene equivalent, 0.06mg diuretic, emollient, febrifuge emmenagogue and galactogogue and galactogogue. The seed is [6]. A paste of the root is used in 8.6mg niacin and 503mg ascorbic used as a poultice for broken the treatment of menorrhagia, acidthiamine, [1]. 2.02mgSeed - riboflavin,cooked. Very7.7 - bones [1]. Plant is used gonorrhoea, eczema and colic [6, small, about 1mm in diameter, internally in the treatment of 4]. It helps to remove pus from but easy to harvest and are very internal bleeding, diarrhoea and boils [4]. The juice of the root nutritious. excessive menstruation [5]. It is used in Nepal to treat fevers, The plant can be used fresh or is also used in the treatment of urinary troubles, diarrhoea and it can also be harvested when snake bites [6]. Externally, it is dysentery [4]. 3. Salanti Sag rooting at the nodes, 10 to 100 long, ovate, scarious; perianth (Alternantha sessilis) cm long. Leaves are sessile, long, sepals ovate, acute, thin, obovate, occasionally linear- ovary obcordate, compressed, . sessilis is a perennial lanceolate, 1-15 cm long, 0.3-3 style very short, capitellate. herb with prostrate cm wide, and petioles are 1-5 Fruits are utricles 1.8–3 mm Aherbaceous, weak, mm long. Flowers in small, long and 1.3–2 mm wide. Seeds cylindrical stems with distinct axillary sessile spikes, 0.7-1.5 are lenticular 0.9–1.5 mm long nodes and internodes, often mm long. Bracteoles about 1 cm and 0.8–1 mm wide. 2 A.sessilis prefers places with constant or periodically high humidity, but may however tolerate extremely dry conditions. It often grows in mixed association with several other aquatic species. The plant spreads by seeds, which are wind-and water-dispersed, and by rooting at stem nodes. Seedlings appear in April, and fruits appear during August- October in the Northern Hemisphere. Leaves of A.sessilis is eaten as vegetable after cooking. It has Alternantha sessilis (photograph taken from Ashok Nagar, Ranchi.) medicinal value. The plant is blindness, to restore virility and stomach problems etc. Another used to cure hazy vision, night species A. philoxiroids is also eaten as vegetable. 4. Kena Sag (Commelina bengalensis) ommelina bengalensis is an annual herb. Commelina C bengalensis is often found on disturbed sites, forest edges, road sides, agricultural sites, and home gardens. Commelina bengalensis is a rainy season weed which requires moist soil conditions for establishment. Once established it has a high drought tolerance. Leaves are ovate to lanceolate, Commelina bengalensis (photograph taken from Ashok Nagar, Ranchi.) 2.5-7.5cm long, 1.5-4cm wide, with parallel veination, entire often found in clusters, funnel netted appearance [7]. leaf margins, and pubescence on shaped, fused by two sides, 10- top and bottom. The leaf sheath 20 mm long, 10-15 mm wide, on In India the leaves and stems is covered in red and sometimes peduncles 1-3.5 mm in length. of Commelina bengalensis white hairs at the apex which is are chopped and cooked as perfect, and chasmogamous vegetables and used as feed for for this species. Stems can be withAerial 3 petalsflowers 3-4 are mm staminate, long.