Arom & at al ic in P l ic a n d Nandini et al., Med Aromat Plants 2015, 4:4 t e s M Medicinal & Aromatic Plants DOI: 10.4172/2167-0412.1000209 ISSN: 2167-0412 Research Article Article OpenOpen Access Access Morphometric Analysis of Datura Plant to Understand Variation and Similarities among Four Major Species Nandini D1*, Ravikumar BS2 and Prasanna Rashmi KK3 1Research and Develeopment Centre, Bharatiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, India 2AVK College for Women, Hassan-573 201, India 3TDU, Jaraka Bande Kaval, Yelahanka, Bengaluru-560 064, India Abstract Datura, well known for its poisonous and hallucinogenic properties has great importance in pharmaceuticals. Seeds and leaves are used for treating various ailments. Four commonly occurring Datura species were considered for morphometric analyis to supplement precise variability in statistical terms to taxonomy. For each quantitatiave trait an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test is conducted to test whether the means of three or more groups are the same. Turkey-Kramer test of individual charecteristics provided support to species wise grouping that indicate significant differncences among populations. Among fifteen traits measured, at least 13 traits vary between any two species. Cluster analysis reveals that D. metel and D. innoxia has related origin, D. stramonium and D. ferox forms separate group. Keywords: Datura; Morphometric analysis; ANOVA; Cluster have small black seeds. However, due to similarity in appearance of analysis plants, seeds of all species generally get mixed up, when collecting from the wild. In some cases, seeds of another plant known as Argemone Introduction mexicana, which also goes by a similar common name ‘datturi’, and Datura, has been used as a narcotic, since time immemorial. Indians having similar seed characteristics, is also sold as ‘Datura’ [13]. In have long been familiar with intoxicating properties of this plant. Its addition, higher concentration of heavy metals were observed in the use in Ayurveda has been described by the father of Indian medicine- plant samples collected from roadsides in urban areas, which is not Shusrutha. The plant termed as ‘Shiva Priya’, ‘Maatula’ in Sanskrit has desirable for drug preparation [14]. In order to ensure suitable raw been reportedly used in folk remedies [1-3]. Seeds and leaves of Datura material for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, cultivation of are used for treating various ailments like asthma, rabies, insanity, appropriate species on farm lands, is essential. As a first step, through Parkinsons, leprosy, boils and many other skin related problems. morphometric analysis, this study attempts to identify the distingushing The plant contains hyoscyamine, atropine and northyoscyamine; its characteristics of the four major species of Datura. The results of which leaves also contains vitamin ‘C’, while seeds contain a fixed oil with a could further be used to identify the appropriate species for utilisation disagreeable odor and taste [4]. Certain varieties are also commercially in the drug industry through further phytochemical tests. cultivated for aesthetic and pharmaceutical purposes in South and Datura is a genus in the family Solanaceae. Shrubs or annual or North American countries [5]. perennial herbs; stem pubescent or course. Large leaves, entire or deeply toothed. Calyx long tubular, persistant. Large bugle shaped floweres, Around 12 to 13 species of Datura are identified across the white, cream or purple, solitory and errect with 5 to 10 lobes. Stamens world, viz., D.ceratocaula, D.candida, D.discolor, D.dolichocarpa, 5 attached near base, filaments filiform; anthers linear longitudinally D.kymatocarpa, D.leichhardtii, D.metel, D.ruburra, D.wrightii, dehising. Fruit ellipsoid spinescent 4 celled capsule, dehiscing regularly D.innoxia, D.stramonium and D.ferox. Regarding nomenclature, there (D. Stramonium and D. ferox) dehising irregularly (D.metel and D. are more than one synonymous for single species and certain names innoxia). Seeds many; compressed black or brown [9,10] Variations are unresolved (The plant list) [6]. Species of Datura occurs in almost within D. metel, like flower colour and multiple whorls, were not all parts of the world except in extreme cold regions [7], and so far, no treated separately for this study. studies have been undertaken to comprehend species-wise population distribution. Materials and Methods The word ‘Datura’ generally refers toDatura metel [1] any species Natural populations of D.metel, D.innoxia and D. ferox from in and belonging to the entire genus is referred to as Datura, since the word ‘Datur’ is derived from the Indian word for the seed capsule, ‘Dhatura’ [8]. Through review of literature available over the years [1,3,9-11] and *Corresponding author: Nandini D, Research and Develeopment Centre, their extensive field experience, the authors conclude that generally Bharatiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, India, Tel: +919739067051; E-mail: four species of Datura can be identified in India. While, D. metel is [email protected] considered as native to India, the rest were introduced and naturalized Received August 18, 2015; Accepted September 09, 2015; Published September [7]. Other species like D. stramonium, D. innoxia and D. ferox also go 14, 2015 by the name of ‘dathura’, and are collected for medicinal purposes. Citation: Nandini D, Ravikumar BS, Prasanna Rashmi KK (2015) Morphometric In India, this plant, which is used for medicinal purposes, are Analysis of Datura Plant to Understand Variation and Similarities among Four Major Species. Med Aromat Plants 4: 209. doi:10.4172/2167-0412.1000209 collected from road sides or open dumping yards [12]. It’s seeds are commonly used as raw material in pharmaceutical industry. Different Copyright: © 2015 Nandini D, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted species of Datura have different types of seeds; while D. metel and use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and D. innoxia have brown auricular seeds, D. stromanium, and D. ferox source are credited. Med Aromat Plants Volume 4 • Issue 4 • 1000209 ISSN: 2167-0412 MAP, an open access journal Citation: Nandini D, Ravikumar BS, Prasanna Rashmi KK (2015) Morphometric Analysis of Datura Plant to Understand Variation and Similarities among Four Major Species. Med Aromat Plants 4: 209. doi:10.4172/2167-0412.1000209 Page 2 of 3 around Bengaluru (12°.98’ N 77°. 58’E) were considered to measure using the means of the characteristics, using an online software [16]. morphological characters. Only D. stramonium was collected from Dendrograms help in grouping/identification of “clusters” of objects Male Mahadeshwara hills (12°1N 77°35’E), Chamarajnagar district, that are similar to each other. It provides a visual representation of south of Bengaluru, as stramonium is found only on these hills. the overall strength of a classification as well as the compactness and Since plants were available only in the wild and were not cultivated, isolation of individual classes. A similarity matrix is also provided from places across the locations where they were found in the wild were the analysis. A similarity matrix is constructed based on the ratio of the identified. Random sampling method was used to collect the plants for number of attributes two objects share in common compared to the observations. A total of one hundred well-grown and healthy plants for total list of attributes between them. Objects which have everything in each of the species were collected. Fifteen morphological characterisics common are identical, and have a similarity of 1.0. Objects which have were measured. Longest stems of the plants were considered to measure nothing in common have a similarity value of 0.0 [17]. its height. Leaves from these stems were selected for measuring length and breadth. Leaf length was measured considering the lowest base of Results and Discussion the leaf to the tip, and breadth was measured at the widest portion of Table 1 provides the characteristics of fifteen morphological traits the leaf. The same leaf was considered for measuring the petiole length of the four major species of Datura that have been considered for the which was measured as the length from branch to the lowest base of present study. The results of the test of differences in means using the leaf. Fully bloomed flowers were selected for measuring the floral ANOVA tests indicates that the species differ significantly with respect charecteristics. The pedicel length was measured from branch to the to most morphological characteristics, except for a few such as leaf base of the flower; length of the flower is from base of the flower to length, petiole length and seed weight. the tip of the corolla; corolla margin was measured using a string due Table 2 which provides the similarity matrix of the species, indicates to its sinuate feature. Length of the stamen was measured from the that D. metel and D. innoxia are more similar to each other, while D. base to the anther and gynecium from the base of the ovary to stigma. ferox was different from all the other species. This is also confirmed Matured fruits were considered for meauring fruit length, breadth, by the dendrogram produced in Figure 1. This is in confirmation spine length and weight. The number of spines were counted through with the identification of different forms of Datura as species. Further visual observation. The seeds were separated from fruits and weighed studies can be taken up to identify similarities and differences through [15]. The units of measuremens are given in Table 1. chemical and genetic analysis [18]. Statistical analyses was done using MS Excel. Descriptive statistics were generated, listing the mean and standard deviation for each Conclusion characteristic. For each quantitative characteristic, the analysis of The morphometric approach undertaken ascertains the differences variance (ANOVA) test was conducted to test the equality of means, in the morphological characteristics among the four species of Datura.