I J R B A T, Issue (VIII), Vol. III, Sept 2020: 35-41 e-ISSN 2347 – 517X A Double-Blind Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal Original Article INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCHES IN BIOSCIENCES, AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY © VMS RESEARCH FOUNDATION www.ijrbat.in DISTRIBUTION, TAXONOMY AND MEDICINAL IMPORTANCE OF AJUGA BRACTEOSA AND AJUGA PARVIFLORA : A COMPARATIVE STUDY Shabana Gulzar1, Afrozah Hassan1, Irshad A. Nawchoo1 1Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Corresponding author: [email protected] Revision :16.07.2020 & 19.8.2020 Communicated: 22.07.2020 Accepted: 21.08.2020 Published: 30.09.2020 ABSTRACT: The Kashmir Himalaya forms a part of the Great Himalayan Range located on the north- west of India, the state of Jammu and Kashmir lies between 32°17' to 36°26' N latitude and 73°26' to 80°30' E longitude. Kashmir Himalaya is rich in diversity of medicinal plants. The medicinal plants are used for the treatment of different diseases. However due to the anthropogenic pressure the diversity of medicinal plants is decreased. The genus Ajuga L. is distributed in subtropical and temperate regions from Kashmir to Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Malaysia, Western Himalayas, plains of Punjab and Upper Gangetic plains of India. It has worldwide distribution growing under wide variety of soil and climate, but more abundant in Mediterranean regions and in the hills. The present review of literature gives an overview of literature regarding the distribution, taxonomic description and medicinal importance of: Ajuga bracteosa Wall. ex Benth. and Ajuga parviflora Benth. Key words: - Ajuga, taxonomy, morphology, ethnomedicinal importance INTRODUCTION: The genus Ajuga L. is distributed in Lamiaceae is the seventh largest family of the subtropical and temperate regions from order Lamiales with cosmopolitan distribution Kashmir to Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, (Heywood et al., 2007; Yuan et al., 2010). It China, Malaysia, Western Himalayas, plains of comprising around 236 genera (Harley et al., Punjab and Upper Gangetic plains of India 2004) and 6900 (Heywood et al., 2007) to 7200 (Khare, 2007) at an altitude of 1300m. In species (Harley et al., 2004) worldwide. Coll India, it abounds in Western Himalaya at an and Tandron (2008) reported that the family altitude of 1300m (Chandel and Bagai, 2010). comprises of about 220 genera and almost It is found along roadsides, open slopes, and 4000 species. The large number of plants in rock cervices up to 1500m above mean sea this family reflects the intensification of level (Upadhyay et al., 2011). Most of the taxonomic and ethno-botanical research in plants belonging to genus Ajuga are native to this area (Merritt and Ley, 1992). Most plants Europe, Asia, and Africa, but also growing in of Lamiaceae are native to Europe, Asia, and Australia and North America (Flora of China, Africa, but also growing in Australia and North 1994). It has worldwide distribution growing America (Flora of China, 1994; Coll and under wide variety of soil and climate, but Tendron, 2008). About 60 genera with 980 more abundant in Mediterranean regions and species occur in Sub-Saharan African region in the hills. (Klopper et al., 2006). The genus Ajuga L. consists of about 40-50 30 Geographic Distribution species mostly distributed in the north Page I J R B A T, Issue (VIII), Vol. III, Sept 2020: 35-41 e-ISSN 2347 – 517X A Double-Blind Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal Original Article temperate zone of the World (Ali and Nasir, salient feature of the family. Lindley proposed 1990) from Europe to Asia and Australia the name “Lamiaceae” after the genus (Keng, 1969). The genus consists of about 301 Lamium. The International Code of Botanical species (Upadhyay et al., 2011). It is mostly Nomenclature (ICBN) in 1935 also approved distributed in the north temperate zone of the the name Lamiaceae as an alternative name to old world. It also occurs in South Africa and Labiatae. The family has traditionally been Australia. In flora of Turkey, the genus Ajuga considered closely related to Verbenaceae and is represented by 14 species and 27 sub- in the last revision of the family published in specific taxa ( Baytop, 1999). 2004 in which 236 genera were described and In Kashmir Himalaya only three species of provided with keys (Harley et al., 2004). genus Ajuga have been reported which include Lamiaceae has been divided into seven Ajuga bracteosa Wall. ex Benth., Ajuga subfamilies with ten genera not placed in any parviflora Benth. and Ajuga remota Wall. ex of the subfamilies. The unplaced genera Benth ( Stewart, 1972). A. bracteosa is included: Tectona, Callicarpa, distributed in sub-tropical and temperate Hymenopyramis, Petraeovitex, Peronema, regions from Kashmir to Bhutan, Pakistan, Garrettia, Cymaria, Acrymia, Holocheila, and Afghanistan, China and Malaysia. In Pakistan Ombrocharis. The subfamilies are it is found in northern hilly areas, where it is Symphorematoideae, Viticoideae, Ajugoideae, called as Kori booti (meaning, bitter herb) Prostantheroideae, Nepetoideae, owing to its bitter taste (Pal et al., 2011). It is Scutellariodeae, and Lamioideae. The found on grassy slopes of Afghanistan, India, subfamily Vitcodeae is probably not Myanmar and Nepal (e-flora of China). In monophyletic and Prostantheroideae and India, A. bracteosa has been reported from Nepetoideae are divided into tribes (Harley et Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, al., 2004; Gemma et al., 2009). West Bengal (Bandyopadhya et al., 2003) and The generic name Ajuga derives from the Himachal Pradesh (Sharma and Mishra, Greek meaning without a yoke in reference to 2009). a yoke–yellow to the lower lip of the corolla A. parviflora Benth has been found to grow in (Fernald, 1950). The plants belonging to this the temperate Kumaon region of the Indian genus are evergreen, clump-forming Himalaya at 1200 m to 1800 m elevations rhizomatous annual or perennial herbaceous (Beauchamp et al., 1996). Nawaz et al., (2000) flowering species. It can be distinguished from have reported A. parviflora in the hilly regions other genera of Lamiaceae by the combination of northern Pakistan. It is an annual or short of reticulately sculptured mericarps, which lived perennial herb that grows in temperate separate late in development producing a region, widely distributed in east Afghanistan, prominent areole at the point of attachment, Himalaya, Kashmir and Pakistan; it flowers and a persistent corolla base, which often between March and October (Rahman et al., leaves a sheath around the mature mericarps 2013). It is a small herb, which grows wild in (Harley et al., 2004). According to Isriaili and the temperate regions of Himalaya (Joshi et Lyossi (2009) the Ajuga plants grow upto 5- al., 2014). 50cm tall, with opposite leaves. The flowers are Taxonomy and Morphology two lipped and tubular, mostly blue, purple or The term Labiatae was coined by De Jussieu yellow in colour. 31 in 1789, which originates from the Latin word Ajuga bracteosa is perennial, erect or Labium (lip), referring to the billiped corolla, a ascending hairy herb, often prostrate with Page I J R B A T, Issue (VIII), Vol. III, Sept 2020: 35-41 e-ISSN 2347 – 517X A Double-Blind Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal Original Article oblanceolate or sub-spathulate leaves. Stems parviflora is unusually densely villous in are branched from base, 10–30 cm tall, gray comparison with other species (www eflora of villous or lanate-villous especially on young china). parts. Basal petioles 1–1.5 cm; basal leaf blade spatulate to oblanceolate, stem blades sessile or subsessile, obovate to subcircular, pilose or RESULT AND DISCUSSION: strigose, base cuneate-decurrent, margin Medicinal plants have been used for centuries inconspicuously to irregularly undulate- in traditional health care systems and thus crenate, ciliate, apex obtuse to subrounded. contribute significantly to human health. With Basal verticillasters widely spaced, apical the recent advancements in plant sciences, verticillasters in dense spikes; basal floral there has been a tremendous increase in the leaves densely lanate-villous, incised, ciliate. use of plant based health products in Calyx campanulate, villous especially on teeth; developing as well as developed countries. teeth subulate- triangular, regular, 1/2 or However India is not able to keep pace with more as long as calyx, apically acute, margin other nations having equally rich biodiversity villous-ciliate. Corolla purple or purplish with and traditional knowledge systems. This is dark purple spots, tubular, slightly exserted, evident by a planning commission report, puberulent, yellowish glandular, villous which has projected that India has less than annulate inside; upper lip straight, apex 2% global herbal market, whereas China with emarginate; middle lobe of lower lip obcordate, similar biodiversity and ecological conditions lateral lobes oblong. Nutlets oblong to oblong- has 25 % share. The cause for this has been obovoid, adaxially swollen at middle, areole to identified as the lack of scientific data on 2/3 or more as long as adaxial side of nutlet Indian herbs (Tripathi et al., 2009). Hence, (flora of china). Flowers are white or purplish- India needs to augment its research in herbal violet tinged from lower surface in distant, medicine by encouraging the scientific force at axillary whorls in spike .It usually flowers both research and educational institutions. between March to December (Pal et al., 2011). Due to the immense medicinal importance, Ajuga parviflora is an annual or short lived Ajuga bracteosa and Ajuga parviflora are perennial herb (Nawaz et al., 1999). It is an extracted by the locals for various annual or short-lived perennial herb with ethnomedicinal uses which leads to decline of stems spreading or ascending, 10-25 cm, Ajuga bracteosa hence the species became usually unbranched, with a sparse to dense critically endangered (Ahmad et al., 2012). The glandular indumentum of long villous present review is an attempt to highlight the multicellular hairs.