CHROMOSOME NUMBERS IN INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS--II

BY R. SUNDARA RAGHAVAN AND C. M. ARORA (Central Botanical Laboratory, Allahabad)

Received January 6, 1958

(Communicated by Dr. E. K. Janaki Ammal, F.A.SC.)

THE materials for this paper were obtained from the collection of medicinal plants grown at the Central Botanical Laboratory. These include plants from the States of Madras and Kerala collected by the Director and from Bombay by Dr. R. P. Patil, Botanist, as well as from the local Flora around Lucknow collected by us. As dealt in the first communication of the series of chromosome numbers (Sundara Raghavan, 1957) the aim of the investi- gation is to get a correct genetical picture of the medicinal plants of India which have so far received little attention from cytologists.

The observations on these plants have been made both from pollen mother cells and root tips. Buds were fixed in acetic alcohol and stained with acetocarmine; in a few cases, staining with propionocarmine following the pl:ocedure outlined by Swaminathan et al. (1954) gave better results. Somatic squashes from the root tips of Naravelia zeylanica D.C. and leaf tips of Clematis gouriana Roxb. were made and stained with Feulgen follow- ing the normal schedule (Darlington and LaCour, 1947); the rest of the observations were from root tips fixed in chromo acetic-formalin, sectioned at 12t~ and stained in crystal violet. Camera lucida drawings were made and the appropriate magnification is given at the end of each drawing.

In all 31 species were examined covering 24 genera of which the follow- ing 6 genera, namely, Naravelia, Kedrostis, Caralluma, Biophytum, Ceriops and Avicennia have been examined for the first time. As far as we know the chromosome numbers of the 15 species marked (*) have not been reported before this. In the case of 5 species marked (t) our observations differ from previous findings while in the remaining 11 plants the chromosome numbers are the same as reported by previous research workers (vide Darling- ton and Wylie, 1955).

Of the species belonging to genera not examined before this, Naravelia zeylanica D.C. collected from Kerala is a climber and like Clematis gouriana 352

Chromosome Numbers in Indian Medicinal Plants--II 353

1 ~ x 1 2 0 0

4 ' .~4 S

\ /

x2400

×1200

TEx'r-Ftos. I-6. Fig. 1. Somatic metaphasc of Clematis gouriana showing 2 n = 16 chromo- somes, × 1,200. Fig. 2. Somatic metaphase of Naravelia zeylanica showing 2 n = 16 chromo- somcs, ×1,200. Fig. 3. Nympt~eastellatavar. versicolor (MI; n =42), ×2,400. Fig. 4. Nym- pl~ea lotus(MI; n = 4 2 ) , ×2,400. Fig. 5. Reinwardtia trigyna (Diakinesis showing n = 11), Xl,800. Fig. 6. Biophytum sensitivum (MII; n = 9 ) , xl,800.

354 R. SU~ARA RAGHAVAN AND C. M. ARORA

x 2 8 0 0 7

• - . / ~t I "-,j?J r j r . . '~'V"

10~ " ~ a ~

% t- a . , ~

C. t./... ' 1 4 0 ×2800 1

,Ih l

16 17 (< ¢, oo 18\ ( l xRSO0

TExT-FIGS. 7-18. Fig. 7. Kedrostis rostrata (Late MI ; n = 13), ×2,800. Fig. 8. Eeriops candolleana ( M I I ; n = 18), ×1,800. Fig. 9. Sterculia urens ( M I ; n = 20), ×1,500. Fig. I0. Somatic metaphase of Phyllanthus urinaria showlng 2 n = 52 chromosomes, ×2,800. Fig. 11. Crotalaria medicaginea var. luxurians (MI I ; n = 8), ×1,800. Fig. 12. Pongamia pinnata (Diakinesis showing n = 11), ×2,100. Fig. 13. Clausena willdenowii (Diakinesis show- ing n = 18), x2,400. Fig. 14. Somatic metaphase of Caralluma attenuata showing 2 n ---- 22 chromosomes, ×2,800. Fig. 15. Mussmnda luteola ( M I I ; n = 11), ×2,400. Fig. 16. Avieen- nia alba(MI; n = 33), × 1,800. Fig. 17. Somatic metaphase of Cymbopogonjwaraneusa show- ing 2n = 20 chromosomes x2,800. Fig. 18. Somatic metaphase of Cymbopogon martini vat. Safea showing 2 n = 20 chromosomes, x2,800.

Chromosome Numbers in Indian Medicinal Plants--lI 355

Roxb. is a diploid with 2 n---- 16. These two members of Ranunculace~e examined during the present studies both have x = 8 which is a very common basic number in this family.

Kedrostis rostrata (Rottl.) Cogn., used as a specific for asthma, was collected from Kurdimalai, Coimbatore, by the senior author and is distinctly South Indian in its distribution. It has the basic number x : 13 which is found only in two other genera of the family Cucurbitace~e namely Cucur- bitella (Covas and Schnack, 1946) and Luffa (McCay, 1930).

Caralluma attenuata Wight. a plant of medicinal value is also edible and is used as a vegetable in the South by Tribals.

Biophytum sensitivum (L.) D.C., a plant extensively used in indigenous medicine has the basic number x = 9.

Both Ceriops candolleana Am. and Avicennia alba Blume, are mangrove plants collected from Bombay by Dr. R. P. Patil. They are rich in tannin, the bark being of medicinal value. The decoction from the shoots of Ceriops candolleana Am. is reported to be used as a substitute for quinine on the African Coast.

Of the new species examined, Sterculia urens Roxb. is a diploid like all the other species of the genus Sterculia reported so far (Darlington and Wylie, 1955). Phyllanthus urinaria L. (4 x) collected from Madras State is used as a fish poison and has alkaloid principles of medicinal value. The somatic number 2 n = 52 reveals the existence of polyploidy in the genus as P. niruri L. was found to have 2 n = 26 (Sundara Raghavan, 1957). Polygonum glabrum Willd. (n = 33) a common plant found in semi-aquatic wet places is a hexaploid like P. amphibium (Jaretzky, 1928) with the basic number x = 11.

The genus Sida is known in India from ancient times for its medicinal properties that are useful in the treatment of the disorders of the nervous system. Skovsted (1941) has observed both diploid and tetraploid forms in Sida acuta Burm. (2 n = 14 and 28) and in Sida rhombifolia L. (2 n = 14 and 28). Of the 2 species examined from Lucknow during the course of the present investigation Sida acuta Burro. was found to be a diploid whereas Sida rhombifolia L. was a tetraploid.

The diploid number of Reinwardtia trigyna Planch. has been reported by Kishore (1951) as 2 n = 20 but our observations differ from this. We find n ----- 11 in the plants examined at Lucknow. In the case of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Merr., Atchinson (1951) has recorded 2 n = 20 and Patel and Narayana (1937) 2 n = 22 for the species. Our findings agree with that of the latter authors.

356 R. SUNDARA RAGHAVAN AND C. M. ARORA

During the course of the present studies, two species of Nymphcea, Le., N. stellata and N. lotus have been examined, both of which are used medi- cinally. They were collected from Chinhat Lake near Lucknow and both show 2 n = 84 clearly indicating their hexploid nature. Langlet and Soder- berg (1927) have previously observed only the diploid form of N. stellata and tetraploid form of N. lotus.

The genus Cymbopogon grown extensively for its essential oil found in its leaves is interesting in that it shows a fine range of polyploidy with the basic number x = 10. Of the 5 species investigated by us, 4 species are diploids while Cymbopogon confertilflorus Stapf. is a hexaploid (2 n = 60). Babu (1936) has reported the somatic number of C. martini as 2n = 40 (4 x) but for the first time the diploid form in this species has been recorded by us in the variety Sofea from Coimbatore.

The following is the list of chromosome numbers studied:

Family and Name Vernacular Names Numbers Chromosome

Rananculacece *Clematis gouriana Roxb.

*Naravelia zeylanica D.C. .. Nymphceacete

~fNymphcea stellata Willd. var. versicolor

~Nymphcea lotus L . . . . . Capparidaceee

Cratceva nurvala Bucb. Ham.

Polygonacece * Polygonum glabrum Willd. ..

Chenopodia cece Chenopodium album L. .. Chenopodium ambrosoides L.

Linacete ~f Reinwardtia trigyna Planch. . .

Oxalidacece *Biophytum sensitivum (L.) D.C. Hindi : Lajalu

English : Indian Tra- vellers' Joy

Hindi : Moriel

Hindi : Nilkamal

Hindi : Ambal

Hindi : Barun

Hindi : Raktarohida Tamil : Atlaria

Hindi : Bethusag English : Mexican Tea

Hindi : Basant

2 n = 1 6

2 n = 1 6

2 n=84 (n=42)

2 n=84 (n=42)

2 n =26 (n = 13)

2 n=66 (n=33)

2 n = 1 8 (n=9) 2 n=32 (n=16)

2 n=22 ( n = l l )

2 n=18 (n=9)

Chromosome Numbers in Indian Medicinal P l a n t s - - I I 357

Family and Name Vernacular Names ' Chromosome Numbers

Cucurbitacete * Kedrostis rostrata (Rottl.)

Cogn. Rhizophoracete

* Ceriops candolleana Arn.

Sterculiaceav *Sterculia urens Roxb.

Malvace~ Sida acuta Burro. . . Sida rhombifolia L.

Euphorbiaceve *Euphorbia hirta L. . . * Phyllanthus urinaria L.

Tamil: Appaikovai

. . Tamil : Pandukutti

. . Hindi : Karai

° °

• J

Hindi : Bariara, Bala English: Sida Hemp Hindi: Swetbarela

O •

• °

Hindi : Dudhi Hindi : Hazarmani Tamil: Shivappunelli

Papilionaceae Crotalaria medicaginea Lam. Hindi : Gulabi

var. luxurians Butea monosperma K u n t z e . . . Hindi : Dhak, Palas

~fPongamia pinnata (Linn.) Merr. Hindi : Karanja English: Pangam

Rutacete *Clausena willdenowii Wight &

Arn.

Asclepiadacete *Caralluma attenuata W i g h t . . . Tamil : Bakri

Rubiacece *Mussaenda luteola Hochst. . .

Verbenacete *Avicennia alba Blume . .

Zingiberacete Curcuma amada Roxb. . .

Telugu: Gundumada

English : Mango Ginger Hindi: Amhaldi Hindi: Chandramula • Kternpferia galanga L. . .

2 n=26 (n=13)

2 n=36 (n=18)

2 n = 4 0 (n=20)

2 n =1 4 (n=7) 2 n=28 (n----14)

2 n =2 0 2 n=52

2 n=16 (n=8)

2 n=18 (n=9) 2 n =2 2 ( n = l l )

2 n=36 (n=18)

2 n =2 2

2 n=22 (n----ll)

2 n =ca 66 (n =ca 33)

2 n =42

2 n =5 4

358 R. SUrOARA RAGrIAVAr~ ANt) C. M. ARORA

Family and Name Vernacular Names Chromosome Number

GramineGe *Cymbopogon jwarancusa Schult. Hindi : Lamjak *Cymbopogon confertiflorus

Stapf. tC. martini Wats var. Sofea ..

C. nardus (Linn.) Rendl. ..

C. flexuosus Wats.

2 n : 2 0

Toda bomba 2 n=60 English: Ginger grass 2 n =20 English: Citronella 2 n=20

grass Tamil: Kamachipillu Hindi : Ganjni

English: Malabar 2 n=20 lemon grass

SUMMARY

The paper deals with the chromosome numbers of 31 species of medi- cinal plants collected from South India, Bombay and Uttar Pradesh. The chromosome numbers of 15 species are reported for the first time, 6 of them being now generic counts. previous observations.

Atchison, E. . . Babu, C .N. . . Covas, G. and Schnack, B. . . Darlington, C. D. and LaCour,

L . F . = and Wylie, A . P . ..

Jaretzky, R. .. KJshore, H. . . Langlet, O. F. J. and Stderberg,

E. McCay, J . W . .. Patel, J. S. and Narayana, G. V. Skovsted, A. . . Stmdara Raghavan, R. . . Swaminathan, M. S., Magoon,

M. L. and Mebxa, K. L.

In the case of five plants, our findings differ from

REFERENCES

Amer. J. Bot., 1951, 38, 538. Curr. Sci., 1936, 4, 739. Rev. argent. Agron., 1946, 14, 224. The Handling o f Chromosomes, London, 1947.

Chromosome Atlas o f Flowering Plants, 1955. Jb. Wiss. Bot., 1928, 69, 357. Indian J. Genet., 1951, 11, 217. Acta Hort. berg., 1927, 9, 85.

Bot. Gaz., 1930, 89, 416. Curr. SoL, 1937, 5, 479. C.R. Lab. Cads. S. PhysioL, 1941, 23, 195. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1957, 45, 294. Ind. J. Genet. and PI. Breed., 1954, 14, 87-88.

595-58 Printed st the Bangalore Press, Bangalore City, by C. Vasudeva Rao, Saperlntendent, and Published by The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.