Amaranthaceae herb id from Hooghly 12/10/12 sk

[surajit koley]

Sir,

Found this herb in a waste place.

Species : UNKNOWN

Habit & Habitat : wild herb, about 1 to 1.5 feet; leaves are significantly bigger at base

Date : 11/10/12, 3.10 p.m.

Place : Hooghly

Thank you & Regards,

surajit

[Vijayasankar]

Nice pictures of Achyranthes aspera.

 

Regards 

 

Vijayasankar Raman
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

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[surajit koley]

Good morning Vijayasankar Ji,

I have an earlier post of Achyranthes aspera L. at - https://groups.google.com/d/topic/indiantreepix/5Lmu-wGQCSI/discussion

The leaves of this species differ from those in the above post. Maybe different variety.

Thank you and Regards,

surajit

[Prabhu kumar KM]

Dear all,

Achyranthes aspera L., Sp. Pl. 204. 1753, var. aspera

Stem tomentose. Leaves 6-10 x 3-6 cm, broadly elliptic to obovate, apex abruptly acuminate, tomentose, nerves 6 pairs; petiole 5 mm long. Spike to 20 cm long, hispid; bracts 6 mm long, lanceolate, aristate; bracteoles entire, aristate. Flowers deflexed; tepals 7.5 x 2 mm, elliptic, acute, glabrous, equal; ovary truncate at apex. Achenes 3 mm long, ovoid, brown.

Habitat: Dry deciduous forests and forest plantations, also in the plains.

Distribution: Pantropical.

Achyranthes aspera L. var. porphyristachya (Wall. ex Moq.) Hook. f.

Straggling subshrubs. Leaves decussate, oblanceate, 3-6 by 2-3 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate, pubescent, chartaceous. Flowers in terminal and / or axillary spikes, bisexual; bracts and bracteoles spine-tipped; tepals 5, unequal, 1-3 nerved; stamens 5, connate, alternate with fimbriate staminodes; ovary superior, 1-locular, ovule 1, basal. Fruit a dehiscent utricle. Seed 1. 

Habitat: Moist deciduous forests

Distribution: Peninsular India and Sri Lanka

Achyranthes aspera L. var. pubescens (Miq.) Towns.

Erect herbs; stem glabrous. Leaves to 6 x 2.5 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at apex and base, pubescent above and below; petiole 5 mm long. Spike 5-10 cm long, hispid; bracts 2.5 mm long, lanceolate, aristate; bracteoles orbicular, emarginate at apex, cuspidate, cusp 3 mm long. Flowers many, perpendicular to the axis; outer tepals larger, 5 mm long, lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, inner smaller with revolute apex; staminal tube truncate, minutely ciliate or glabrous. Achenes 2 mm long, truncate, cuspidate, dark brown.

Habitat: Evergreen forests at high elevations

Distribution: India

Please compare.

Regards

--
Prabhu Kumar K M
Scientist 

Plant Systematics & Genetic Resources Division
Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR)

& 'CMPR' Herbarium

Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala
Kottakkal, Malappuram

E-mail: prabhum...@gmail.com

[ushadi Micromini]

Surajit:
your pic 2 is typical infloresence 11oct12_grlgch_DSCN3885.jpg
of APAAMARG of Ayurveda.

and P. Kumar has explaind the varietal differences...

usha di

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Sir,

Leaf apex and base are very confusing to me, and to FoC & FoP too!

A description of leaf apex of Achyranthes aspera L., Sp. Pl. 204. 1753, var. aspera - 

1. in FoC =  apex obtuse or mucronate
2. in FoP = obtuse or abruptly apiculate at the apex

An illustration in FoP tells me that my earlier upload (20th July, 2012) is Achyranthes aspera L., Sp. Pl. 204. 1753, var. aspera.

Dinesh Ji has a pic of Achyranthes aspera L. var. porphyristachya (Wall. ex Moq.) Hook. f. in flickr. - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/2897903559/

leaves of the same species - http://iscmumbai.maharashtra.gov.in/Fig%20800-814.htm

The leaves of my species seem to be different from the above. But at the same time my picture (11oct12_grlgch_DSCN3898.jpg) tells me that my species has decussate leaves, and may be with cuneate base.

Now, remains Achyranthes aspera L. var. pubescens (Miq.) Towns. - 

1. a herbarium = http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/SpecimenDetails.aspx?PlantID=1611
2. attaching more images taken today. Middle spike is much longer than 10 cm. I scaled two leaves of the plant, one at base and the other at middle of the stem. Leaves at the base region are much bigger than the keys you have provided in this thread.
3. Moreover, this plant comes from Gangetic plain, not from forests at high elevations.

So. i am not sure of the ID of this A. aspera.

Thank you very much.

Regards,

surajit

On Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 9:17 AM, Prabhu kumar KM <prabhum...@gmail.com> wrote:

[surajit koley]

Usha Di,

"Plant Groups" mentions this species as APANG in Bengali and APAMARGA in Sanskrit.

Thank you,

Regards,

surajit

[surajit koley]

Sir,

Today (13/10/12) i found another plant which i think is the same species. This one is not less than four feet high and may be called a sub shrub. Attaching new pictures.

Thank you & Regards,

surajit

[ushadi Micromini]

Yes
seems Aapaang likes to grow in the disturbed rocky/broken bricks kinda soil!!1

usha di
=

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Thank you Usha Di for the info on habitat of this plant.

I noticed a few more of this plant around my PARA. The plants here are not as big and sturdy as the third set of photographs in this post or thread. But, neither they are as small as what we usually see on roadside and waste place. I think - 

1. This variety does not form community, rather they are scattered here and there. More of an under-shrub than a herb.
2. They may grow big, like a shrub, if left undisturbed. Regular removal of roadside weeds and collection of fuel wood by not so privileged villagers bar them to grow more.
3. Unequal tepals, as can be seen in newly attached two pictures with this mail, suggests that it may be Achyranthes aspera L. var. porphyristachya (Wall. ex Moq.) Hook. f., conforming to the keys provided by Prabhu Sir.

Thank you and Regards,

surajit

[jmgarg1]

Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise please.

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

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[surajit koley]

Good morning Garg Sir....

Thank you very much,

Regards,

surajit