Dendrophthoe falcata from Canopy of KMTR_GK_21-04-2012

[Giby Kuriakose]

Dear all,

Please find attached herewith the different form of Dendrophthoe falcata from the canopy of evergreen forests of KMTR, Tamil Nadu. This species prefer to grow only on top of the canopy of Palaquim ellipticum and Ormosia travancorica.  The height varies from 8-23m and we had to climb the host trees to do pollination experiments and visitation observation. 

It was a very unique and nice experience to climb on top of the canopy through single rope and stay there day long!

Regards

Giby

--
GIBY KURIAKOSE PhD
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave,
Jakkur Post, Srirampura
Bangalore- 560064
India
Phone - +91 9448714856 +919947109987 (Mobile)
visit my pictures @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/giby

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Thanks Giby ji. 

Forwarding three video links showing that how our Traditional Healers collect it from Mahua.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdrjBem0c4U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzOgTSC3hFs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXPTDKbxoWA

regards

Pankaj Oudhia

[Neil Soares]

Hi,  Some of my photographs of Dendrophthoe falcata. Please also check my previous mails on this.                  With regards,                    Neil Soares. --- On Sat, 4/21/12, Pankaj Oudhia <pankaj...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Thanks Neil ji. It seems that yours is D.falcata var. falcata and Giby ji's D.falcata var.coccinea. 

regards

Pankaj Oudhia

[Giby Kuriakose]

Dear Pankaj sir, 

According to Gamble, the plant that I studied was D. amplexifolia as the leaves shows amplexicaul nature. Later it has been merged with D.falcata 

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2760884 

That is why I treated that as D. falcata only. Further, 'the plant list says that there is no variety listed as accepted name for D.falcata and whatever varieties were recorded earlier has become synonyms to D.falcata. I am not trying to say that the plant list (as of now) is a final word in this matter. 

We have seen several forms of this species with difference in leaf shape and size and flower color. 

 

Thanks and Regards,

Giby

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Thanks for your reply. Visited the link mentioned by you. Please see their confidence level and Source WCSP (in review). Hence, it is not accepted so far. 

I read about var. falcata and var. coccinea from this link 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrophthoe_falcata

regards

Pankaj Oudhia 

[Giby Kuriakose]

Thank you for your reply. 

Yes I noted that and I think the red flowered Dendrophthoe might be the one that is seen in the picture in the given link. I haven't seen D. falcata with red with an yellow tip as we seen in my pictures that is why I mentioned a different form.

Again plant list consider D. coccinea as a different species though the confidence level is less and there is no D. falcata var. falcata in their list!

[Pankaj Oudhia]

Thanks for your reply.

Lets wait for comments of other members. 

On the basis of medicinal properties and uses the Healers talk about over 30 types of Dendrophthoe. 

regards

Pankaj Oudhia

[Vijayasankar]

Medicinal properties of D. falcata (or any other parasite for that matter) vary depend on the host plant, I assume.
Traditional healers in TN think that the one that grows on Neem tree has high medicinal value.  I have no idea about its actual use, though :(
I am sure Oudhia ji has a lot to say...

 

Regards 

 

Vijayasankar Raman
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

[Giby Kuriakose]

I too heard that tribals in Kearala prefer use Dendrophthoe spp. grow on Strychnos nux-vomica, which is rare at least in Kerala, as medicine.

Regards,

Giby