efloraindia: 070911 BRS17

[Rathinasabapathy Bhuvaragasamy]

Request for indentification of the plants attached herewith.

 

Date: 05.09.2011

Location: Anaikatti

Habit: Herb

Habitat: Garden

Alt: 630 MSL

Mostly found along rock crevices of coconut garden.

Thanking you.

 
B. Rathinasabapathy
Project Co-ordinator
Nilgiri Biosphere Nature Park
1388, Avinashi Road
Peelamedu
Coimbatore-641004

[Prabhu kumar KM]

 

It is

Hemionitis arifolia  (Burn. f.) T. Moore 

 Syn:

 Asplenium arifolium,

Gymnogramma arifolia,

Gymnogramma sagittata,

Hemionitis cordata,
Hemionitis cordifolia,

Hemionitis sagittata,

Hemionitis toxotis

Identified to science in 1859, Hemionitis arifolia is an attractive and unusual dwarf fern primarily from Laos, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and possibly China, Taiwan and other nations in tropical Southeast Asia.  The fern is both an epiphyte (ep-a-FIT) and grows on trees as well as a terrestrial plant. 

In Asian folklore Hermionitis arifolia is used to treat diabetes  The fern has been medically evaluated for its hypoglycemic and anti-diabetic properties in rats.  Some of the extracts found in Hemionitis arifolia were actually found to lower the levels of blood glucose in sugar fed rats but only a small amount of the hypoglycemic activity in overnight fasted non-diabetic rats was seen.  It is unknown if there is a possible human use for the fern's extracts. 

In our magnified photograph you can observe this attractive fern has dark green cordate (heart shaped) fronds which grow on blackish stems with fronds that reach 5 to 7.5cm (2" to 3") in length.  The small dainty shade loving fern grows well in low light with high humidity.  Hemionitis arifolia also grows well as a terrarium plant or in a very shady area in an atrium.  The leathery heart-shaped fronds feature tall fertile frond leaves that spread above the fern's foliage.   Hemionitis arifolia is hardy in Zone 10 or higher and It can be grown in the lower portions of Florida outdoors.  Otherwise it must be grown indoors in a terrarium or in a greenhouse.  The fern reaches 15 to 20cm (6" to 8") in height.  This plant has numerous synonyms (same plant, other names) so you may find it available under a variety of names. 

--
Prabhu Kumar K M
Scientist 

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

& 'CMPR' Herbarium

Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala
Kottakkal, Malappuram

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

[Balkar Arya]

Thanks Prabhu Ji for so much details

--
Regards

Dr Balkar Singh
Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology
Arya P G College, Panipat
Haryana-132103
09416262964

[A. Daman]

I am a silent reader of this group but am compelled to note that the text in Mr Prabhu Kumar's email has been copied from this webpage :

 

http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Hemionitis%20arifolia%20pc.html

 

No mention of the source in his post.

Aggie

[Giby Kuriakose]

Dear Prabhu,

The information provided by you are very useful. Thank you for the same. Such detailed information on any species of plant is appreciable and this would certainly help people who learn a new species.

   

As Aggie Ji pointed out in his mail, it is apparent that the message provided by you is from the webpage mentioned therein. We generally depend many sites or web pages for information and getting valid information from internet sometimes is very difficult. It would be good to mention the link or source of the information you have got it from. So that we can make sure that we are not violating any copy right rules, if any. Further, this would certainly help others to follow through and go for gathering more information, if needed. 

Thanks and  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 (Mobile)
visit my pictures @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/giby

[Rathinasabapathy Bhuvaragasamy]

Thanks for yr. help in identification of the fern sp.

On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 4:49 PM, Prabhu kumar KM <prabhum...@gmail.com> wrote:

--

B. Rathinasabapathy
Project Co-ordinator
Nilgiri Biosphere Nature Park
1388, Avinashi Road
Peelamedu
Coimbatore-641004