Notes on Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook.-an endangered less known fern-ally from Arunachal Pradesh in NE India

Abstract

Among the primitive vascular plants, Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. (Ophioglossaceae) is an endangered species which is found growing in the Botanic Garden of Rajiv Gandhi University. This beautiful fern-ally has many medicinal properties and are used by the local people of Arunachal Pradesh. Present study reveals that the species is lesser known from Arunachal Pradesh which is also a new record from the study area. The beautiful spike it produces has fetched the name 'flowering fern' for the species.

Full text

Pleione 11(1): 25 - 28. 2017. ISSN: 0973-9467
© East Himalayan Society for Sper ma top hyte Taxono my
[Received 09.01.2017; Revised 29.05.2017; Accepted 10.06.2017; Published 30.06.2017]
Notes on Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. - an endangered
less known fern-ally from Arunachal Pradesh in NE India
Pankaj Bharali2,3, Sarujini Nikhangju1, Hui Tag1, Arup Kumar Das1
and Mohan Chandra Kalita2
1Department of Botany, Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, Doimukh – 791112, Arunachal Pradesh, India
2Department of Biotechnology, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781014, Assam, India
3Corresponding author: E-mail: pankajbharali98@gmail.com
Abstract
Among the primitive vascular plants, Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. (Ophioglossaceae)
is an endangered species which is found growing in the Botanic Garden of Rajiv Gandhi University.
This beautiful fern-ally has many medicinal properties and are used by the local people of
Arunachal Pradesh. Present study reveals that the species is lesser known from Arunachal
Pradesh which is also a new record from the study area. The beautiful spike it produces has
fetched the name ‘flowering fern’ for the species.
Key words: Helminthostachys zeylanica, Fern-ally, Edible spike, Nyishi medicine.
INTRODUCTION
Arunachal Pradesh is the homeland not only for the wide diversity of angiosperms; its
flora is also rich in fern and fern-allies (Ghosh et al. 2004; Singh & Panigrahi 2005).
The region is also designated as the cradle of flowering plants by Takhtajan (1969) and
comes under the IUCN-recognized Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot (Meyers 1990;
Mittermeier et al. 2005). More than 1000 species of fern and fern allies were recorded
from India belonging to 67 families, 191 genera; including 473 endemic species (Dixit &
Vohra 1984). According to Chandra (2000), approximately 1100 species were recorded
from India belongs to 144 genera and among those 235 species are endemic. Arunachal
Pradesh is considered as botanical paradise having 4,485 species of angiosperm, 44
taxa of gymnosperms, ca 350 species of bryophytes, over 550 species pteridophytes,
over 300 species of algae and over 5,350 species of fungi (including ca 350 species of
lichen) (Srivastava 2007). Socially, it is the home of 28 major and 110 sub-tribes most of
whom are forest dwellers (Tag et al. 2005). The state of Arunachal Pradesh is largest
among the northeastern states, covering an area of 83,743 km and is endowed by nature
with rich and magnificent biodiversity.
As the second largest grou p of vascular plants, man y pte ridophytes have
ethnomedicinal properties and are distributed all over the world (Benniamin 2009).
Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook., commonly called “kamraj” (in English; Source:
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), NCBI Taxonomy) is the monotypic
genus belongs to the primitive Ophioglossaceae of the order Ophioglossales. H. zeylanica
is one endangered pteridophyte which has lots of uses as vegetable and as medicine. It
is distributed throughout India, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Japan, Malay Peninsula,

Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, New Guinea and Australia (Sundari et al. 2012) and
is always growing in partially shady and moist humus rich locations.
Study area
The investigated sample was recorded from the Botanical Garden of Rajiv Gandhi
University at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, where H. zeylanica is growing naturally in
the damp location with other pteridophytes like Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br.
and Selaginella species. The RGU botanical garden is also the natural home for many
other important species like Amentotaxus assamica D.K. Ferguson, Gnetum gnemon
L. and G. montanum Markgr., Cephalotaxus manni Hook.f, Podocarpus neriifolius
D.Don and other fern species like Tree ferns Cyathea gigantea (Wall. ex Hook.)
Holttum, Cyathea spinulosa Wall. ex Hook., Phlebodium aureum (L.) J.Sm. (Golden
fern), Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link. (Silver fern), Equisetum diffusum D.
Don (Horsetail fern), Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br. Creeping fern, Lycopodium
clavatum L. (Club moss), etc. In this garden more than four species of bamboos, 4
species of figs, 4 species of Cinnamomum, 4 species of Terminalia, at least 50 species
of Orchids etc. are growing naturally [Any Reference???]. From this point of view
the RGU Botanic garden can be a paradise for future botanists.
PLATE - I: Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook.: A. Mature plant with young
spike; B. A plant with mature spike; C. Spores
C
B
A
26 Notes on Helminthostachys zeylanica

Helminthostachys zeylanica (L.) Hook., Gen. Fil. t.47b. 1842; Beddome, Ferns S. India
t.69. 1863; et Handb. Ferns Brit. India 467, t.292. 1883; Clarke in Trans. Linn. Soc. II Bot.
1: 587. 1880; Baishya & Rao. Ferns & Fern-allies Meghalaya 32, t.10 1982; Osmunda
zeylanica L., Sp. Pl. 2: 1063. 1753. [PLATE - I]
Erect herb, 45 to 60 cm high; rhizomes slender creeping; roots fleshy; stem glabrous. Leaves
sterile, whorled at the tip of trophophore and below the spike. Both trophophore and sporophore
arise from a common petiole. The common stalk up to 40 cm long covered with membranous
sheath at base. Sterile leaves palmatifid to palmate, 5-11 sub sessile leaflets are horizontally
arranged on the stem, oblong-lanceolate, crenulate, obtuse to finely acute, base cuneate;
midrib prominent. Spike solitary, arising from the base of the peduncle, green when young,
turns brown to purplish brown on maturity, 10 – 13 cm long; sporangia arranged on the stem
of fertile spike like frond, green when young but turns brown when mature. Spores globose
and dark brown, exine verrucoid.
The branching spike of H. zeylanica is also reported which may be due to the
environmental factors or the geographical location (Sundari et al. 2012). The spike looks
like a flower, therefore, H. zeylanica is also known as Flowering fern. Sporulation was
recorded during June – August.
Habitat: Grows in damp shade places along submarshy habitats; distributed in tropical
wastelands.
Ethnobotanical Uses: The tender leaves of H. zeylanica is cooked or boiled and eaten as
green vegetable by the local people of Doimukh area of Arunachal Pradesh. The rhizome is
used in the treatment of various diseases like dysentery, catarrh, sciatica, malaria etc.
(Ambasta 1986; Jain 1991). The fronds have some other properties like an aperients, intoxicant,
anodyne (Chopra et al. 1956); also used in sciatica, as an antiviral, antipyretic, anti-
inflammatory and intoxicant (Dixit & Vohra 1984). Among the Nyishi people of Arunachal
Pradesh the rhizome is also popular as a pain killer and sometimes it is used also in snakebite.
The tonic made from the rhizome or the dry rhizome powder is also used for spermatorrhoea
and for improving memory power (Singh 1999). Certain communities in the Siang and Lohit
valleys use the plant as pot herb (Das 1984).
Threats and Conservation: Basically most of the pteridophytes are geographically as
well as environmentally specific. The abundance of these plants are mostly dependent on
the area’s soil type, humidity, temperature, etc. It is necessary to conserve these species in
their particular natural habitat. The habitat of H. zeylanicain in Arunachal Pradesh as well
as in the botanical Garden is basically destroyed by the grazing of the Mithun as well as
rampant deforestation. Over exploitations is also one of the basic reasons of habitat lost. The
germination of the spore of the species is very poor (www.natureherbs.org). H. zeylanica is
very specific to the habitat conditions, and therefore climate change may force the species
become extinct. So, immediate attention for the conservation of this endangered species
with the help of biotechnology as well as using different ex situ methods.
Acknowledgments
Authors are thankful to the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, New Delhi
for providing financial and logistic supports.
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28 Notes on Helminthostachys zeylanica