Endophytic fungal association in roots of exotic medicinal plants cultivated in the Nilgiris, Western Ghats, Peninsular India

Algunos microbios beneficiosos para el suelo ayudan en el establecimiento y crecimiento de plantas medicinales exóticas. Por lo tanto, evaluamos la presencia y el estado de la asociación de endófitos de raíces [hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (AM) y hongos endofíticos septados oscuros (DSE)] en diez especies de plantas medicinales exóticas cultivadas en Nilgiris de los Ghats occidentales. El alcance de las variables endófitas de hongos y las características del pelo de la raíz difirieron significativamente entre las plantas medicinales. Se identificaron seis morfotipos de esporas de hongos AM en las muestras de suelo. Por lo tanto, este estudio indicó la asociación de plantas medicinales exóticas con hongos nativos AM y DSE que podrían explotarse para promover el crecimiento y aumentar la producción de metabolitos secundarios en estas especies de plantas. Some soil beneficial microbes help in the establishment and growth of exotic medicinal plants. Therefore, we evaluated the presence and status of root endophyte [arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi] association in ten exotic medicinal plant species cultivated in the Nilgiris of the Western Ghats. The AM fungi colonized all the examined plant species and eight plants had the co-occurrence of DSE fungi. The extent of fungal endophyte variables and root hair characteristics significantly differed among the medicinal plants. Six AM fungal spore morphotypes were identified in the soil samples. Thus, this study indicated the association of exotic medicinal plants with native AM and DSE fungi which could be exploited to promote growth and increase secondary metabolite production in these plant species.

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations of plants colonizing coal mine spoil in India

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859697005091 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 130 (2) ◽

pp. 125-133 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

V. S. MEHROTRA

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Coal Mine ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Am Fungi ◽

Fungal Spore ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Mine Spoil ◽

Mycorrhizal Infection ◽

Spore Densities

A survey of soil and root samples collected beneath some pioneering plants colonizing reclaimed mine spoil at an opencast coal mine site at Chandrapur, Maharashtra State, India, was conducted in October 1994 to examine the possible host and edaphic influence on the occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Thirteen plant species were sampled to determine the mycorrhizal root colonization and the number of spores of individual AM fungal species in the rhizosphere.Typical AM fungal infection was observed in roots of all the plant species examined. Mycorrhizal infection ranged from 20 to 95%. Sampled soils contained six spore-forming species of AM fungi (Acaulospora scrobiculata, Entrophospora colombiana, Glomus aggregatum, Glomus ambisporum, Scutellospora calospora and a previously undescribed species of Glomus). Fungal spore densities were not related to the mycorrhizal infection levels. E. colombiana and G. ambisporum were the leading species in terms of spore densities and frequencies. Phenotypic variations in spores of AM fungi were possibly related to the physical and chemical properties of the mine spoil.It is concluded that the pioneering plant species on mine spoils can cause the development of different populations of AM fungi. The study also indicates that certain species of AM fungi have broad environmental requirements.

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PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MEDICINAL PLANT SPECIES, THALICTRUM JAVANICUM BLUME IN THOTTABETTA, NILGIRIS, THE WESTERN GHATS

Kongunadu Research Journal ◽

10.26524/krj68 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 56-62

Author(s):

Abinaya G ◽

Paulsamy S

Keyword(s):

Western Ghats ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Degree Of Dominance ◽

The Family ◽

Qualitative Characters ◽

The Nilgiris ◽

The Western Ghats ◽

Study Species ◽

Phytosociological Study

Phytosociological study is the most essential in any community to know its structure and organization. The various qualitative characters obtained are used to determine the level of distribution, numerical strength and degree of dominance exhibited by the constituent species in the community. Thalictrum javanicum belongs to the family Ranunculaceae family, it is medium sized erect herb, found in the temperate Himalayas from Kasmir to Sikkim in Khasi hills, and Kodaikanal and Nilgiri hills of Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. At global level, it is generally distributed in the hilly tracts of India, Srilanka, China and Java at the altitude of around 2400 m above msl. The present study was undertaken in Thottabetta , the Nilgiris by sampling using belt transects of 10x1000m size which further divided into 100 segments each which 10x10m size. The total number of species encountered in the study area is 45 which includes 5 grasses and 40 forbs. The quantitative ecological characters of the study species, T. javanicum is a detailed below: frequency 11%, abundance 3.82 individuals/m2, density 0.42 individuals/m2, basal cover 172.20/mm2/ m2, relative frequency 0.55% and relative density 0.08%, relative dominance 0.16%. Based on the ecological attributes it is determined that the species, T. javanicum is less perpetuated in the community studied. Hence, further studies on the determination of propagation strategies for population enhancement and conservationof wilds are suggested.

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The woody flora of Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary, central Western Ghats of Karnataka, India - A checklist

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.7239.13.13.20033-20055 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 20033-20055

Author(s):

Naveen Babu Kanda ◽

Kurian Ayushi ◽

Vincy K. Wilson ◽

Narayanan Ayyappan ◽

Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy

Keyword(s):

Western Ghats ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Forest Type ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Forest Types ◽

Wildlife Sanctuary ◽

Peninsular India ◽

Ecological Features ◽

Central Western Ghats ◽

The Western Ghats

Documenting the biodiversity of protected areas and reserve forests is important to researchers, academicians and forest departments in their efforts to establish policies to protect regional biodiversity. Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) is an important protected area located in the central Western Ghats of Karnataka state known for its diverse flora and fauna with distinct ecological features. For the last four decades the sanctuary has witnessed the loss of forest cover, yet the vegetation in few locations is relatively undisturbed. The current inventory was undertaken during 2019–2020 to provide a checklist of woody species from SWS under-researched earlier. The list comprises 269 species of trees, lianas and shrubs distributed in 207 genera and 68 families. The most diverse families are Fabaceae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Lauraceae, Apocynaceae, Meliaceae, Malvaceae, Phyllanthaceae, and Anacardiaceae, representing 48% of total woody flora. The sanctuary shelters 263 native and six exotic plant species. Thirty-nine species were endemic to the Western Ghats, five species to peninsular India and one species to the Western Ghats and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Four forest types, i.e., dry deciduous, moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen forests, are represented in the sanctuary. Of the total species, only seven occurred in all forest types, while 111 species are exclusive to a single forest type. One-hundred-and-four taxa were assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. Ten species that fall under Near Threatened, Vulnerable, and Endangered categories were encountered occasionally. The baseline data generated on plant diversity will be useful in highlighting the importance of these forests for species conservation and forest management. Such data form a cornerstone for further research. For instance, to understand the effect of invasive species and human impacts on the diversity of the region.

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Occurrence of microfungi as litter colonizers and endophytes in varied plant species from the Western Ghats forests, Goa, India

mycosphere ◽

10.5943/mycosphere/4/3/10 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 567-582 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

MA D’Souza

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Western Ghats ◽

The Western Ghats

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Rediscovery of Ophiorrhiza incarnata C.E.C. Fisch. (Rubiaceae) from the Western Ghats of India after a lapse of 83 years

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.5888.13.7.18953-18955 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 18953-18955

Author(s):

Perumal Murugan ◽

Vellingiri Ravichandran ◽

Chidambaram Murugan

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Type Locality ◽

Adjacent Area ◽

Threatened Plant ◽

Threatened Plant Species ◽

Western Ghats Of India ◽

Southern Western Ghats ◽

The Western Ghats

Ophiorrhiza incarnata C.E.C.Fisch. (Rubiaceae), a threatened plant species of southern Western Ghats is rediscovered from the adjacent area of the type locality after lapse of eight decades. Its distribution and conservation status are discussed.

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A new species of rock-dwelling Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Tamil Nadu, southern India

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4571.3.6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4571 (3) ◽

pp. 383

Author(s):

AKSHAY KHANDEKAR

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Southern India ◽

Peninsular India ◽

Tamil Nadu State ◽

The Rich ◽

The Western Ghats ◽

A New Species

A new species of the gekkonid genus Cnemaspis is described based on a series of nine specimens from near Sankari in Salem district, Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The new species is diagnosable by the following suite of characters: a small-sized Cnemaspis (adult snout to vent length less than 33 mm); heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis consisting of weakly keeled granular scales intermixed with large strongly keeled, conical tubercles, 9–11 rows of dorsal tubercles, 12–17 tubercles in paravertebral rows; spine-like scales absent on flank, 17–20 lamellae under digit IV of pes. Males with 4–6 femoral pores on each thigh, separated on either side by eight poreless scales from four precloacal pores; precloacal pores separated medially by a single poreless scale; two single dorsal ocelli on occiput and between forelimb insertions, two pairs of ocelli on either side just anterior and posterior to forelimb insertions. Cnemaspis agarwali sp. nov. is the fifth endemic species of Cnemaspis from peninsular India outside the Western Ghats and highlights the rich and unique diversity of this understudied region.

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Two new Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Shevaroy massif, Tamil Nadu, India, with a preliminary ND2 phylogeny of Indian Cnemaspis

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4609.1.3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4609 (1) ◽

pp. 68

Author(s):

AKSHAY KHANDEKAR ◽

NIKHIL GAITONDE ◽

ISHAN AGARWAL

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Body Size ◽

South Asian ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Elevation Gradient ◽

Sequence Divergence ◽

Colour Pattern ◽

Peninsular India ◽

The Western Ghats

We present a preliminary ND2 phylogeny of South Asian Cnemaspis, recovering a number of deeply divergent clades within Indian Cnemaspis, endemic to the southern and northern Western Ghats besides the Mysore Plateau and hills of Tamil Nadu. There are a number of unnamed lineages that are >5% divergent on ND2 across the phylogeny, including three from the gracilis clade on an elevation gradient (800–1400 m asl.) around Yercaud in the Shevaroy massif, Salem district, Tamil Nadu. We describe two of these as new species— Cnemaspis shevaroyensis sp. nov. and Cnemaspis thackerayi sp. nov. are both allied to Cnemaspis gracilis and can be diagnosed from all other Indian Cnemaspis by the absence of spine-like scales on flank, heterogeneous dorsal pholidosis, presence of femoral and precloacal pores, tail with enlarged, strongly keeled, conical tubercles forming whorls, a median row of enlarged and smooth sub-caudals. They differ from C. gracilis and each other in body size, the number of tubercles around midbody, the number of tubercles in paravertebral rows, the number of femoral and precloacal pores, the number of poreless scales in-between precloacal pores and between femoral and precloacal pores, and subtle colour pattern differences; besides uncorrected mitochondrial sequence divergence (7.9–16.6 %). We also provide a description of Cnemaspis yercaudensis from its type locality and an additional locality. The discovery of two endemic species and a third unnamed divergent lineage from an isolated massif in peninsular India outside the Western Ghats indicate that many other such understudied hill ranges may harbour high endemic biodiversity.

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Culturable diversity of bacterial endophytes associated with medicinal plants of the Western Ghats, India

FEMS Microbiology Ecology ◽

10.1093/femsec/fiaa147 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gordon Webster ◽

Alex J Mullins ◽

Edward Cunningham-Oakes ◽

Arun Renganathan ◽

Jamuna Bai Aswathanarayan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Western Ghats ◽

16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Gene Clusters ◽

Core Gene ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Bacterial Endophytes ◽

Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Multiple Species ◽

The Western Ghats

Abstract Bacterial endophytes are found in the internal tissues of plants and have intimate associations with their host. However, little is known about the diversity of medicinal plant endophytes (ME) or their capability to produce specialised metabolites that may contribute to therapeutic properties. We isolated 75 bacterial ME from 24 plant species of the Western Ghats, India. Molecular identification by 16S rRNA gene sequencing grouped MEs into 13 bacterial genera, with members of Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes being the most abundant. To improve taxonomic identification, 26 selected ME were genome sequenced and average nucleotide identity (ANI) used to identify them to the species-level. This identified multiple species in the most common genus as Bacillus. Similarly, identity of the Enterobacterales was also distinguished within Enterobacter and Serratia by ANI and core-gene analysis. AntiSMASH identified non-ribosomal peptide synthase, lantipeptide and bacteriocin biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC) as the most common BGCs found in the ME genomes. Five of the ME isolates belonging to Bacillus, Serratia and Enterobacter showed antimicrobial activity against the plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum. Using molecular and genomic approaches we have characterised a unique collection of endophytic bacteria from medicinal plants. Their genomes encode multiple specialised metabolite gene clusters and the collection can now be screened for novel bioactive and medicinal metabolites.

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