Abstract
The present study provides insights on the reproductive behavior of an important alpine medicinal herb, Trillium govanianum which is found growing in the Indian Himalayan states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Sikkim. The study has been carried out at Tungnath India, which is a natural pocket of the herb. A significant difference of 35 ± 5 days has been observed in the emergence of the plant at an altitudinal gradient with an earlier emergence at the lower elevations providing an extended growth period to the plant. At elevations > 3500 masl or in the open meadows, the emergence was observed to be late with an earlier senescence. Breeding experiment revealed that plant favors both self as well as cross-fertilization and is ambophilous. Floral development starts within the unopened bud and anthesis takes place within a week of the opening of flower. Seed development and maturation is longest and occur in 3–4 months. Rhizomes of T. govanianum are harvested illegally before the onset of monsoon i.e. in early June, hampering seed production and dispersal. Therefore information on the phenological cycle and reproductive behavior and maturity of such species is an important step towards making policies for their conservation and further studies on their regeneration behavior.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Director, HAPPRC and field staff Mr. Karan Rauthan and Mr. Prem Bajwal for their help during the field work.
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Chandola, V., Chandra, S., Kumar, R.R. et al. Reproductive behavior of an endangered Himalayan medicinal herb Trillium govanianum Wall. ex D. Don. Vegetos 36, 1437–1445 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-022-00548-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-022-00548-3