Abstract
Phenological studies of medicinal plants have been less explored especially for plants confined in the Himalayan region (India). Here we describe detailed phenological stages of Megacarpaea polyandra Benth. ex Madden. This perennial species belongs to the family Brassicaceae and is commonly known as Barmola or Barmau, being a highly valued traditional endemic medicinal plant of Himalaya. Seven principal growth stages from seed germination to senescence as per BBCH (Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt und CHemische Industrie) scale have been described along with secondary growth stages. Barmola exhibited a long juvenile vegetative phase (~ 3 to 4 years) compared to the short reproductive development typical of long-lived semelparous species. The long vegetative phase is characterized by leaf development coupled with an increase in root size. Roots constitute the storage organ from which Barmola translocates resources for development in subsequent periods. At the time of inflorescence emergence (last growth cycle), Barmola root’s reached their maximum size, and the translocation of resources coupled with leaf development sustain the reproductive effort of this species, culminating then with fruit ripening and plant death. The application of the BBCH scale was useful to identify the leaf development phase as the most critical growth stage on Barmola. Future conservation strategies aimed to protect Barmola wild populations should incentive the cultivation of this species to warrant their sustainable use among farmers from the Himalayas.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
Authors are thankful to Director High Altitude plant physiology Research Centre for providing necessary facilities and Mr. Prem Singh and Karan Singh, Vandana Shukla, Sudeep Chandra and Abhishek Jamloki for help during field survey and observations. Early comments made by reviewers are encouraged.
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AS carried out field survey, recorded data, taken photographs and drafted manuscript. MCN revised the manuscript. RNC reviewed the manuscript and give critical inputs. GF revised the manuscript.
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Singh, A., Nautiyal, M.C., Curti, R.N. et al. The phenological growth stages of Megacarpaea polyandra Benth. ex Madden: a high valued traditional medicinal plant of the Himalaya. Genet Resour Crop Evol 69, 431–441 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01273-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-021-01273-7