Available online at www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com Scholars Research Library J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 (http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/archive.html) ISSN : 2231 – 3184 CODEN (USA): JNPPB7 Studies on morphology and ethnobotany of Six species of GarciniaL. (Clusiaceae) found in the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India S. Baruah* and S. K. Borthakur Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT The Brahmaputra valley is a tropical region of Assam lying in between 25044/N-280N latitude and 89041/E-96002/E longitude. The Brahmaputra valley is surrounded by hilly region except the west. In the north situated country Bhutan and state Arunachal Pradesh; in east state Arunachal Pradesh; in south Nagaland, Karbi Anglong autonomous hill district of Assam and state Meghalaya, west is bounded by state west Bengal. Total length of the valley is 722 Km and average width is 80 Km. The valley is endowed with rich biodiversity and natural resources. Members of the genus Garcinia L. known for their edible fruits, and medicinal properties. Garcinia L. commonly known as “Thekera” by Assamese people and have rich traditional uses in this region. The present paper is an attempt to evaluate comparative morphological characters and ethnobotany of six species of GarciniaL. sporadically distributed in Brahmaputra valley. Key words: Garcinia, Morphology, Ethnobotany, Brahmaputra valley, Assam ______________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION The Brahmaputra valley is a tropical region of Assam lying in between 25044/N-280N latitude and 89041/E-96002/E longitude. The Brahmaputra valley is surrounded by hilly region except the west. In the north situated country Bhutan and state Arunachal Pradesh; in east state Arunachal Pradesh; in south Nagaland, Karbi Anglong autonomous hill district of Assam and state Meghalaya, west is bounded by state west Bengal. Total length of the valley is 722 Km and average width is 80 km. The climate of the valley is humid mesothermal. The eastern part of the valley experiences high rainfall and low ranges of temperature. The present paper is an attempt to evaluate comparative morphological characters and ethnobotany of six species of GarciniaL. sporadically distributed in Brahmaputra valley. 389 Scholars Research Library S. Baruah et al J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 ______________________________________________________________________________ Fig; Map of Assam Garcinia L. belongs to the family Clusiaceae found throughout in the tropical region of the world. Members of the genus Garinia L. are evergreen trees or shrubs with greenish gum resins. Leaves subcoriaceous or leathery; stipules usually 0. Flowers solitary, fascicled, umbelled or panicled, polygamous or dioecious. Sepals 4-5, leathery persistent; petals 4- 5, imbricate. Fruits berry with fleshy rind enclosing 2-8 large pulpy seeds. The members of the genus Garcinia L. are potential, high value medicinal plants and have antimicrobial activity (Anonymous, 2002). The genus has about 200 species native to South Asia ranging southern parts of the Thiland and Peninsular Malaysia to Indonesia, distributed in South East Asian region (Sharma et al., 1993; Mabberley 2005; Stevens 2001). In peninsular Malaysa there are 49 Garcinia species out of 350 species estimated worldwide (Whitemore 1973; Stevens 2001). In India, 30 species reported by T. Anderson in Flora of British India (1874). Among the 35 species reported by Maheswhari (1964), 15 species are included in North-East India. Kanjilal et al., (1934) reported 9 species from undivided Assam. Kar et al., (2008) reported 8 species from Sonitpur districts of Assam. A few species are cultivated either for fruits, vegetables, traditional medicines or other domestic uses such as for making house, firewood and landscaping. Among the cultivated species are included Garcinia atroviridis, G. cowa, G. Morella, G. lanceaefolia, G. hombroniana, G. prainiana and G. mangostana. Members of Garcinia L. species produced edible fruits and G. magostana is often considered as most famous fruit. Young leaves of the few members of Garcinia L. eaten cooked by some tribes in the N.E region (Arora 1981, Jain & Dam 1991, Rao et al, 1981). Hydroxy citric acid (HCA) is found in the fruits of certain members of GarciniaL., which including G. cambogia, G. indica and G. atroviridis. The latex of G. cowa is used in Thai folk medicines as an antifever agent (Pattalung et al., 1994). Members of Garcinia L .used after childbirth medication, for menstrual problems, dysentery and fever in traditional system of medicine (Burkill 1935) and also recorded that some species have potential treatment for HIV (Rukachaisirikul et al., 2003) and Cancer (Nabandith et al., 2004). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted during the periods of 2009-2010.The species were collected by extensive field survey both flowering and fruiting stage. Identification of collected specimens was verified by consulting different floras (Hooker, 1896; Kanjilal et al, 1934-1940). Voucher specimens were preserved in the form of herbarium as per standard field and herbarium technique (Jain & Rao 1977) and submitted at NEDFi R & D Centre for MAP, Khetri, Kamrup, Assam. 390 Scholars Research Library  S. Baruah et al J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 ______________________________________________________________________________ RESULTS Table-1. Morphological characters and ethonobotany of six species of Garcinia L. sporadically distributed in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam are given in the tabular form Particulars Garcinia Garcinia Garcinia Garcinia Garcinia Garcinia pedunculata paniculata Morella cowa Roxb. lanceaefolia xanthochymus Roxb. Roxb. Desr. Roxb. Hook. Local name Bor- Schopa- Kuji-thekera Kau-thekera Rupohi-thekera Tepor-tenga thekera(Ass.), tenga(ass.), (Ass.) (Ass.) (Ass.) (Ass.) Prumang (K.) Marlo (K.) Distribution North East Assam, Assam, Assam and Assam, Lower altitude of India. Meghalaya Arunachal Meghalaya. Meghalaya and N.E. India. and Pradesh, Nagaland. Nagaland. Meghalaya and Nagaland Habit An evergreen A small A small An A small An evergreen tree, rather evergreen middle sized evergreen evergreen tree. middle size tree. short spreading tree. evergreen middle size branches. tree. tree. Leaves Leaves (13- Leaves (11- Leaves (10- Leaves (7- Leaves (4.5- Leaves (25- 30x 15- 15x4.5-6.5) 11x5-7) cm. 11x4-7) cm. 6x2.5-3.5) cm. 32x4-8) cm. 21)c.m., cm. elliptic elliptic to broadly lanceolate long Narrowly oblong obovate or or ovate- elliptical acuminate. or oblong oblanceolate, oblanceolate lanceolate, lanceolate, lanceoate sub - rigid sub- acuminate, obtusely acuminate coriaceous to coriaceous. sub- acuminate in apex. leathery shining coriaceous. sub- in both surfaces. coriaceous. Midvein Midvein stout Midvein Midvein Midvein Midvein Midvein prominent, stout prominent, prominent, prominent, prominent, lateral vein prominent, lateral vein lateral vein lateral vein not lateral vein distinct. lateral vein slightly not prominent. distinct. distinct. prominent. prominent. Leaf petiole Petiole long Petiole long Short (0.4- Short (0.3- Short (0.5- Long (1.5-1.8x1- size (1.5-2.5x1.2- (2.2- 1x0.4-0.8) 0.6x0.6-0.8) 1x0.3-0.5) cm. 1.5) cm. in size. 1.3) cm. in 2.8x1.1-1.4) cm. in size. cm. in size. in size. size. cm. in size. Pedicels size Pedicels long Pedicels Short Short Pedicels short Pedicels short and thickened short (0.4- pedicels pedicels (0.4-0.5x0.5- and thickened. (3-5x4-4.5) 0.6x1-1.2) 0.8) cm. in cm. in size. cm. in size. size. Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers Flowers polygamous, 4- polygamous polygamous, polygamous polygamous, 4- polygamous, 391 Scholars Research Library  S. Baruah et al J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 ______________________________________________________________________________ merous; male , 4-merous, tetramerous; , 4-merous. merous. Male pentamerous; flowers large male flower male flowers Flowers flowers 1-2 male flowers pale green, white sepals generally borne on terminal; borne on the stamens many. and petals 4 together, in the axils of sepals thick, axils of the fallen each, axils of the fallen petals smaller, leaves. Sepals -5, stamens fallen leaves, leaves. stamens many. petals-5, stamens numerous. hermaphrodi Male Hermaphrodite -5. Stigma te flowers flowers in flowers oblique. solitary. dense terminal of terminal or axillary. axillary clusters, hermaphrod ite flowers. Fruits Fruits large, Fruits small Fruits 1.5-2 Fruits size Fruits small Fruits 3.5-6 cm. yellow in (3-41x12- cm. in small ovovoid about in diameter, sub- colour when 15) cm in diameter orange like 2 cm. in globose, pointed, ripe. Mature size, cherry, globose or 4-5 cm. in diameter, golden yellow in fruits (7- yellow, slightly diameter orange-yellow colour when 8.2x25-29.8) succulent elongated, globose but in colour. ripe. cm. in size. with yellow when slightly Fresh wt. of granular in ripe. tapering and the mature stigma. somewhat fruits av. 500 oblique gms. towards to the apex, dull red outside and orange inside when ripe. Seeds Seeds 4-8 per Seeds Seeds 4, Seeds 4-8. Seeds 6-8. Seeds 2-6. fruits, enclosed generally 4, testa dark in a fleshy or enclosed in brown. succulent aril. a pulpy aril. Flowering Throughout the December- February- March- February- March-May. time year. February. March. April. March. Fruiting time. January-April. March- April-June. June- June-July. October- April. August. February. Status CE CR CR CR CR CR Ethnobotany The fruits are The ripe The fruits The fruits The fruits are The fruits are acidic and fruits are are eaten raw are edible, acidic and acidic and 392 Scholars Research Library S. Baruah et al J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 ______________________________________________________________________________ edible, eaten and or dried, persevered eaten raw or edible. The ripe preserved after very good for after sun- dried, good for fruits used for sundried (Fig- delicious. dysentery. A dried slices dysentery; the making jams, 2) for local Leaves are commercial in gum resin is delicious consumption. used to source of Assamese called chutney in The old dried treated ‘gamboge’ household. ‘gamboge’ is Assamese fruits are good round- occurs as a The fruits used as household. A for dysentery, worm. yellowish and leaves medicine and sherbet made digestive and Wood is colour; oil used in as yellow dye; from ripens and cooling. The moderately and juice of dysentery, oil and juice of dried fruits are fruits are also hard used fruits are diarrhea. fruits are given in used as fixative for house cooling for Young cooling for dysentery. Bark or as a mordant building, fever, leaves are fever, jaundice of the tree and for saffron dye. firewood diabetes and eaten by and urinary latex of unripe Wood is hard (Dutta jaundice. hilly people troubles. fruits are used to has potential 1985). of Assam. make yellow value used for Fruits are dye. Woods is making house, also used in hard, good for wooden headache. making house. furniture and traditional rice mill “Dheki” preparation. Avriviations: Ass.-Assamese, K.-Karbi, CE-Critically Endangered, CR-Critically Rare. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The members of Garcinia flourish well in evergreen or semi evergreen forests but some thrive in areas with relatively low rainfall (Sharma et al., 1993). Members of the genus GarciniaL. known for their edible fruits, and medicinal properties. Garcinia L. commonly known as “Thekera” by Assamese people and have rich traditional uses in this region. In spite of having ample economic potential the species of the genus Garcinia occurring in Assam and also in N.E. India has not been studied properly. A good number of publications has appeared in the last few decades within and outside the country on Garcinia. However, there are no publications with consolidated information on taxonomy and distribution of Garcinia appeared so far for N.E. India in general and Assam in particular. As such the taxonomy and distribution of the species of the genus occurring in Assam still remain unattended. From the literature review it is evident that the genus Garcinia L. needs a thorough study on taxonomy and distribution in N.E. India in general and Assam in particular. I. Garcinia pedunculata Roxb. :An evergreen tree with fruiting stage. 393 Scholars Research Library S. Baruah et al J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 ______________________________________________________________________________ II.G. pedunculata Roxb.:A mature fruit, sun-dried slices for preservation. III.G. pedunculata Roxb. : (a) Seeds with fleshy pulp (b) After removing the pulp. IV. G. lanceaefolia Roxb. G. cowaRoxb. G. xanthochymus Hook. V. G. paniculata Roxb. G. pedunculata Roxb.1-year old seedling. 394 Scholars Research Library S. Baruah et al J. Nat. Prod. Plant Resour Resour., 2012, 2 (3):389-396 ______________________________________________________________________________ VI. Different stages of G. morella Desr. (a) An evergreen middle size tree ( b)Naturally grown seedlings of G. morella.(c) Epigeal germination. VII. 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