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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Figure 1: (a) Fruits of R. maritimus, (b) Achenes of R. maritimus, (c) TS of persistent tepal with tubercle, (d) TS of achene, (e-i) Powder
microscopy of fruits of R. maritimus, (e-g) Parenchyma cells and/or endosperm cells, (h) Epidermal cells, (i) Elongated lignified stone
cells from achene wall, (j) Spirally thickened vessel element, (k) Fragments of tepal pieces, (l) Starch grains
side. Each tepal (Figure 1c) has a bulged tubercle and thin handling and there is no characteristic aroma. Under
wing like tepal lobes on either side, looks like a midrib and microscope it shows parenchyma and endosperm cells
lamina of the leaf. Tubercle is circular in outline, consists of (Figure 1e-g) as major component. Apart from these cells,
outer large sized single layered epidermal cells encloses epidermal cells with zigzag margin (figure 1h); lignified
the undifferentiated thin walled circular to polygonal elongated cells from achene wall (Figure 1i); spirally
shaped parenchyma cells with a eccentric vascular bundle thickened vessel elements (Figure 1j); fragments of tepal
near the inner corner. Lobes made of outer smaller sized pieces (Figure 1k) and minute starch grains (Figure 1l) are
epidermal cells enclose undifferentiated parenchyma cells observed.
traversed with vascular traces.
In CS, achene (Figure 1d) is triangle in outline. It shows DISCUSSIONS
two clear zones, the achene wall and the seed. Outermost As it was mentioned earlier, [6] it grows in the banks of
single layer is the large sized epidermal cells, followed by rivers and canals where it got flooded regularly. It was
few layers of thick walled cells, filled with dark brown reported that this species, is rarely biennial. In our
contents makes the achene wall. It has three vascular observation, we come across with annual plants only. It
bundles, one in each corner. Inner to this is the outermost was reported that the achenes are upto 2 mm in size, [1]
large sized thin walled, translucent cells followed by however in our observation it was not more than 1.5 mm
endosperm, which is made of thin walled parenchyma cells long. The characters of bristles described earlier, [2, 3, 10] are
stained darkly for iodine solution. In the center two matches with our observations. Variation in the few of the
cotyledons are located in a circular cavity. quantitative characters may be due to the geographical
variations.
Powder Microscopy Though the seeds of Rumex maritimus are used in
Powdered achenes of R. maritimus is mild brown in color, AYUSH industries as an active ingredient,
coarse in nature, rough in texture, adheres to fingers while pharmacognostical characteristic features were not
Inventi Rapid: Planta Activa Vol. 2013, Issue 2 2 2013 ppa 237, CCC: $10 Inventi Journals (P) Ltd
[ISSN 2278-411X] Published on Web 15/02/2013, www.inventi.in
RESEARCH ARTICLE
described earlier and it is described here for the first time. 11. Stantec botanical notes. Available from:
The diagrams provided in the taxonomy books helped http://www.scribd.com/doc/37804531/Botanical-Notes-13
much in identifying and authenticating the species. 12. Raycheva T. Critical reassessment of the distribution of some
Diagnostic features to identify the fruits by macroscopical taxa of Rumex subgenus Rumes (polygonaceae) in Bulgaria-2.
Phytol Balcan; 15:155-69.
characters is the presence of 2 or 4 needle like appendages 13. Yumnam J Y, Bhuyan S I, Khan M L, Tripathi O P. Agro-
and a tubercle in each of the persistent tepal, normally diversity of East Siang-Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalaya.
having 6 appendages in each fruit. Microscopically, tubercle Asian J Agr Sci, 3:317-26.
is undifferentiated and veined with single vascular trace 14. Devi O S, Komor P, Das D. A checklist of traditional edible bio-
and tepals are having more than one vascular trace. resources from Ima markets of Imphal Valley, Manipur, India.
Achenes are triangular in CS with two cotyledons JoTT, 2:1297-1300, 2010.
embedded in the starchy endosperm. The substitutes, S. 15. Pandey A K, Bora H R. Edible plants of Shan tribe of Assam.
cordifolia and A. indicum do not have persistent calyx lobes, Anc Sci Life, 24:1-18, 1997.
16. Rumex maritimus in The North Eastern Institute of Folk
tubercles or needle like appendages, thus they can be easily
Medicine. Available from:
identified with their morphological characters itself. http://www.neifm.org/arunachalPage/showdetails/Plant_ID/
4497
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http://seeds.eldoc.ub.rug.nl/root/Polygonaceae/Rumex/mari 2013.
timus/
Inventi Rapid: Planta Activa Vol. 2013, Issue 2 3 2013 ppa 237, CCC: $10 Inventi Journals (P) Ltd
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