Morphological screening of endangered medicinal plants of milkweed family from Thar desert, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

The indigenous systems of medicine in India are Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani. These traditional systems of medicine together with homeopathy and folkcare medicine play an important role in the health care system of the population. Sarcostemma viminale (L.) R.Br. and Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. belongs to the milkweed family i.e. Asclepiadace, distributed in various habitats in semi-arid region of Thar desert of Rajasthan. This work was carried out to explore morphological pecularities of whole plant of both the representatives of the family. Sarcostemma viminale (L.) R.Br. is used to cure diarrhoea, oedema, stomach problems and tuberculosis. Ceropegia bulbosa is used to cure deafness, tubers are used in the treatment of kidney stone, urinary tracts diseases and they are eaten by ladies to enhance fertility and viability. Pollinial apparatus is a signifi cant feature of Asclepiadaceae to characterize species and genera. Morphological study revelaed principle characteristic differences and similarities in both the representatives plants. True xerophytic features of Sarcostemma viminale (L.) R.Br. are, presence of milky latex, highly reduced leaves, green globarous stem, and strong tap root affi xed fi rmly in stony and rocky substratum in association with other xero-phytic plants of stressed conditions. Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. var. bulbosa and var. lushii (Grah.) Hook.f. is perennial, twining, herb of sandy substratum, bearing tubers, needs support of other xerophytic bushes/ shrubs. Both the representative genera under study are almost endangered. Since no report on systematic and comparative morphological analysis of whole plant of both the representatives is available, an effort has been made to prepare a protocol to provide the keys for taxonomy and better understanding of fl ora.