A treasury of medicinal plants at Sirsi

KARWAR: A unique experimental conservation nursery has been commissioned at College of Forestry at Sirsi to conserve and propagate rare, endangered and threatened plant species of central Western Ghat ranges.Assistant professor and botanical scientist R Vasudev, who is also a member of Western Ghats Task Force, has taken the lead to set up the nursery. It is a unique attempt as the nursery addresses several issues holistically like generating spatially explicit map of these species, maintaining the herbarium, standardising nursery techniques for large scale production, conserving germ plasma of focal species and maintaining genetic stock.A total of 70 different native species are being conserved in the nursery which are medicinally and ecologically important, says Vasudev.Plants that produce high metabolite such as Mappia Foetida (used for cancer treatment), Salacia Chinensis (used for diabetes), Calophyllum Apetalum (used for bird flu), Coscinium Fenestratum (used as anti- bacterial agent) and Saraca Asoca used in preparing about 50 Ayurvedic medicines) besides bio-diesel fuel species and plants species extremely rare and endemic found in fresh water swamps are also developed in the nursery.Coscinium Fenestraum, locally called ‘Maradarashina’ (wild turmeric), which are medicinally important are also conserved in the nursery. There are only 4-5 sites in Western Ghats region where these species grow. They were highly exploited by the industries in the past. Though it is very hard to regenerate, two dozens of climbers of this species were maintained in the nursery. This species produces high valued metabolite, called Berberine, which is extracted from roots and stem parts of the woody climber. This is anti-bacterial agent and used in treating diabetes.Embelia Ribes, known as ‘Vayuvilanga’ in Ayurveda, is a potent anti-helminthic agent used against round worms. The seeds resemble black pepper. This is also a woody climber. It is difficult to germinate the seeds.The nursery has produced nearly 500 plants of this species.