two invasive alien giant sensitive weeds - new additions

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Bioscience Discovery, 8(4): 720-725, October - 2017

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Research Article

Two invasive alien giant sensitive weeds - new additions to the flora of

Tripura, India

Amal Debnath, Chiranjit Paul and Bimal Debnath*

Plant Diversity and Forest Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Forestry and Biodiversity,

TripuraUniversity, Suryamaninagar-799022, Tripura, Northeast India

*Email: [email protected]

Article Info

Abstract

Received: 17-06-2017,

Revised: 05-08-2017,

Accepted: 06-09-2017

The Present study reported the new distribution record of two serious weeds,

Mimosa diplotricha var. diplotricha and Mimosa diplotricha var. inermis, from

the forest floor of Tripura. The plants were collected, identified with the help of

various flora and available database. These plants were highlighted with brief

description, proper citation and their ecological and phenological observations. Keywords:

Mimosa diplotricha, Alien

invasive, Distribution,

Tripura, NE India

INTRODUCTION

Mimosa diplotricha C. Wright ex Sauvalle,

(Mimosaceae) a native plant of Brazil, in tropical

South America, is a serious weed of tropical and

subtropical crops and pastures (Holm et al., 1977;

Vitelli et al., 2001). The plant has invaded Australia,

many Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Southeast

Asia and many African countries (Waterhouse and

Norris, 1987; Parsons and Cuthbertson, 1992). M.

diplotricha was imported into India by tea gardeners

for soil fertility improvement in their tea garden.

(Gurega, 2003). The plant can tolerate a wide range

of soil conditions. However, it grows best in tropical

regions in wastelands, pastures, disturbed forests,

plantations, agricultural systems, along roadsides

and railway tracks at an altitude of 0 to 2,000 m

above sea level (APFISN, 2007). Extensive growth

of M. diplotricha hinders the regeneration,

reproduction and growth of native species in all

infested areas and consequently results in gradual

loss of biodiversity (APFISN, 2007). Crops infested

with this weed difficult to harvest because of its

thorns (Alabi et al., 2001; Chauhan and Johnson,

2008). Hence, invasion by M. diplotricha can result

in increased production costs, reduced crop yield,

threats to biodiversity, soil degradation and reduced

land value (APFISN, 2007). Furthermore, the

tangled and thorny growth of M. diplotricha hinders

entry of livestock or humans, hampers the movement

of wild animals and consequently it becomes a

strong barrier to access food and other resources in

the invaded area (Alabi et al., 2001; Vitelli et al.,

2001). Sharp and recurved thorns of this weed make

animals reluctant to graze on it and they usually

avoid the spiny clumps. Even trapping in a large

thicket of M. diplotricha is fatal to wild animal

(Waterhouse and Norris, 1987). All parts of M.

diplotricha produce mimosin, a non-protein amino

acid, which is toxic to herbivores if ingested, as it can

cause vascular endothelial damage, necrosis of the

heart and liver and anemia in cattle (APFISN, 2007).

Therefore, M. diplotricha is an important invasive

alien weed as it is highly competitive, produces

enormous seeds which can survive up to 50 years in

dormant stage, difficult to control by hand and also

acts as an alternative host for nematodes (Galinato et

al., 1999; Chauhan and Johnson, 2008).

http://biosciencediscovery.com 721 ISSN: 2231-024X (Online)

Amal Debnath et al.,

During extensive field survey throughout the state

and consultation of the relevant literature it was

observed that so far two varieties of Mimosa

diplotricha have not been reported from Tripura.

Therefore, the present study clearly indicates the

new addition of these two varieties of Mimosa to the

flora of Tripura.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study area

Tripura, the North-Eastern state of India,

geographically located in between 22º56N to 24º32N

and 91º09 E to 92º20 E with an area of about

10,491.69 Km2. Approximately 60% of total area of

the State is under the forest cover comprising of

tropical forest trees species like rubber, bamboo and

palm oil trees). Due to its tropical geographical

position and favorable environmental condition it is

too rich in terms of its floral and faunal diversity

(Debnath et al., 2016). Temperature ranges of the

state are between 6 to 37ºC and the annual rain fall

is 1700 to 2200 mm.

Figure 1: Map showing the herbarium collection place of Mimosa diplotricha var. diplotricha and

Mimosa diplotricha var. inermis

An extensive field visit was made

throughout the state for floristic survey. Fresh

specimens were collected, identified by using

available literature [e-Flora of China, The Plant List

database, and published papers (Begum & Borthakur

2013)]. The collected specimens were made into

herbarium sheets following Jain & Rao (1977) and

maintained in the Department of Forestry and

Biodiversity, Tripura University for the preparation

of medicinal plant database under a CSIR project.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The present study discovered two Mimosa species

which were not reported by previous workers. This

paper may be the first-time report on distributional

record of the species in Tripura and considered as a

new addition to the flora of Tripura. These plants are

computed below with correct name, Common name,

family, brief taxonomic description, habitat,

flowering, locality and medicinal use.



Plate 1:Mimosa diplotricha var. diplotricha, a-Habitat; b & c – Leaf; d-Flowering twig; e -Stem along with

re-curved prickles; f- Inflorescence; g- Single flower; h- Petal; i- Stamen; j- Gynoecium.

Taxonomic Treatment:

Mimosa diplotricha C. Wight ex Sanvalle var.

diplotricha:

Common name: Lajjabati

Terrestrial sub-shurbs, perennial, stem scandent or

prostrate, 4 or 5 angular, with prickles, prickles

present along with ridge, branched. Leaves 10-18

cm, petiolate, petiole about 5-8 cm, petiole and

rachis with 4 rows of recurved prickles; bipinnately

compounds, pinna 3- 10 pairs, leaf lets number 20-

30 pairs per pinna; lamina shape linear- oblong,

lamina length about 3-5 mm, bredth about 1-2 mm,

lamina margin entire, apex of lamina acute, vanation

reticulate unicostate, less sensitive than Mimosa

pudica, sensitive responses within 7-10 seconds.

Inflorescence cymose (capitulum); headsterminal or

axillary as well as extra axillary. Flower bisexual,

bractate, peduncle present, peduncle length about

0.5-1.0 cm, pink hypogynous. Sepal 4,

inconspicuous, gamosepalous, valvate.



Corolla narrowly funnel shaped, Petal 4 or 5, regular,

length about 2 mm, gamopetalous, outer side slightly

hairy, pink, valvate. Stamen 8, extrose, filaments

long, purple anther dorsifixed. Ovary superior,

stigma minute, extrose. Legumes in clusters, slightly

curved, oblong, with prickly bristles. Seeds hard

coated, yellowish brown in colour.

Flowering and fruiting time: September –January.

Medicinal uses: No medicinal uses were recorded

by local people.

Habitat: The plants are found growing on the mostly

degraded forests and also in the road side area.

Distribution: This species is native to Mexico,

Central America, Caribbean and tropical South

America and naturalized in a part of tropical Africa,

Oceania, southern Asia (Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia,

Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) and India

(Kerala& Assam)

Plate 2: Mimosa diplotricha var. inermis, a-Habitat; b - Leaf c-Flowering twig; d -Stem with flower; e-

Single flower; f- Petal; g- Calyx; h- Stamen; i- Gynoecium; j-Fruit.

http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/080c0106-040c-4508-8300-0b0a06060e01/media/html/glossary.htm#species

http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/080c0106-040c-4508-8300-0b0a06060e01/media/html/glossary.htm#tropical



Locality: Sehkerkot (23˚44′23.52″N; 91016′47.89″E)

Unokoti (24˚18′54.74″ N; 92˚4′2.96″E) and

Kumarghat (24˚12′15.96″N; 91˚58′39.24″E).

Status: Newly introduced and established a

successful invasive to the road side as well as forest

ecosystem.

Collection No. -CS-37

Accession No. -CSIR-0032

Mimosa diplotricha var. inermis (Adelb.) M.K.

Alam& M. Yusof

Common name: Lajjabati

Taxonomic description: Terrestrial sub-shrubs,

perennial, stem prostrate, 4 or 5 angular, without

prickles, hairy, branched. Leaves 10-18 cm,

petiolate, petiole about 5-8 cm, petiole and rachis

with hairy; bipinnately compounds, pinna 3- 10

pairs, leaf lets number 20-30 pairs per pinna; lamina

shape linear- oblong, lamina length about 3-5 mm,

bredth about 1-2 mm, lamina margin entire, apex of

lamina acute, vanation reticulate unicostate, less

sensitive than Mimosa pudica, sensitive responses

within 7-10 seconds. Inflorescence cymose

(capitulum); heads terminal or axillary as well as

extra axillary. Flower bisexual, bractate, peduncle

present, peduncle length about 0.5-1.0 cm, pink

hypogynous. Sepal 4, inconspicuous, gamosepalous,

valvate. Corolla narrowly funnel shaped, Petal 4,

regular, length about 2 mm, gamopetalous, outer side

slightly hairy, pink, valvate. Stamen 8, extrose,

filaments long, purple anther dorsifixed. Ovary

superior, stigma minute, extrose. Legumes in

clusters, slightly curved, oblong, without prickle,

hairy bristles. Seeds hard coated, yellowish brown in

colour.

Flowering and Fruit time: September –January.

Habitat: The plants are found growing in the

degraded forests and also in the road side area.

Distribution: South and South-East Asia, the Pacific

Islands, northern Australia, South and Central

America, the Hawaiian Islands, parts of Africa,

Nigeria and France and India (Kerala and Assam).

Medicinal uses: No medicinal uses were recorded

by the local people.

Locality: Kumarghat (24˚12′15.96″N;

91˚58′39.24″E), and Kanchanpur (24˚31′40.20″N;

92˚9′27.52″E).

Status: Newly introduced and established as an

invasive species to the road side, grass land in the

forest ecosystem

Collection No. -CS-38

Accession No. -CSIR- 0033

Ecological impact

In the last one decade there are so many invasive

species were invaded in our state by improper

industrial and agricultural activities which

imbalanced our local ecosystem and become a threat

to our native flora. These kinds of human impacts

highly declining our native biodiversity (Sukumaran

and Parthiban, 2014). These two varieties of

Mimosa diplotricha with their high reproductive

capacity and environmental adaptability they are

forcefully spreading in the road sides, in the grazing

lands and forest fringes. Due to their thorny and

dense creeping nature they become hazardous weeds

to the livestock grazing.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Corresponding author is gratitude to CSIR for

providing a grant [Sanction letter No. 38

(1371)/13/EMR-II] which helped us to carry out this

work.

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How to cite this article

Amal Debnath, Chiranjit Paul and Bimal Debnath, 2017. Two invasive alien giant sensitive weeds-new

additions to the flora of Tripura, India. Bioscience Discovery, 8(4): 720-725.

two invasive alien giant sensitive weeds - new additions

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