MORPHOLOGICAL

CHARACTERIZATION OF

Rhinacanthus spp.

IN SRI LANKA

A.P.P.R AMARASINGHE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL BIOLOGY

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA

Outline

Introduction

Objective

Methodology

Conclusion

Future studies

References

Family: Acanthaceae

Rhinacanthus : 30 spp. (world)

Two recorded spp. (Sri Lanka):Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) Kurz

Rhinacanthus polonnaruwensis Cramer

A medicinal plant treats: -hypertension

-tuberculosis (early stage)

-snake venom

-skin diseases

Composition:R. nasutus-

Napthoquinones: rhinacanthin

Lignans

Flavonoids and phytosterols

Effects:

Cytotoxic, detoxicant, antifungal, antiviral, anti-

bacterial, anti–cancer, anti-pyretic

R. polonnaruwensis - not reported

TaxonomyKingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Sub class: Asteridae

Order: Lamiales

Family: Acanthaceae

Subfamily: Acanthoideae

Genus: Rhinacanthus

Species: Rhinacanthus nasutus (L.) Kurz

Distribution

R. nasutus:

Sri Lanka

India

Indo- China

Introduced to: Madagascar, East

Africa, Thailand, Malaysia

R. polonnaruwensis: Endemic

Examined Specimens

R. nasutus

Anuradapura

Polonnaruwa

Matale

Kandy

Hambantota

Matale

Polonnaruwa

Examined Specimens

R. polonnaruwensis

Different morphology

R. nasutus collected from Ritigala- at BMARI (Bandaranaike Memorial Ayurveda Research Institute) shows a different floral morphology

Find out morphological variations

within genus Rhinacanthus using

phenetic analysis

Literature survey and study

herbarium specimens

-familiarize with Rhinacanthus spp.

-identify recorded variations

Field exploration

Revised Hand

Book to the

Flora of Ceylon

Herbarium

samples

Indigenous

physicians

Information

Polonnaruwa - Horiwila

Popham arboretum

Field visits to:

Talakiriyagama

Matale - Nalanda

Colombo-Maharagama

Anuradapura - Habarana Gampaha -Yakkala

Ritigala

Kekirawa

Kumarakanda

Girandurukotte

Indigenous

physicianKataragama

BMARI Collection

Natural

forests

Medicinal

gardens

RoadsidesHome

gardens

Plant Habitats

Sample Rhinacanthus spp.

Collection- live complete plants

Plant preservation- methanol

Flower preservation- 70% ethanol

Labelling - code number

Prepare field notes

Collection information, characters not in dry specimens

Prepare dry specimensDryers in National Herbarium

Plant identificationCompare herbarium specimens

Select and code morphological characters

Quantitative characters: 68Vegetative morphology: ruler, Vernier

calliper, protractor

Floral morphology: dissecting and stereo microscopes

Qualitative characters: 20Both categories: As binary variables

stem

petiole

veins

leaf blade

inflorescence

corolla

androecium

gynoecium

Cluster analysis

-Basic data matrix (MS Excel spreadsheet)

- 88 characters (58 continuous,10 ratios,

20 discrete variables)

- 123 OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units)

-Select continuous variables

-Eliminate 8 characters

-Second data matrix - 50 characters

- 111 OTUs

-Cluster analysis (SAS 6.12)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Literature survey

Study herbarium specimens

Field exploration

Vegetative morphology

Cluster analysis

Floral characters

CONCLUSION

Confused plant by BMARI-

R. polonnaruwensis

4 significant variations within

genus Rhinacanthus

Include missing characters

Another analysis method-discrete

variables

Other taxonomic information

-biochemical

-cytological

-anatomical

-molecular markers

Cramer, L.H., 1993. A forest Arboretum in Dry Zone, Institute of fundamental studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka:

Dassanayake, M.D. and Clayton W.D., 1987. A Revised Hand book to the Flora of Ceylon, Vol. 12 Oxford and IBH publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd, New-Delhi, India :

Jayaweera, D.M.A. ,1981. Medicinal plants (Indigenous and Exotic) used in Ceylon, Part I, The National Science Council of Sri Lanka. Colombo:

Judd, W.S., Campbell, C.S., Kellogg, E.A. and Donoghue, M.J., 2002. Plant systematics. phylogenetic approach, Sinauer Associates, Ind. Publishers, Massachusetts, U.S.A

Padua, L.S.D., Bunyapraphastsara, N. and

Lemmens , R.H.M.J. (ed) 1999, Plant

Resources of South - East Asia ; Medical and

poisonous plants 1.Backhuys, Leiden, vol1,

no 12 : 431-433

Trimen, H.(1974). A Handbook to the Flora of

Ceylon, III, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal

Singh, Deheradun, India. Periodical:286-287,

339-340.

Vlas, J.D. and Vlas, J.(2008). Illustrated field

guide to flowers of Sri Lanka, Mark

booksellers and distributors (pvt) Ltd.(1):26.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Dr. D.S.A. Wijesundara, Director General, National

Botanical garden, Peradeniya

Dr. R. Karunagoda, Senior Lecturer, Department of

Agricultural Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, University

of Peradeniya

Prof. A.P.G Amarasinghe, Professor, Institute of

Indigenous Medicine, University of Colombo

Bandaranayke Ayurveda Research Institute

National Herbarium, National Botanical garden,

Peradeniya

THANK YOU!

Leaves oblong- elliptic, flowers discrete

at ends of secondary axes; corolla tube

markedly curved from the middle to the

throat………….1. R. nasutus

Leaves linear; flowers clustered at the

ends of secondary axes; corolla tube

faintly curved towards the

throat………….2. R. polonnaruwensis

Key to the spp. (Cramer,1998):

Herbarium specimens

(a.) R. nasutus

(b.) Unknown

(c.) R. polonnaruwensis

(a)

(b.)

(c.)

Revised Hand Book to the Flora of Ceylon cited locations

R. nasutus - Katharagama

R. polonnaruwensis - Horiwila Popham arboretum

Locations of herbarium specimens

R. nasutus - Ritigala

R. polonnaruwensis - Nalanda

Other locations - different

RN

UN

RP

RP

R.nasutus

R.polonnaruwensis

Plant habits of:

(a.) R. nasutus

(b.) Unknown

(c.) R. polonnaruwensis

(a.)

(b.)

(c.)

Leaf morphology of:

(a.) R. nasutus

(b.) Unknown

(c.) R. polonnaruwensis

(a.) (b.) (c.)

R.polonnaruwensis

R. nasutus Unknown

R.polonnaruwensis

R. nasutus

R. polonnaruwensis R. polonnaruwensis

Unknown