Ecophysiological studies of Cassia tora Linn. in Baghelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh (India)

 

Skand Kumar Mishra

Botany Department, Govt. New Science College Rewa – 486-001(M.P.) India

 

 

ABSTRACT:

Ecological studies are directed towards determining the influence of environment on the life of plants and crops.    The aim of autecological investigations has been the study of interrelationships of different environmental conditions on the life processes of a single plants species. Such studies help a great deal in understanding the behaviour of a particular plant, important from man’s point of view. Present study undertaken to know in detail of the phytosociology and morphology of Cassia tora Linn. of family Caesalpinoidae as well as the physiological process that evolves in the germination and the relation between the plant and the soil.   Cassia tora Linn. a rainy season flowering plant, has wide spread in open grassland. There is large number of associates and some are with very high frequency. But vegetation of the area where it grows is of normal Raunkier forms. Pollination is generally entemophyllus type. Being a leguminous plant the percentage of nitrogen is high and ratio of protein and soluble nitrogen is also. Within formation of seedling the ratio of protein and soluble nitrogen increases as soluble nitrogen percentage is high in case of seedling. In soil plant analysis it was observed that plant tissues are not having appreciable amount of calcium though it is growing in calcium rich soil. Potassium is poor in relation to the percentage in soil. The present study indicates that percentage of sodium present in plant is poorest among the other minerals.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Ecological studies are directed towards determining the influence of environment on the life of plants and crops. Environmental conditions are basically important because they effect individual life processes and there is a close interrelationship between what an individual plant needs to support life, the flourish and to reproduce successfully and the conditions prevailing in its environment. Salisbury (1959) has observed that the success of any types of plant will depend upon its capacity to flourish and reproduce under prevailing environment.

The aim of autecological investigations has been the study of interrelationships of different environmental conditions on the life processes of a single plants species. Such studies help a great deal in understanding the behaviour of a particular plant, important from man’s point of view, such as a crop plant, a medicinally useful plant, a forest tree or a weed. Autecological understanding has found increasing practical application in the fields of agriculture, silviculture, soil conservation, water conservation, weed control, flood control and desert etc. If it’s broad prospective autecology is more often approach towards the study of life processes of a plant rather than a limited branch of study. Sometimes it is preferred to call it “biology of individual species” instead of autecology.

 

OBJECTIVE:

Present study undertaken to know in detail of the phytosociology and morphology of Cassia tora Linn. of family Caesalpinoidae as well as the physiological process that evolves in the germination and the relation between the plant and the soil.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant selected for the present study is Cassia tora Linn. a member of family Caesalpinoideae. In the phytosociolgy studies quantitative characteristics viz. frequency, density, abundance was estimated in selected areas of the study region using the quadrate of M², random quadrate was used. Water uptake by growing seedling up to a period of 16 days is determined by volumetric method. Protein nitrogen and soluble nitrogen were estimated separately by usual Trichloro acetic acid (T.C.A) precipitation of proteins and Micro-kjeldahl determination (Thiman and Loloraya, 1960). Soil and plant samples were analysed for different mineral element contents.

 

Taxonomy and Morphology:

Cassia tora Linn. belong to family caesalpinoideae under leguminoceae. According to Hunchinson this family belong to order leguminales. This order is 7^th order of Angiospermae. Order Leguminales have 3 families (Hutchinson) (i) Mimosoideae (ii) Caesalpinoideae (iii) Papilionaceae (Fabaceae).

 

 

 

 

Table-1: Taxonomy and morphology of Cassia tora Linn.

 

 

 

Floral character plays the key role in pollination more particularly in the entemophyllus plants (Faegri, 1966). Generally Cassia tora Linn. exhibit entemophyllous pollination, the presence of bright yellow colour of corolla and presence of nectories attract some insects. Thus entomyphilly is common.

 

The availability of the pollinators depends upon blossom preference, relative abundance of plant species in question and state and duration of its flowering period (Percival, 1965). It is noteworthy in the context of Cassia tora that it flowers at such a time when adjoining flora has lesser attraction due to non-availability of flower and fragrance.

 

Phytosociological study:

It is through a series of complicated interactions and reactions that phytosociological interrelationships of any plant community are established various climatic, edaphic and biotic factors combine together to determine the floristic composition of a particular plant community (Dangwal et al.2010; Seshagiri et al. 2013).

 

In the present studies, quantitative characteristics viz. frequency, density, abundance were estimated for weeds associates of the plant in study area. Random quadrate method ( Mishra and Puri, 1954; Pandeya, 1961, 1964; Mishra et al. 2015;Tiwari et al.2014) was used for estimation of frequency, density and abundance. The quadrate used was M². The quadrate was thrown in selected fields of study area. Case was taken to choose only those spots where minimum of disturbances were expected to taken place and the plant associations were considered as the nearest available approach towards natural ones. Associates and weeds of different species were counted each time and average was calculated from the data for each of study the results are summarised in Table.

 

 

 

 

 

Table – 3: Frequency, Density, Abundance of common associates of Cassia tora Linn.

 (Frequency class: A=7, B=5, C=3, D=2, E=3)

 

 

Fig.1: Rankiers Frequency Histogram of common associates of Cassia tora Linn.

 

Frequency Formula:                    A > B> C <D >E

It was observed that there was appreciable variance in frequency, density and abundance of associates in the locality of study area, there is also variance in the qualitative characters of associates, Frequency of some weeds was observed to go up to 90%.

 

During the course of present study it was found that there was 20 associates in the locality, out of them Evolvulus, numularis, Alysicarpus vaginalis, Cynodon dactylon, Anicostema litorale, Desmodium trifolium, Euphorbia hirta, Heylandia latebrosa, Boerhavia diffusa are very common with high frequency while Ziziphus jujuba, Lippia nodiflora, Echinoclova cotona, Achyranthus aspera, Indigophera arrecta are with very poor frequency in the locality of study area.

 

Histogram in Fig. 1 indicates that vegetational pattern of the community to which Cassia tora Linn. belongs is normal and similar to Raunkiaer’s system of normal frequency diagrams .

 

Water uptake by germinating seeds and seedlings:

Water uptake by growing seedling up to a period of 16 days is determined by volumetric method. Seed germination and seedling formation are the initial stages in the development history of plant. Dry seeds contain no more than 5-10% of water. This is the cause of extremely low rate of metabolism in such seeds. When seed comes in contact with water it imbibes. A relationship exists between germination of seed and water potential (Owen, 1952).

 

Initially there is a rapid uptake of water by the seed which is usually attributed to a simple physical wetting of the seed tissue. This is followed by a lower uptake. When the metabolic activities of the seed starts with the development of new tissues, formation of new leaves and functioning of stomata, water requirements show speedily rise of water uptake of developing seedlings Cassia tora Linn. of the first fortnight has been marked out. The results are summarized in table.

 

Table – 4: Water uptake by germinating seeds and seedlings of Cassia tora Linn.

(Note-data  calculated per seed and seeding) 

 

Dry seeds absorb water very slowly and in 48 hrs. in the present study same was observed. But after water enters in the seed the embryo become active and cell division start very fast, during this time the stored protein also break down and gradually seedling emerges thus rate of absorption of water increases and that in due to formation of new tissue this was also been reported by Sukla (1977), Sharma (1980), Dubey (1981) in different plants. In the present study of water uptake in seed and seedlings of Cassia tara Linn. same types of results are obtained. In the beginning the absorption rate was 0.001 cc/seed but when seedling appeared rate gradually increased and went up to 0 .065 c.c. even.

 

Estimation of Protein Nitrogen and Soluble Nitrogen Ratio:

The germination of a seed and subsequent growth of the resulting seedling produce marked changes in the nitrogenous constituents of the seed. The most prominent of these are:

1.     The breakdown of seed protein and malic acid.

2.     The appearance of free amino acids and amines.

3.     The synthesis of new protein and malic acid in the growing seedling.

 

It has long been known that germination of a seed results in a steady decrease in that protein content of the seed itself and concomitant in increase in free amino acids and amides (Chibnall, 1939) completely satisfactory balance studies of protein broken down and soluble compound formed are not available, although present day techniques would permit such studies to be made.

 

In non dormant seeds, active metabolism evidently commences soon after they are placed under conditions favourable for germination. The emergence of radicle in the primary criterion of germination depends upon cell division and elongation and both are controlled by different factors. Metabolism of few germination seeds is worked out e.g. Rai and Laloraya (1967) and Benerji and Laloraya (1967) studied the metabolic changes in Lettuce seedlings treated with Gibberellin and Kinetin respectively.

 

In the present study the protein nitrogen and soluble nitrogen was estimated in seeds and seedlings of Cassia tora Linn. and data given in the table.

 

 

Table – 5: Protein Nitrogen and Soluble Nitrogen in seeds and seedlings of Cassia tora Linn.:

 

 

 

Fig.2: Protein Nitrogen and Soluble Nitrogen in seeds and seedlings of Cassia tora Linn.

Boumen and Varner (1965) concluded that during germination of seed, proteins are hydrolysed in the endosperm or cotyledon into peptides and amino-acids which are translocated to the growing axis. The maximum rate of hydrolysis of the storage proteins coincides with the maximum rate of the growth of the seedling. Chenny (1965) has shown that during the germination of pea nut seeds over 60% of the dry weight of cotyledons and 70% of protein is depleted. Oota et al. (1953) also concluded that reserve proteins of the seeds are broken down with concomitant rise in amino-acids and amides followed by denovo protein synthesis in the growing parts of embryo. Thus the first observable change during germination is a change in the protein to soluble nitrogen ratio (Klein, 1955). He clearly showed that there is increase in soluble nitrogen only in those seeds of lettuce which germinated and not in those which remain dormant.

 

The ratio of protein/soluble nitrogen is an important criterion to predict the growth pattern of seedlings (Lalorya, 1969). Thus Rai and Lalorya (1965) observed a lower protein/soluble Nitrogen ratio in gibberellins treated lettuce seedlings, while Banerji and Lalorya (1967) showed a higher protein/soluble nitrogen ratio in Kinetin treated lettuce seedlings.

 

The results obtained during the present study on Cassia tora clearly show that high protein/soluble N ratio exists during germination in soaked seed and seedlings. These results are similar to those obtained by Banerji and Laloraya (1967), Chatterji (1976).

 

Minerals analysis in Soil and Plant:

While climatic factors are of great importance of in determining the general character of vegetation of a place, the soil properties also have been repeatedly shown by a number of workers like Unger (1836), Thurman (1849), Dastur and Saxton (1922) etc. to play a significant role in the distribution of plant. Mishra (1944) after studying the vegetation of Rajghat ravines showed that soil type are the principal factors responsible for the existence of thorn communities.

 

The importances of certain edaphic factors like exchagable calcium have been recognised to influence the distribution of plants. Several workers (Hall 1914, Miller 1938) have investigated this aspect.

 

Soil character depends chiefly on texture or size of minerals particles and on the amount of organic matter incorporated with mineral matter Kramer (1944). Unfavourable physical properties of soil have profound effect on chemistry of the soil and on availability of plant nutrients to roots (Page and Bodmen, 1961).

 

Pearsall (1920), Mishra (1938) placed this factor next in importance to the climatic factors in determining the distribution of plants in general. Variation in soil type reflects at every stage in life cycle of plant (Maredon-Jones and Turril, 1945). Tansely (1946) has recognised edaphic factors as one of the master factors which may itself be responsible for healthy growth of plant due to intimacy of contact, plant and soil are strongly influenced by each other (Daubenmire, 1959). The facts remain that soil is the normal root environment (Norman, 1958).   

 

The soil where Cassia tora Linn. grow in nature and what relationship plants have with soil in respect of calcium, potassium, sodium were studied and results are tabulated as follows in table.

 

 

Table – 6: Exchangeable Sodium, Potassium, Calcium in Soil of Baghelkhand region:

 

Table – 7: ExchangeableSodium, Potassium, Calcium in Plant of Cassia tora Linn.

 

 

Fig.3: Exchangeable Sodium, Potassium, Calcium in Soil and Plant

The result indicates that plants have higher percentage of calcium in comparison to sodium and potassium. Though there is a variation in percentage of minerals, it has very little effect on the plant.

 

Calcium in a constituent of middle lamella and is vary essential for growth of meristems (Russe, 1950). It is an important chemical part of soil governing the distribution of certain plants like caliphates and calcifuges, Bhatia (1955). The soils under study are fairly rich in exchangeable calcium. High percentage of exchangeable calcium is mainly due to the lime stone belt which passes along this area.

 

This plant has the ability to grow in all types of soils with varying amounts of calcium. The plant tissues have no appreciable amount of calcium though it frequently occurs in calcium rich soils, hence it is not calcicole.

 

Potassium is one of the essential elements in the synthesis of amino-acids proteins from ammonium ions. The present study does not indicate any explainable relationship between the soil potassium content and the potassium contained of the plant. Soil although richest in its potassium contents yet the plants of this locality show the least percentage of potassium.

 

Sodium, lithium, Rubidium and strontium are generally termed as non essential but their functional importance can not be denied. Sodium is mostly essential for blue green algae but in higher plants it is known to regulate the transport of amino acids to the melens and therefore, controls the synthesis of nueboprotein.

 

The present study indicates that although the soil do not have appreciable amount of Sodium but plant have the minimum percentage.

 

CONCLUSION:

Cassia tora Linn. a rainy season flowering plant, has wide spread in open grassland. They are     widely distributed in temperate regions and they are also found in many part of our country.

 

Cassia tora Linn. is a herb with pinnetly compound leaf and light yellow colour of flower. There is pulvinus at the base of petiole. There is large number of associates and some are with very high frequency. But vegetation of the area where it grows is of normal Raunkier forms. Pollination is generally entemophyllus type.

 

The seed absorbs water very slowly by when the cell become active and all starts forming the radicle and plumule the rate of absorption increases in faster speed.

With the germination and absorption of water, the protein is hydrolysed into amino acid, with the increase in percentage of soluble nitrogen. Being a leguminous plant the percentage of nitrogen is high and ratio of protein and soluble nitrogen is also.

 

Within formation of seedling the ratio of protein and soluble nitrogen increases as soluble nitrogen percentage is high in case of seedling.

 

In soil plant analysis it was observed that plant tissues are not having appreciable amount of calcium though it is growing in calcium rich soil. Potassium is poor in relation to the percentage in soil. The present study indicates that percentage of sodium present in plant is poorest among the other minerals.

 

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Received on 06.02.2017          Modified on 13.07.2017

Accepted on 12.08.2017       ©A&V Publications All right reserved