Vol.

7 (1), 2010 BIOINFOLET 7 (1) : 73-76, 2010

77

SEED ORNAMENTATION STUDIES IN SOME CLEOME SPECIES

V. T. Aparadh and B. A. Karadge Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416004.

ABSTRACT Present study deals with SEM studies on seed surface morphology of six Cleome species viz Cleome viscosa, C. gynandra, C. speciosa, C.simplicifolia, C. chelidonii and C. monophylla. Seeds of all the Cleome species were circular, curved and more or less horseshoe shaped with various seed ornamentations. Key words : Cleome, seed morphology, S.E.M.
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Cleome is the largest genus from family Cleomaceae comprising 180 to 200 species widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Cleome viscosa, C. gynandra and C. chelidonii have many medicinal applications, i.e. in rubifacient and counter irritant preparations, against rheumatism and headache (Sungwari and Supanee, 2006). Cleome viscosa is bushy aromatic herb with glandular trichomes, seeds of which are rich in unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid and phytosterol (Rukmini, 1978). The seeds are anthelmintic and useful in fever, diarrhea and infantile convulsion (Asolkar et al., 1992). In the present investigation an attempt has been made to study the seed surface morphology of these species with scanning electron micrographs (SEM). Seeds of Cleome viscosa L., C. simplicifolia (Comb) Hook f and Thoms, C. gynandra L., C. speciosa Raf., C. chelidonii L.f and C. monophylla L. grown in wire house at the Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, were collected for the analysis. Entire seeds and their surfaces were examined by using JEOL JSM-6360 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). For this purpose the seeds were mounted in aluminium stum for sputtering process and then the ornamentation was examined. The SEM observations for the seeds of all

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the Cleome species have been shown in Plate 1 and 2 and recorded in Table 1. It is evident that seeds of all the Cleome species studied are strongly curved and nearly circular, more or less horseshoe shaped. However, the seed ornamentation varied greatly (Table 1.) Lupita (2005) also found that Cleome has curved , nearly circular and more or less horseshoe shaped seeds. He has studied the seeds of some South American species e.g. Cleome monophylla, C. lechleri, C. sparsifolia, C. microcarpa, C. tucumanensis, C. anomala, C. viridoflora, C. chilensis, C. chapalaensis and C. stylosa. He has also observed a great variation in the seed ornamentation. It appears that seeds of every Cleome species have their own ornamentation characteristics which will be helpful in identification of plant species on the basis of seed ornamentation. The seeds of cleome also exhibited a small and narrow or large and spherical space referred to as cleft. The two ends of horseshoe are very clear and referred to as claws. Cleft in case of seeds of Cleome speciosa, C.simplicifolia and C. chelidonii appeared to be larger as compared to that in other species studied. References : Asolkar, L.V., Kakkar, K. K. and Thokre, O. J.

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BIOINFOLET 78 74

PLATE - I : Scanning Electron Microphotographs of seeds of some Cleome species (x 20 to 50m)

Vol. 7 (1), 2010

79 75

PLATE - 2 : Scanning Electron Micrograph of seeds of some Cleome species (x300 to x500 m) showing Ornamentation Pattern

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BIOINFOLET Table 1: Type of surface ornamentation in Cleome species Plant species Cleome viscosa L. Cleome simplicifolia (Comb) Hook f and Thoms Cleome gynandra L. Cleome speciosa Raf. Cleome chelidonii L.f Cleome monophylla L.
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80 76

Seed ornamentation Verrucate / granulate, transversly ridged Microreticulate/ striato reticulate Bireticulate Regulae/ free standing columellae Bireticulate Baculae Longitudinally striated and slitely ridged

Cleft cavity Open very narrow Open large Open vey narrow Inner side claws are fixed towards inner side (Closed) Open and large Open and very narrow

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(1992). Second Supplement to Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants with Active Principles PID, CSIR, New Delhi pp 215 Lupita, S. A. (2005) Annals of the Missouri

Botanical Garden, 92 (2) :17 Rukmini, C. (1978). Indian J Med Res, 67: 604 Sungwari, S. and Supanee, P.(2006) Agricultural Sci. J. 37:5(suppl.): 232