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Background: Seed recalcitrance is a major problem associated with many tropical plants, limiting their natural regeneration. Vateria indica L. is a vulnerable and endemic tree species in South-Western Ghats of India, which is also recalcitrant. ABA and gibberellins are the most important plant hormones required for seed germination. It is the balance between ABA and GA which is responsible for desiccation tolerance in orthodox seeds. Exogenous hormones pretreatment has been also reported to influence seed germination. But such studies had been sparsely done in the case of recalcitrant seeds. This study aims to find out whether GA/ABA antagonism in recalcitrant plants is operating in the same way, like that in the orthodox seeds.Methods: The effect of the exogenous pre-soaking application of phytohormones viz. GA3 and ABA individually as well as their combinations on seed germination and growth of Vateria indica L. were carried out in the present work. The seeds were collected from April to July 2018 and the experiment was designed at Post Graduate and Research Department of Botany, Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram. When different concentrations of each phytohormone were externally given to the seeds, ABA reduced the germination and growth in almost all the concentrations. But GA3 gave better results. When combinations of GA3 and ABA were used, germination was poor in the sample where ABA was more than GA3, But in samples with same concentrations of both the hormones and with more GA3 gave better results. Result: This study clearly showed that GA3 when given externally along with ABA, might have affected the endogenous ABA in this recalcitrant seed and suppressed its retarding effect. Thus ABA/GA antagonism is working out, here, in the same way as in orthodox seeds. Since the germination of recalcitrant seeds is a less investigated area, the present study will form a basis and a lot more for further such studies.

The remarkable α-glucosidase inhibition exhibited by the acetone extract of the rhizome of Ampelocissus indica (L.) and stem bark of Vateria indica Linn. (IC50 23.2 and 1.47 μg mL−1) encouraged us to isolate the phytochemicals from these plants. (+) and (−)-hopeaphenol (1) and (2) were isolated from A. indica (L.) and V. indica Linn. respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 displayed IC50 values of 21.21 ± 0.987 and 9.47 ± 0.967 μM in an α-glucosidase inhibitory assay. The effect of glucose uptake performed by 2-NBDG in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells using flow cytometry (BD FACS Aria II, USA) showed potent glucose uptake by (+) and (−)-hopeaphenol of 31% and 26.4%, respectively. The data from an MTT cell viability assay revealed that the compounds are not toxic to the cells up to 200 μM. Molecular docking studies show that the compounds bind effectively to the active sites of the proteins 1BVN, 3A4A and 3AJ7, which supported the observed α-glucosidase inhibition. The structures of these compounds were determined by the analysis of various spectroscopic data including HRMS-ESI, 2D NMR, CD spectroscopy, optical activity and were unequivocally established by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Herein we are reporting the phytochemicals from Ampelocissus indica (L.) and their antidiabetic activities for the first time.

Tropical agro-forest landscapes are potentially valuable reserves of forest genetic resources for forestry and restoration of degraded forests. The Dipterocarpaceae is a dominant Southeast Asian family of tree species of global significance for the tropical timber industry. Very little information exists about how effective human modified landscapes are for conserving genetic diversity in dipterocarp species. This study provides a baseline for understanding how fragmented agro-forest landscapes in India sustain forest genetic resources in an endemic dipterocarp tree. We compare genetic diversity and fine-scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS) in the threatened tree species Vateria indica within an isolated and a continuous forest site in the Western Ghats, South India. We place these results in the context of dipterocarps from both the Seychelles and Borneo. Parentage analysis of 694 progeny using twelve nuclear microsatellite markers is applied to estimate pollen and seed dispersal. Using a nursery trial we evaluate effects of inbreeding on growth performance. Our results show that levels of FSGS, and gene dispersal are comparable between a small isolated and a large continuous site of V. indica. Realized long-distance pollen flow into the isolated patch appears to help maintaining genetic diversity. The nursery experiment suggests that selection favours outbred progeny. Individuals of V. indica in close proximity appear less related to each other than in another highly fragmented and endangered dipterocarp species from the Seychelles, but more related than in three dipterocarp species studied in continuous forest in Borneo. We discuss the wider implications of our findings in the context of conservation and restoration of dipterocarp forest genetic resources in fragmented populations.

A new species of the encyrtid genus Neastymachus (N. punctatiscutellum Singh, sp. nov.) is described from a female specimen collected from the Western Ghats of India. It was collected by fogging the canopy of Vateria indica L. (Dipterocarpaceae). A key to the females of the Afrotropical, Australian and Oriental species is also given.

While conducting a survey in the Western Ghats, we recently came across several populations of a mycohetertrophic orchid species, Aphyllorchis montana Rchb.f. during our ongoing ecological research in Soppinabetta forests (SBF) of Chikmagalur District in the central Western Ghats. The paper provides the details on the population structure and ecology of the species in SBFs of Sringeri. Fourteen different SBFs were surveyed to record the orchid shoots and clumps during the monsoon months from June-October in 2007 and 2008. Orchid clumps were located in five SBFs that were separated by a distance of 6 and 20 km from each other. Orchid clumps were located in the SBFs having either one of the three dipterocarp plant species, Hopea ponga (Dennst.) Mabb., Hopea parviflora Bedd. and Vateria indica L., as a dominant canopy tree. The local-scale leaf litter study showed that the leaf litter composition in the near vicinity of orchid clumps was clearly dominated by either of the above-mentioned species. This indicates that the associated host mycorrhizal fungi may be specific to the dipterocarpacean tree species. The possible reasons for the data deficient status of the species are discussed.

Phytosociological analysis reveal that Palaquium ellipticum and Knema attenuate are the common dominant species present with their co- dominants such as, Memecylon decanese, Macranga peltata, Vateria indica etc. More than fifty percent of the established seedlings are contributed by the dominant and co- dominant species. Thus there is a gradual shift of natural evergreen species composition to the more light demanding moist deciduous elements. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/apjeesd.v1i1.9508Asia Pacific Journal of Environment Ecology and Sustainable Development 2013; 1: 29-31

The spatial distribution of basidiocarps of the ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycete Russula subsect. Foetentinae was assessed in a primary forest in the Western Ghâts (India) dominated by the ectomycorrhizal tree species Vateria indica and Dipterocarpus indicus. Over a 7,700-m(2) sampling area, both trees and basidiocarps of Russula subsect. Foetentinae were mapped during the first month of the 2002 rainy season. First-order spatial analysis revealed that the distribution of the 45 collected carpophores was highly aggregated, with 60% of all basidiocarps located at a distance lower than 1 m from the nearest one. The genetic structure of the Russula subsect. Foetentinae population was studied by inter-simple sequence repeat polymorphism analysis using three primers. Eighteen of the 45 genotypes were represented by single basidiocarps. Twenty-seven basidiocarps were identified as belonging to 11 genets or separated ramets. Five genets were small, with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 5 m. The six others were large, with a diameter ranging from 31 m to a maximum measured distance of 70 m. In spite of the lack of data concerning the reproductive biology of this species, the presence of large genets suggests that mature stands may shelter well-spread underground mycelium, crucial for durable interaction with plant partner.

Pisolithus is cosmopolitan in both tropical and temperate regions and forms ectomycorrhizal as- sociations with a wide range of woody plants. Pisoli- thus indicus, a new species associated with Vateria indica (Dipterocarpaceae) is reported in this study from a dipterocarp native forest in the Western Ghats in India, using both morphological and molecular tools. The length of ITS1 and ITS2 regions of the present collection differed with other sequences of Pisolithus available in the databases. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that this species did not show sig- nificant homology with existing Pisolithus sequences reported previously and formed a separate branch linking with another Pisolithus isolate from diptero- carps. Molecular and morphological evidence showed that P. indicus is a new species associated with dipterocarps in India.

We investigated the links between slope variation and heterogeneity in tree growth and stand structure. The study was conducted in an undisturbed wet evergreen forest in India. We selected three plots situated on gentle slopes and three plots situated on steep slopes. Tree growth was considered as mean annual diameter increment. Stand structure was considered in relation to several characteristics: trunk diameter distributions, tree heights, and spatial distributions of stems and crowns. Except for the spatial structure, analyses were performed on samples including either all the species or only the dominant species (Vateria indica L.). Diameter growth varied according to slope intensity and to tree size: growth of large trees was clearly higher on steep slopes whereas growth of small trees proved lower or similar. Diameter distributions were different among the six plots, but the difference cannot be related to slope intensity. On the contrary, tree heights differed according to slope intensity: for a given diameter, trees were taller on gentle slopes than on steep slopes. Finally, stem spatial distributions showed strong regularity on gentle slopes whereas they were random on steep slopes. The observed changes between gentle and steep slopes suggest differences at tree level through a modification of its shape, but also differences in the major processes responsible for stand dynamics: competition, establishment and survival.

Conservation Genetics Resources, 5 (2), ISSN:1877-7252, ISSN:1877-7260

This study reports 11 species of macrofungi in the botanical garden and arboretum of Mangalore University. Frequent species include Clathrus delicatus, Entoloma serrulatum and Tetrapyrgos nigripes in the botanical garden, and Collybia aurea and T. nigripes in the arboretum. Five species are edible ( Collybia aurea, Lepista sp., Russula adusta, R. atropurpurea and Termitomyces microcarpus ), one is medicinal ( T. microcarpus ) and two are ectomycorrhizal ( Russula adusta and R. atropurpurea ) with critically endangered endemic tree species Vateria indica (Dipterocarpaceae). Some macrofungi grow on bark, woody litter and leaf litter, while others were found on typical lateritic soils with organic matter. Termitomyces microcarpus was common in the faecal pellets of termites in the botanical garden. Brief descriptions of species based on field and laboratory observations, along with their substrates and distribution, are given.

The Dipterocarpaceae are a globally significant family of tropical timber trees. They are especially dominant in lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia, but have a pan tropical distribution. Vateriopsis seychellarum is the sole representative of this family on the Seychelles. Historically one of the dominant canopy trees on Mahe, extensive overexploitation of this species for its timber has led to its virtual extinction. The last individuals of this species are found in small fragmented populations at lower altitudes (up to 400 m) on the island of Mahe where the total number of known reproductive adults is 112. We developed ten polymorphic microsatellite loci for this species to enable us to quantify the levels of diversity in remnant populations and to study genetic structure and contemporary gene flow. In addition we tested for cross amplification of these alleles in the closely related but geographically disjunct species Vateria indica. In Vateriopsis seychellarum the number of alleles per locus ranged from 6 to 20 (mean of 11.4 per locus) with an average polymorphic information content of 0.73 across loci. Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.40 to 0.71 with 3 of the 10 loci showing deviation from Hardy–Weinberg expectations. 8 of the 10 primers showed cross amplification in Vateria indica. These markers will help to provide a better understanding of the significance of historic distributions, gene flow and recent anthropogenic habitat degradation for the survival of widespread species in recently fragmented landscapes.

A permanent plot of 28 ha was established in a dense wet evergreen forest in the Western Ghats of India to study the functioning of the ecosystem. Since April 1990, 1981 trees of ≥30 cm gbh have been enumerated in a systematic sampling of five strips totalling 3.12 ha. This paper describes the main structural and floristic characteristics of the plot.The density (635 trees ≥30 cm gbh per hectare) and basal area (39.7 m2 ha−1) are high. Despite the high diversity (Simpson's D = 0.92 and Shannon's H' = 4.56), four species are distinctly, dominant in terms of an importance value index (relative density + relative basal area). Each of these four species occupies a different layer in the ecosystem: Humboldtia brunonis Wall. (Fabaceae) dominates the undergrowth, Myristica dactyloïdes Gaertn. (Myristicaceae) the intermediate strata, Valeria indica L. (Dipterocarpaceae) the higher canopy level and Dipterocarpus indicus Bedd. (Dipterocarpaceae) the emergents. This pronounced species hierarchy is one of the most important characteristics of the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. The two dipterocarps account for 20.1% of the total number of trees and contribute 40.9% to the total basal area. This formation can, therefore, be considered as the westernmost lowland dipterocarp forest of Asia.Analysis of the spatial variations in the floristic composition and in the structure of the main species populations shows that two kinds of mature phases can be identified: where the topography is raised and gently sloping, the vertical structure of the stand is discontinuous, with Dipterocarpus indicus and Vateria indica forming an emergent layer above a dense undergrowth; on slopes, the stand is lower, vertically continuous and saturated with Valeria indica and Myristica dactyloïdes. The link between the structure of the stand and dynamic processes is discussed.

A few solid and semi-solid fats of tree origin in India, namely sal (Shorea robusta), kokum(Garcinia indica), mahua (Madhuca latifolia), dhupa (Vateria indica) and mango (Mangifera indica), were chosen for modification into cocoa butter substitutes by lipase-catalyzed ester interchange with methyl palmitate and/or stearate. Hexane solutions of mixtures of fat and methyl ester(s) in various molar proportions were passed through a column of Lipozyme™, a lipase fromMucor miehei immobilized on a macroparticulate ion-exchange resin. The interesterified fats were purified by extraction with 95% ethanol followed by silica column chromatography. Interesterified dhupa, kokum and sal fats compared well with cocoa butter in the total fatty acid composition and the 2-position of triacylglycerols, as well as glyceride composition. In particular, interesterified kokum fat resembled cocoa butter well in solid fat content and peak melting temperature as determined by differential scanning calorimetry.

The present investigation is regarding the diversity of medicinal plants in the campus of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, Ernakulam district, Kerala. The studies of biodiversity have greater significance as ecologists try desperately to document global biodiversity. Biodiversity studies are intrinsically valuable as a means of improving our understanding of the structure and functioning of ecological communities. The campus flora of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, is not yet documented and the present paper is a document of the medicinal plants. The present investigation explored and identified 109 species of medicinal plants. Of these six threatened plant species are present in the campus namely, Petrocarpus marsupium Roxb. (Fabaceae), Borassus flabellifer L. (Arecaceae), Vateria indica L. (Dipterocarpaceae), Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. (Meliaceae), Gloriosa superba L. (Lilliaceae) and Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Wilde (Caesalpiniaceae).

Vateria indica Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 1: 515. 1753. "Habitat in India." RCN: 3878. Lectotype (Meijer in Ceylon J. Sci., Biol. Sci. 10: 77. 1972): [icon] " Paenoe " in Rheede, Hort. Malab. 4: 33, t. 15. 1683. Generitype of Vateria Linnaeus. Current name: Vateria indica L. (Dipterocarpaceae)., Published as part of Jarvis, Charlie, 2007, Chapter 7: Linnaean Plant Names and their Types (part V), pp. 911-926 in Order out of Chaos. Linnaean Plant Types and their Types, London :Linnaean Society of London in association with the Natural History Museum on page 914, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.291971

La complexité des forêts hétérogènes tropicales nous a amené à aborder la structure forestière par une approche individuelle en utilisant l'analyse architecturale. Ainsi, le développement architectural de 4 espèces parmi les plus fréquentes d'une forêt dense humide sempervirente du Sud de l'Inde, a permis de montrer l'occupation spatiale de ces plantes aux différentes étapes de leur développememt. Une étude phénologique des espèces a permis de comprendre la mise en place des différents axes dans le temps et de faire le lien avec la structure de la plante. Par l'étude de la variabilité architecturale, nous avons caractérisé les stratégies mises en oeuvre par les espèces pour accéder à leur strate forestière (une espèce de sous-bois, de sous-canopée et de canopée et une émergente) prenant en compte des facteurs du milieu tels que la lumière et la gêne physique. Pour deux de ces espèces (#Vateria indica# et #Knema attenuata#), la connaissance fine de la variabilité architecturale a permis de définir un paramètre, une " vigueur architecturale ", et avec l'utilisation de données dendrométriques de mettre en évidence une relation forte entre la forme (architecture) et l'évolution de l'accroissement en diamètre. Ainsi, l'analyse architecturale permet à partir d'observations statiques de connaître la dynamique de croissance de l'ensemble des formes de l'arbre. Combiné aux connaissances des réactions des arbres, on peut définir sur les stratégies de croissance des espèces caractérisant leurs potentialités d'occupation de l'espace. Cette démarche pourra permettre de définir un protocole visant à quantifier (puis modéliser) les étapes de transition des différentes architectures du jeune arbre à l'adulte et d'intégrer via des simulations informatiques, les effets d'interception lumineuse en ambiance forestière.