An appraisal in pollen biology and fruit set of some ethnomedicinal angiosperms in Darjeeling Himalaya

The present paper deals with pollen biology in terms of pollen productivity, pollen sterility and pollen viability in the context of fruit set of eight selected ethnomedicinally important angiospermic taxa like Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. (Ranunculaceae); Aeschynanthus sikkimensis (Cl.) Stapf. (Gesneriaceae); Curcuma zeodaria Rosc. (Zingiberaceae); Nardostachys jatamansi DC. (Valerianaceae); Panax pseudoginseng Wall. (Araliaceae); Swertia pedicillata Ban. (Gentianaceae); Thalictrum foliolosum DC. (Ranunculaceae) and Zanthoxylum oxyphyllum Edgew. (Rutaceae) growing in the vicinity of Darjeeling Himalaya. Among the investigated taxa, pollen productivity, sterility and viability were highest in Curcuma zeodaria and lowest in Swertia pedicillata. The variability and positive correlation of log values between pollen production, sterility, viability and fruit set of selected taxa were noticed. From present finding it is concluded that the pollen biology in terms of productivity, sterility, viability and fruit set showed significant variation and correlation with each other among different selected taxa and even within same taxon. The results are discussed in terms of evolutionary relationship and sexual fitness of selected ethnomedicinal plants.