Primary Research Paper
Impatiens arguta Hook. f. & Thomson and Sarcopyramis nepalensis Wall.:
Two less known Threatened and potential Ethnomedicinal plants documented
from Singalila National Park, Darjeeling Himalaya in India
Subhasis Panda1 and the Nepalese community of Singalila National Park
1
Angiosperm Taxonomy & Ecology Laboratory, Post-Graduate Deptt. of Botany, Darjeeling
Govt. College, Darjeeling-734101, University of North Bengal. E-mail: bgc.panda@gmail.com
Abstract
During the course of field visit to different localities of Singalila National Park (SNP) in
Darjeeling Himalaya, the author documented a few threatened populations of two
ethnomedicinal plants in and around Singalila National Park area (along 30 km area) from May
2013 to December 2014. After a critical studies, these two plants are identified as Impatiens
arguta
Hook.f.
&
Thomson
(Balsaminaceae)
and
Sarcopyramis
nepalensis
Wall.
(Melastomataceae). During the course of field visits to different localities of SNP, I. arguta was
collected at Gairibans and near Kaiankata, while S. nepalensis was traced at three different
locations viz., Gairibans, Kaiankata & Gurdung in Sept. 2014. Populations were scanty at
different localities in both species. The Nepalese of these areas reported that extract of corollas
of I. arguta is used for the treatment of carbuncle, abdominal pain and urinary troubles, while
juice of stems of S. nepalensis is used for curing blood dysentery since time immemorial.
Key words: Ethnomedicinal plants, threatened, SNP, Darjeeling, India.
Introduction
Singalila National Park (SNP) is a transboundary protected area with Nepal. SNP is located at
27°14´ N and 88° 07´E, on the north-western part of Darjeeling District. Total area is about 78.6
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sq. km. It is bordered on the north by the state of Sikkim, west by the country of Nepal while
south & east by the state of West Bengal (Map 1). The Core Area of Singalila National Park is
located on the Singalila Ridge at altitudes ranging from 8000 – 12000 ft in Darjeeling district of
West Bengal, although the average altitude of the Buffer area is about 6000 ft. The Park was
declared as wildlife Sanctuary in 1986, and was made as the National Park in 1992. Two highest
peaks Sandakphu (3630 m) and Phalut (3600 m) are located on the ridge and inside the Park.
Rivers Rammam and Srikhola flow down through the Park. SNP starts just after Tumling and
continues up to Phalut through Gairibans, Kaiankata, Kalapokhri, BK Bhanjang, Sandakphu, and
Sabargram (Sabarkum) trek route on one way, while from Phalut to Srikhola village through
Gorkhey, Molle, Rammam on another second trek route. Besides, another third way is also
existing directly from Sandakphu via Gurdung up to Srikhola.
Place of Map 1
2
During the course of field visits under University Grants Commission’s Research Project, the
author collected and documented a few threatened populations of two ethnomedicinal plants in
and around Singaliala National Park area (along 50 km area) from May 2013 to December 2014
in different seasons viz., May 2013, November 2013, March 2014, May 2014, September 2014
and December 2014. After a critical studies, these two plants are identified as Impatiens arguta
Hook. f. & Thomson (Balsaminaceae) and Sarcopyramis nepalensis Wall. (Melastomataceae).
During the course of field visits to different localities of SNP, Impatiens arguta was collected at
Gairibans and near Kaiankata, while S. nepalensis was traced at three different locations viz.,
Gairibans, Kaiankata & Sandakphu-Gurdung hillside slopes in Sept. 2014. Populations were
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scanty at different localities in both species. No detailed studies were made in respect to these
two species either taxonomically or ethnobotanically, except the present work.
Probably J. D. Hooker was first to explore the present area of this Park extensively in AprilAugust, 1848 during his voyage to the Himalayas and he published 7-volumed books “Flora of
British India” (1875 – 1897) which are considered as the first documentation. Since Hooker,
several other workers like C. B. Clarke (published in J.D. Hooker’s Flora of British India),
Gamble (1896), Biswas & Chopra (1956), Hara (1966), Biswas (1966), Mukherjee (1988), Das
(1995, 2004), Saini (2000), Gurung & Palit (2007), Lama (2004), Rai (2006), Debta &
Chowdhury (2006: unpublished), Panda (2012), Panda & Reveal (2012) surveyed the area and
documented floristic elements in various ways, but very little or no investigations regarding
Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) and conservation on Threatened taxa including these
two species were made. Therefore, a detailed investigation on these two species regarding field
description for easy identification purpose, documentation of Threatened categories, their
Traditional Knowledge and finally their conservation aspects is discussed.
Material and methods
The present work is the result of a critical study of literature in libraries and specimens in
herbaria as well as in the field. The work was carried out in the laboratory of Angiosperm
Taxonomy & Ecology, Post-Graduate Department of Botany, Darjeeling Govt. College and
partly at Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah. In the first phase,
published and documented ethnomedicinal plants of Singalila National Park were listed based on
consulted literature and herbarium data. To collect the literature following libraries were
consulted: Central National Herbarium (CAL), Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, Botanical
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Survey Sikkim Himalayan Circle (BSHC), Gangtok and Lloyd Botanical Garden, Darjeeling.
Herbaria such as Central National Herbarium (CAL), Industrial Section Indian Museum (BSIS),
Kolkata, and Lloyd Botanical Garden Herbarium, Darjeeling were visited for herbarium
consultations.
For detailed study, floral parts of these two live plants were dissected and examined. The
terminology for different external morphological characters were followed mainly Lawrence
(1951), Featherly (1954), Stearn (1983), Radford (1986) and Veldkamp in Vogel (1987). All
measurements were given in metric system. In case of herbarium specimens, after the evaluation
of the annotations of earlier workers on the herbarium specimens and comparing them with the
type specimens and protologues and with collected live materials, a detailed field description of
these two species were made.
Besides the study of specimens in different herbaria, studies were conducted to observe the
plants in their natural habitats, to record the colour of flowers, fragrance and indumentum, the
range of variations, their abundancy and rarity, presence of nectaries, altitude, habitat and to
assess the conservation status.
For ethnomedicinal investigation, the first hand Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) or
information were recorded during field visits at different localities in Singalila National Park
(Tumling, Gairibans, Kaiankata, Kalapokhri, Sandakphu, Sabargram, Phalut, Gorkhey, Molle,
Rammam, Gurdung and Srikhola villages) through an oral interviews of experienced and elderly
tribal people, local medicinemen and field guides. Detailed information regarding local names(s),
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part(s) used, mode of administration or preparation and dosimetry are recorded in the field note
book. Botanical identity is confirmed with herbarium consultations in Central National
Herbarium (CAL). Important voucher specimens are deposited in the laboratory of Angiosperm
Taxonomy & Ecology, Botany Deptt., Darjeeling Govt. College, Darjeeling.
Authors of scientific names are abbreviated according to Brummitt and Powell (1992), Authors
of Plant Names. Books title are abbreviated according to Stafleu and Cowan (1976 – 1988),
Taxonomic Literature (ed.2, vols. 1 – 7), Stafleu and Mennega (1992 – 2000), Taxonomic
Literature, suppl. vols. 1 – 6. Herbarium acronyms are followed according to Holmgren et al.
(1990), Index Herbariorum, part 1 (ed.8).
Results
1. Family: Balsaminaceae
Impatiens arguta Hook. f. & Thomson, J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. London 4: 137. 1860; Hook. f.
in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 470. 1875; Biswas, Pl. Darj. Sikim Himal. 1: 207. 1966; H. Hara,
Fl. E Himal. 1: 194. 1966; 2: 74. 1971 & 3: 78. 1975; H. Hara in H. Hara & Williams, Enum. Fl.
Pl. Nepal 2: 78. 1979; Grey-Wilson in Grierson & Long (eds.), Fl. Bhutan 2(1): 92. 1991;
Akiyama et al., Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus. Ser. B. 21 (4): 151-168. 1995; Vivekananthan et al. in
Hazra et al. (eds.), Fl. India 4: 120. 1997; Yilin et al., Fl. China 12: 81. 2007. Type: India,
Sikkim, 5000-7000 ft, JDH 101, Kew Barcode no. K000694618 (K!). I. gagei Hook. f. in Hook.,
Icon. Pl. ser. 4: t. 2951. 1913. (Fig. 1)
Vernacular name: Turie (Nepalese of Gairibans & Kaiankata, Darjeeling).
Description based on field data: Perennial herb up to 60 cm high; lamina lanceolate, ellipticlanceolate to very rarely ovate-lanceolate, leaf apex caudate-acuminate, acuminate to very rarely
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acute, leaf margin argute-serrate (finely serrate); inflorescence 1-2-flowered; flowers pinkishviolet to purple-red; outer 2 lateral sepals ovate with cuspidate-acuminate apex; lower sepal
saccate and narrowed into an incurved, short spur, spur yellowish; upper petal orbicular, purplered, lateral united petals not clawed, 2-lobed; capsule narrow, stout, linear, green; seeds glabrous,
grey-white (submature).
Distribution: India— (E Himalayas—Sikkim, Darjeeling in West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh;
Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya); Nepal, Bhutan, SW China, N Myanmar at altitudes ranging
from 1800 to 2900 m.
Habitat: Growing in moist and shady places of rocky slopes.
Status: Threatened---two populations surveyed, viz., i. Gairibans population consisting of 10
individual plants in approx. 10 m2 area.,GPS location: 27°.0´44´´N and 88°.10´33´´E, altitude—
ca. 8600 ft, and ii. Kaiankata population consisting of 7 individual plants in approx. 20 m2 area,
GPS location: 27°.0´48´´N and 88°.10´47´´E, altitude—ca. 9200 ft.
Flowering: Late July –early October.
Fruiting: August-November.
Ethnomedicinal ITK: Fresh and washed corollas (7-10 per day for 2 days) are mixed with 30 ml
of water and taken to relieve from abdominal pain, urinary or kidney problems (10-12 flowers
per day for 10 days) and carbuncles (4-5 corollas are made into paste and applied)---This oral
interviews were conducted with the Nepalese knowledgeable persons at Gairibans & Kaiankata
villages on 20th & 21st September, 2014 during field visit to Sandakphu. They are habituated with
these traditional herbal drugs since time immemorial, as they are living far from cities & towns,
they have no other means to cure diseases except traditional natural herbal drug plants, because
they prefer to live in forest-dominated area.
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Specimen examined: Singalial National Park, Darjeeling, Gairibans, 27°.0´44´´N and
88°.10´33´´E, 8600 ft, 20/09/2014, S. Panda 167 (Darjeeling Govt. College Herbarium).
2. Family: Melastomataceae
Sarcopyramis nepalensis Wall., Tent. Fl. Nepal. 1: 32, t. 23. 1824; C. B. Clarke in Hook. f., Fl.
Brit. India 2: 541. 1879; Chen Jie & S.S. Renner, Fl. China 13: 388. 2007. Type: Nepal, Wallich
4088, Kew Barcode no. K000867700 (K!). Synonyms: Sarcopyramis lanceolata Wall. ex Benn.,
Pl. Jav. Rar.: 214. 1844. Phyllagathis chinensis Dunn, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 38 (267): 360. 1908.
Sarcopyramis dielsii Hu, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. Bot. 7: 216. 1936. S. nepalensis Wall. var.
maculata C. Y. Wu & C. Chen, Fl. Yunnan. 2: 121. 1979. (Fig. 2)
Vernacular name: Charibang (Nepalese of Gairibans & Gurdung, Darjeeling).
Description based on field data: Perennial herb up to 35 cm high; stem 4-sided, winged,
succulent, glabrous; lamina ovate to ovate-lanceolate, leaf apex acuminate, leaf margin serrate;
adaxial suface beset with a few strigose white hairs; inflorescence 1-3-flowered; flowering bract
subsessile, foliaceous green; pedicels 4-sided, slightly winged; hypanthium 4-sided, narrowly
winged, brownish-green with 4 lobes; corolla 4-lobed, pinkish-purple; capsule cup-shaped, 4sided, brownish-red.
Distribution: India— (E Himalayas—Sikkim, Darjeeling in West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh;
Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya); Nepal, Bhutan, SW China; N Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Philippines at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 3000 m.
Habitat: Growing in moist and shady places of rocky slopes, mostly along wet nullah, on the
bank of spring.
Status: Extremely Threatened---three populations surveyed, viz., i. Gairibans population
consisting of 4 individual plants in approx. 20 m2 area, GPS location: 27°.0´44´´N and
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88°.10´33´´E, altitude—ca. 8600 ft, ii. Kaiankata population consisting of 6 individual plants in
approx. 10 m2 area, GPS location: 27°.0´48´´N and 88°.10´47´´E, altitude—ca. 9200 ft.
and iii. Gurdung population consisting of 3 individual plants in approx. 20 m 2 area, GPS
location: 27°.27´4´´N and 88°.29´41´´E, altitude—ca. 8000 ft.
Flowering: Late July –early October.
Fruiting: Late August-November.
Ethnomedicinal ITK: Juice of fresh and washed stems and petioles (50 ml per day for 5 days)
are taken to cure blood dysentery---This oral interviews were conducted with the Nepalese
knowledgeable persons at Gairibans, Kaiankata and Gurdung villages on 20th, 21st and 22nd
September, 2014 during field visit to Sandakphu.
Specimen examined: Singalial National Park, Darjeeling, Gairibans, 8600 ft, 20/09/2014, S.
Panda 169; Gurdung, 27°.27´4´´N and 88°.29´41´´E, 8000 ft, 22/09/2014, S. Panda 192
(Darjeeling Govt. College Herbarium).
Acknowledgements
The author thanks University Grants Commission, New Delhi for sanctioning minor research
project for studying threatened ethnomedicinal plants in Singalial National Park, Darjeeling
Himalaya. The Author is also grateful to Dr. P. Lama, Officer-In-Charge and Dr. A.
Bhattacharya, Head Deptt. of Botany for providing necessary facilities during this work. Finally,
the author is thankful to the local Nepalese communities of SNP area for their cooperation and
disclosing first hand indigenous traditional knowledge during oral interviews.
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