Researchers from Pune and Solapur have found a new species of ‘Viscum’, a parasitic flowering plants that grow on the stem and branches of other flowering plants, from Western Ghats of India.
The new species is named as ‘Viscum sahyadricum’ and has been published in an internationally acclaimed journal ‘Edinburgh Journal of Botany’ published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Milind Sardesai, professor at the botany department of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and Sayajirao Gaikwad of Wallchand Collge of Arts, Science and Commerce, Solapur along with S R Yadav contributed to the discovery of the species northern Western Ghats (NWG).
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“The species was discovered originally from the forest of Ajara in Kolhapur District of Maharashtra in August 2004 and later on at Kudremukh in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka state in 2008. Before coming to the conclusion, the team was studying this species in the wild and in laboratory for almost 15 years,” Sardesai said.
This parasitic genus is popularly known as ‘mistletoe’ and reported its occurrence over more than 130 species distributed throughout the tropical and temperate regions of the World whereas in India by merely 17 species.
Sardesai said the species of Viscum are classified based on the presence or absence of leaves, central flower in 3 to 5 flowered the inflorescence is male or female and other characters. Moreover, there is a dispute over the family position of this genus. Many biologists consider that it belongs to family Viscaceae, whereas some molecular biologists are of the opinion that it belongs to the family Santalaceae, a family of sandalwood.
“It is one of the unique leafless species that was found growing as a parasite on an already known parasite on Jamun tree, so it is double parasitism,” the professor said adding it camouflages itself with dried branches of its own host and therefore cannot be recognised or located very easily.
The professor said the Viscum is associated with medicinal uses known in the treatment of various cancers, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), internal bleeding, epilepsy and others. Extracts and preparations from the Viscum album have been used in the treatment of cancer for decades.
