Thanks, Dr. Chris.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chris Fraser-Jenkins
Date: 17 December 2016 at 20:58
Subject: Re: Fwd: [efloraofindia:258058] medicinal plant
To: "J.M. Garg" <[email protected]>
Well there's a lot of confusion here! I must suggest with apologies that
the writer refers to a paper of my own on Sanjeevani, where for the first
time a botanist has been able to relate the range of a species to Valmiki's
Ramayana. After all, if sanjeevani grew in the western Ghats, why would
Lord Hanuman have to travel three or four times as far up to Dronagiri in
Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, in the Himalaya to collect it?
However there IS actually one species of Selaginella with even more
impressive "coming back to life" ability than the often sold Selaginella
bryopteris, and complying better with the large symbolic element in many
traditional plants (e.g. in yarsagumpa). This is Selaginella pulvinata,
which in India only grows around Dronagiri and up the valley from there in
Pithoragarh. S. pulvinata has also been found independently in China to be
a considerable medicinal plant, with among other uses, the ability to help
assuage internal hemorrhage - as Laxmana was suffering from after being
shot by the Ravana's arrow.
Anyway, have a look at this paper about it:
Fraser-Jenkins, C.R. *2013*. Sanjeevani cannot be Selaginella
bryopteris, *Indian
Fern J. **29*(1 & 2): 183-195. It is illustrated photographically.
Interestingly Ramdev, no less, who has led several fanciful wild-goose
chases after sanjeevani in the west Indo-Himalaya, has apparently persuaded
the Uttarakhand State Govt. to plan to spend many corot's of rupees looking
for sanjeevani - but I believe it is already now identified in a
respectable Indian botanical journal and is right under their noses!
Concerning the input, the species illustrated is nothing to do with
sanjeevani, and is not one of those species that exhibit a "coming back to
life" after dessication phenomenon. The writer has failed to say where the
plant was photographed (which State, at least, must be mentioned if one has
any scientific care) and whether it is natural or cultivated. It has also
been widely misidentified as Selaginella bryopteris is not at all like
that, and S. pulvinata even less so!
It is not S. rupestris, which does not occur in India at all - I
don't where people read this kind of inaccurate generalised information
from for making their wild guess! But they have evidently not seen any of
the standard pteridological literature from Indian botanists, including the
late Dr. Dixit's book on Selaginella, based on Alston's work.
It looks a little like S. subdiaphana, common in the west
Indo-Himalaya, but may be too foliose for that - could even be S. monospora
if in the N.C. Indo-Himalaya (Darjeeling, Sikkim). There are other similar
species in South India. But unfortunately the photos are inadequate to
identify Selaginella species. 1. The plants are sterile (or if not, no
details of strobili can be seen), so we can't see if they had dimorphic
sporophylls or not. 2. The photos did not include any close-up of leaves on
branches to study the diagnostic features. So I can't really hazard a
serious guess until we can see more.
But in any event, it is definitely not the species commonly held and
sold to be sanjeevani, S. bryopteris.
Interesting subject though!
Chris Fraser-Jenkins, Kathmandu.
------------------------------
*From:* J.M. Garg <[email protected]>
*To:* efloraofindia <[email protected]>
*Cc:* D.S Rawat <[email protected]>; Balkar Arya <
[email protected]>; [email protected]
*Sent:* Saturday, 17 December 2016, 16:35
*Subject:* Fwd: [efloraofindia:258058] medicinal plant
Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise please.
Some earlier relevant feedback:
Must be a Pteridophyte, *Selaginella* sp.
Selaginella spp. in eFI.
<https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species--others/m---z/s/selaginellaceae/selaginella>
DSRawat Pantnagar
Above one looks like *Selaginella rupestris* --
Regards
Dr Balkar Singh
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Prasanna Akillam* <[email protected]>
Date: 3 December 2016 at 12:16
Subject: [efloraofindia:258058] medicinal plant
To: efloraofindia <[email protected]>
<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yT4yQfwTGQI/WEJqE8cDJKI/AAAAAAAAA-I/GZa5k-eCwYETOPqwevu3-6Fu1A0mkMDUwCLcB/s1600/selaginella-sp.jpg>
According to Hindu mythology, Sanjeevani is a miraculous herb possessing
the power to cure practically any ailment! What’s most astounding in this
regard is that this herb is believed to even possess the ability to revive
the dead!
<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yT4yQfwTGQI/WEJqE8cDJKI/AAAAAAAAA-I/GZa5k-eCwYETOPqwevu3-6Fu1A0mkMDUwCLcB/s1600/selaginella-sp.jpg>
This herb is mentioned in the Ramayana when Ravana’s son Indrajit severely
injures and nearly slaughters Lakshmana. To treat Lakshmana, Hanuman was
summoned to fetch the Sanjeevani herb from mount Dunagiri located in the
Himalayas. On reaching mount Sumeru, Hanuman, unable to recognize the herb,
lifted the whole mountain, bringing it to the battle-field!
<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o0xceBIrTq0/WEJpk4B9YQI/AAAAAAAAA-A/zbNuxnTdn50q8eHpFZoJqL90tD-HIXLCACLcB/s1600/Sanjeevani-Plant-at-Coorg.jpg>
<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o0xceBIrTq0/WEJpk4B9YQI/AAAAAAAAA-A/zbNuxnTdn50q8eHpFZoJqL90tD-HIXLCACLcB/s1600/Sanjeevani-Plant-at-Coorg.jpg>
The popular word “Sanjeevani”, when translated, means “One that infuses
life”. This in turn derives from the myriad medicinal properties of this
plant; the Sanjeevani herb is thought to possess 101 types of medicinal
powers! In India, traditionally, the dry Sanjeevani has been used to treat
several human health ailments for centuries together!
The Sanjeevani plant is found in the Indian Western Ghats, especially
Coorg. This plant grows in regions that receive plentiful supply of
rainfall. Sanjeevani is extensively utilized by the tribals of Coorg called
the Kurubas, who use it as medication for wounds and ulcers. They also
drink this plant’s juice with milk and honey to stay healthy.
Interestingly, this is also a special medicine in the tribal areas.
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With regards,
J.M.Garg
'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1>
Winner of Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia
<https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/award-for-efloraofindia>.
For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora,
please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group
<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/indiantreepix> (largest in the
world- around 2700 members & 2,40,000 messages on 31.3.16) or Efloraofindia
website <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/> (with a species
database of more than 11,000 species & 2,20,000 images).
The whole world uses my Image Resource
<http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg> of more than a
thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc.
(arranged alphabetically & place-wise). You can also use them for free as
per Creative Commons license attached with each image.
Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of
India'.
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