Humboldtia bourdillonii

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Humboldtia bourdillonii
Humboldtia bourdillonii.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Humboldtia
Species:
H. bourdillonii
Binomial name
Humboldtia bourdillonii
Prain

Humboldtia bourdillonii is a species of endangered plant, endemic to the Western ghats in India. It is a legume in the family Fabaceae. It is also known by the Malayalam name Adimundan. [2]

Contents

Description

These trees can grow up to 15 to 20 meters high. It has smooth bark. The leaves have 6-8 leaflets. The flowers are pink in color displaying corymb inflorescence and grows on the trunk. The young seeds are pale red in color and turns brown on maturity with each pod having 3 to 5 seeds. Flowering is from November to January and fruiting season is from January to May. [3]

Distribution

This tree was described by David Prain based on the collection of T.F. Bourdillon from the Peermade ghats of Kerala in 1904. [4] It was rediscovered in 1998 from Periyar Tiger reserve. [5] [6] It is often seen growing near streams, rivulets of low elevation ever green forest patches at an altitude ranging from 200 to 1200 meters. Recent research discovered population of these trees further south in the Kulamavu forests and Vagamon of Idukki district. [3] [7]

Threats and Conservation

As per IUCN assessment done in 2024, an estimated 6000 mature trees exist in the wild close to the threatened riparian evergreen rain forests of the Western ghats. The population near Vagamon is under pressure from tourism related development. Thrips and weevils were seen causing damage to the flowers and seed pods. Short distance seed dispersal, land slides induced by climate change were noticed to be other threats. [2] [5] [8]

Conservation efforts for this tree species were attempted by Kerala Forest Research Institute where seedlings were planted in protected environment. [8] Different techniques of propagation were also being resarched. [9]

References

  1. ↑ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1998). "Humboldtia bourdillonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 1998: e.T31187A9606349. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T31187A9606349.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 IUCN (2024-03-25). Humboldtia bourdillonii: Amitha Bachan, K.H. & Devika, M.A.: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T31187A201031094 (Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature. doi:10.2305/iucn.uk.2024-2.rlts.t31187a201031094.en.
  3. 1 2 Balan, Anoop P.; Robi, A. J.; Predeep, S. V. (2019-11-26). "Notes on the extended distribution of Humboldtia bourdillonii (Fabales: Fabaceae), an Endangered tree legume in the Western Ghats, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 11 (14): 14886–14890. doi:10.11609/jott.5424.11.14.14886-14890. ISSN   0974-7907.
  4. ↑ Prain, D (1904). Some new Indian Plants. Vol. v.73:pt.2, Suppl.:v.73:pt.2 (1904). Calcutta: Bishop's College Press. pp. 192–206.
  5. 1 2 Jithu K. Jose; K. Anuraj (2023-10-26). "Threats faced by Humboldtia bourdillonii Prain (Magnoliopsida: Fabales: Fabaceae), an endangered tree endemic to the southern Western Ghats, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 15 (10): 24148–24150. doi:10.11609/jott.8646.15.10.24148-24150. ISSN   0974-7907.
  6. ↑ Surendran, Saranya; Prabha, A. Chandra; Ramasubbu, Raju; Krishnaraj, M. V. (2021-08-01). "Humboldtia Vahl (Fabaceae): A review on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology". Phytomedicine Plus. 1 (3): 100080. doi:10.1016/j.phyplu.2021.100080. ISSN   2667-0313.
  7. ↑ Jose, Rahul; Vincent, E. J.; Subin, K.; Jose, P. A.; Pandurangan, A. G. (2020-07-31). "New Population Records and Ecology of Humboldtia bourdillonii (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) - A Critically Endangered Tree of Southern Western Ghats, Kerala". Nelumbo: 40–45. doi:10.20324/nelumbo/v62/2020/140565. ISSN   2455-376X.
  8. 1 2 Erulappan, Marimuthu Muthu; Muthuchelian, Prof.K. (2024), Restoration of Two Endangered Tree Species from Southern Western Ghats Through Ex Vitro Propagation, doi:10.2139/ssrn.4843925 , retrieved 2025-07-15
  9. ↑ Swarupanandan, K; Indira, EP; Pandalai, RC; Jose, PA (December 2013). Species recovery of Dipterocarpus bourdillonii and Humboldtia bourdillonii, two critically endangered endemic trees of Western Ghats (PDF) (Report). Kerala Forest Research Institute.
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