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The Ovate-Leaf Pipevine photographed at Shirui peak in Manipur. Credit: Th Rajshree[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 27 (EMN): The Ovate-Leaf Pipevine, botanical name Aristolochia ovatifolia, a climbing shrub found in China, was spotted for the first time in India by a team of New Delhi-based website for flowers called the Flowers of India, recently.
This oval-leaf Pipevine species had been reported growing in thickets and forests in south-central China at an altitude of about 1000-2000 metres.
The flower has been featured in the ‘newly added flower first’ category of www.flowersofindia.net.
Members from the Flowers of India site spotted the plant while exploring floristic diversity at Shirui Kashung peak in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, the natural habitat of the Shiuri Lily (Lilium Mackliniae) which blooms during May-June. Sources here said that the plant was known as "Ngashanwon" in Shirui village, of Ukhrul district.
The team, which included a nature lover from Manipur Th Rajshree, took some photographs of the unidentified flowers including some of the climbing shrub, along with some other unknown plants during their trip in the recent past.
“This rare plant was spotted during our trip to the Shirui peak while exploring the natural habitat of Shirui Lily,” says Tabish Qureshi, creator of the 13-year old website. “Later, we identified the plant by consulting concerned parties. This species was not reported earlier and is a new addition to the flora of the country.”
The name ‘pipevine’ refers to unusual shape of its flowers, which look like Dutch smoking pipes.
Tabish, a physicist by profession also confirmed that there was no report of this species having been spotted in the Botanical Survey of India’s records. He said that the plant must be growing in similar climate in the Northeast but nobody has yet realised it. “Even though we did not know the economic value of plant, the rarity of the plant signifies its ecological significance,” he said.
Sharing a similar sentiment was Principal Scientist Dr. H Birkumar of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-North Eastern Institute of Science and Technology in Imphal, who has done extensive research on Himalayan biodiversity. Birkumar said they are yet to get reports of the AristolochiaOvatifolia in India. There are other species like Aristolochia Ovalifolia as well as Aristolochia Indica.