PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS ON DROUGHT RESISTANCE IN SELAGINELLA
S. N. SHARMA *
Department of Botany, Government College, Ajmer 305001
SHARDA VERMA *
Department of Botany, Government College, Ajmer 305001
T. N. BHARDWAJA *
Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Quantitative estimation of total soluble sugars, starch, proteins, amino acids, phenols and phosphorus contents in entire plants of both the Rajasthan species of Selaginella (S. rajasthanensis Gena et al. and S. repanda (Desv.) spring) have been carried out. Total soluble sugars, proteins, phenols and free amino acids were quite abundant in S. repanda in comparison to S. rajasthanensis. Ecologically, S. repanda is a species which withstands drier and harsher atmospheric conditions and the abundance of soluble sugars suggests some metabolic basis of its potential to continue growth during period of enhanced dryness as compared to S. rajasthanensis. A higher level of phenols provides additional mechanism to S. repanda to withstand extremes of environmental conditions of Rajasthan specially drought resistance.
Keywords: Drought resistance in Selaginella, Comparative ecology, Phytochemistry