Flowering and Fruiting Dynamics of Medicinal Plants in Relation to Climatic Conditions

R. K.S. Tiwari, K. K. Chandra

Abstract


We studied 159 medicinal plant species of 53 families, grown in nursery cafeteria for three consecutive years for their reproductive phonology. Plant species differed markedly in their response to monthly temperature, relative humidity and rainfall pattern of the area. An average 7.54% species bore regular flowering and fruiting throughout the year, 15.72% species experienced no flower, while 41.08% species were unable to form fruit. Peak flowering and fruiting was observed in August whereas in winter and summer months only few species enterd their reproductive phase. A significant positive correlation was found between reproductive phenology and rainfall, average low temperature and relative humidity while correlation between reproductive phase and average high temperature and the rate of evapotranspiration were not significant at p ≤ 0.05. Average high temperature of 30 to 31oC and average low temperature around 24oC were found most suitable to induce flowering and fruiting in medicinal plants. Low average temperature below 14oC and high temperature above 36oC was found to be adverse to flowering and fruiting of medicinal plants under study.

Keywords


Phenology; Flowering; Fruiting; Rainfall; Temperature.

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