Girardinia diversifolia

Girardinia diversifolia, commonly known as the Himalayan nettle or Nilghiri nettle is found abundantly in open forest land, riversides, and moist habitat in Nepal and in Himalayan parts of India such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and in vast parts of China.
It grows naturally at elevations between 1,200 to 3,000 metres (3,900 to 9,800 feet).
It is a shade tolerant, tall, stout and erect herb growing up to 3m height with perennial rootstock.
The plant grows as a clump, and each clump has many stems. The stem contains bast fiber of unique quality which is strong, smooth and light.
The fabric and the things made from it are sold in local as well as national and international markets as high-end products.
Girardinia diversifolia (Himalayan nettle), a fiber-yielding plant, has become an important livelihood option for people living in the remote mountainous villages of the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

Girardinia diversifolia - Wikiwand

The plant is locally known as:

Sisaun in Kumauni language
Kandaali in Garhwali language
‘Nepalese allo
“Kungs” in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh

Uses:
G.diversifolia is largely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases such as

gastric disorders,
chest pain,
rheumatism,
tuberculosis,
headache,
joint pain,
It is also famous for the uses of the bast fiber of its bark, for making varieties of
clothing,
ropes,
mats,
sacks and other domestic implements.

Why do leaves die off in autumn?

Leaves in cold countries turning yellow and red before falling.
This usually marks the beginning of autumn. Known as leaf senescence, this process prepares the trees for the coming winter.
As a result of global warming, European trees were found to start this senescence about two weeks earlier.

No photo description available.

Researchers have now demonstrated that trees have a self-regulating mechanism that limits the photosynthesis period or the productive period.
This increased photosynthesis in spring and summer could be leading to earlier senescence.
The analyses suggested that seasonal photosynthesis, autumn temperatures, and day length were the key Lead author Deborah Zani from the Institute of Integrative.
Researchers explained that several other factors, such as atmospheric CO2 concentrations, summer temperatures, light levels, and precipitation also appear to influence senescence, but only indirectly through affecting photosynthesis.
The team arrived at the conclusion by studying six European deciduous tree species over the last six decades. They found a strong effect of photosynthesis on senescence. In years with increased photosynthesis in spring and summer, leaf senescence began earlier, with each 10% increase in photosynthetic activity advancing leaf senescence by eight days.

Trillium govanianum

The Himalayan trillium (Trillium govanianum), a common herb of the Himalayas was declared ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently.
In recent years, the plant has become one of the most traded commercial plants of the Himalayan region, due to its high medicinal quality.
It has been used in traditional medicine to cure diseases like
dysentery,
wounds,
skin boils,
inflammation,
sepsis, as well as menstrual and sexual disorders.

Trillium govanianum - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

Recent experiments have shown that the rhizome of the herb is a source of steroidal saponins and can be used as an anti-cancer and anti-aging agent.
Found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas, at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level.
The existence of the plant has been traced across India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In India, it is found in four states only-
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir,
Sikkim, and
Uttarakhand.
Often called Nagchatri, in local areas this herb grows to a height of 15-20 cm.
“There are several factors threatening the survival of the plant such as over-exploitation, long life cycle – slow to reach reproductive maturity – and poor capacity for seed dispersal.

World’s ugliest orchid

Gastrodia agnicellus, recently categorised by scientists, and also known as “the ugliest orchid in the world.”
Gastrodia agnicellus, one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020.

Gastrodia Agnicellus, World's 'Ugliest' Orchid Found in the Forests of Madagascar, Watch Video of 2020's New Plant Discovery! | 👍 LatestLY

“The 11 mm flowers of this orchid are small, brown and rather ugly,” Kew said in its list of the top 10 discoveries of the year.
The plant has no leaves or photosynthetic tissue, meaning it’s a shiny off-brown and looks like a gaping, toothless mouth.
It’s one of several species highlighted by the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew that were newly named by scientists in 2020.

Try to solve MCQs:

Q. Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of-

(a) Bio-diesel
(b) anti-malarial drug
(c) Textile fiber
(d) pulp for the paper industry

Q. What is/are the reason behind leaves die off in autumn?
1. Seasonal photosynthesis
2. autumn temperatures
3. Day length
4. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations
code:
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

For more quiz

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