| Himalayan mayapple | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Flower and leaves | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Berberidaceae |
| Genus: | Sinopodophyllum T.S.Ying |
| Species: | S. hexandrum |
| Binomial name | |
| Sinopodophyllum hexandrum (Royle) T.S.Ying | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Sinopodophyllum is aherbaceousperennial plant in the familyBerberidaceae, described as a genus in 1979.[2][3] It includes only one known species,Sinopodophyllum hexandrum, native toAfghanistan,Bhutan, northernIndia,Kashmir,Nepal,Pakistan, and westernChina (Gansu,Qinghai,Shaanxi,Sichuan,Tibet,Yunnan).[4] Common names includeHimalayan may apple[5] andIndian may apple.
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum is low to the ground with glossy green, drooping, lobed leaves on its few stiff branches, bearing a pale pink flower and bright red-orange bulbous fruit. Theornamental appearance of the plant make it a desirable addition towoodland-type gardens. It can be propagated by seed or by dividing therhizome. It is very tolerant of cold temperatures, as would be expected of a Himalayan plant, but it does not tolerate dry conditions. Its name inHindi andAyurveda isbantrapushi orGiriparpat and is locally referred to as 'ban kakdi' in the Valley of Flowers National Park.[6][7]
The root and rhizome of the plant are poisonous, but used traditionally for medicine. They are composed of aryltetralinlignans that have anticancer, antifungal, andimmunomodulatory properties.[8] The rhizome of the plant also contains a resin, known generally and commercially as Indian Podophyllum Resin, which can be processed to extractpodophyllin (podophyllotoxin), aneurotoxin. Rhizomes contain up to 15% podophyllin.[9] In carefully administered doses, the resin can be applied topically to treat genital warts.[10]
Sinopodophyllum hexandrum grows across the Himalayan region, east to Afghanistan, and north to Southwest China.[7][8] It is reasonably abundant in theGreat Himalayan National Park ofHimachal Pradesh.[11] In the fringes of theValley of Flowers National Park, the plant's density is about one individual per square meter according to a study byC.P. Kala.[7]
Harvesting from the wild is becoming unsustainable.[12][13][14] Over-exploitation ofS. hexandrum and deforestation have resulted in its currentIUCN endangered listing.[12][15] It is also listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) in which collecting and exporting all plant parts ofS. hexandrum except for seed and pollen is illegal.[12]
A study published by Kharkwal et al. (2008) found that propagatingS. hexandrum seeds in an off-site controlled environment allowed seedlings to grow one year faster than in the field.[8] Effectiveex situ methods such as this can conserve genetic diversity while providing a substantial volume of transplants to go back out into the wild to combat over-harvesting vulnerability.
