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Amarbel, Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. – An invasive alien species

Article · May 2020

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 Van Sangyan (ISSN 2395 - 468X) Vol. 7, No. 5, Issue: May 2020

Amarbel, Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. – An invasive alien species

N. Roychoudhury, Ram Bhajan Singh and Rajesh Kumar Mishra

Tropical Forest Research Institute

(Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Govt. of India)
Jabalpur -482 021, Madhya Pradesh
E-mail : choudhury_nr@yahoo.com, mishrark@icfre.org

Abstract Roychoudhury et al., 2019). FIS are of

The present article describes Cuscuta direct relevance to the forestry sector and
reflexa Roxb. (family Convolvulaceae), serious threat to forest cover. FIS can
commonly known as giant dodder or displace native plants, eliminate food and
amarbel, is one of the black listed invasive forest cover for wild life and threaten
alien species of Mediterranean origin. endangered rare plant and animal species.
Invasion of this invasive species on According to the available information,
Zizyphus mauritiana at Silpua, Maharajpur there are about 190 alien plant species of
Forest Range, Mandla Forest Division, invasive nature including FIS are found in
Madhya Pradesh is recorded. India (Reddy, 2008; Reddy et al., 2008;
Key words: Amarbel, Cuscuta reflexa, Shukla et al., 2009). Among these,
Invasive alien species (IAS) Cuscuta reflexa Roxb., a native of
Introduction Mediterranean is one of the black listed
An “invasive species” is defined as a IAS. The present article deals with this FIS
species that is non-native (or alien) to the and invasion of this invasive species on
ecosystem under consideration and whose Zizyphus mauritiana at Silpua, Maharajpur
introduction causes or is likely to cause Forest Range, Mandla Forest Division,
economic or environmental harm or harm Madhya Pradesh is recorded (Fig. 1).
to human health. The term invasive species Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. (family
refers to a subset of those species defined Convolvulaceae)
as introduced species. Human actions are Cuscuta is a group of 100-170 species of
the primary means of invasive species yellow, orange, red or rarely green
introductions. Those alien species that parasitic plants. Cuscuta belongs to the
become established in a new environment Cuscutaceae family and now on the basis
proliferate and spread in ways that are of Angiosperm phylogeny group it is
destructive to human interests and natural accepted as belonging to morning glory
systems are considered as Invasive Alien family, Convolvulaceae (Story et al.,
Species (IAS) (Goyal, 2005). IAS are 1958). Cuscuta is found at the temperate
characterized by one or more of the and tropical regions of the world with huge
following traits: rapid growth rate, large species diversity in tropical and
reproductive output, efficient dispersal subtropical regions.
capabilities and tolerance of a broad range Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. is commonly called
of environmental conditions. An invasive as the giant dodder (Anon, 2015), and also
species typical of forest ecosystem is known as amarbel or swarnalata etc. It is a
referred as Forest Invasive Species (FIS) parasitic weed plant and also an extensive
(Roychoudhury and Sharma, 2013; climber. This species grows as

 Published by Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, MP, India 16

 Van Sangyan (ISSN 2395 - 468X) Vol. 7, No. 5, Issue: May 2020

Fig. 1: Invasion of Amarbel, Cuscuta reflexa on Zizyphus mauritiana at Silpua, Maharajpur

Forest Range, Mandla Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh

homoparasite and it has very low level of Parasitism of C. reflexa is wrapping

chlorophyll and photosynthesis activity, around itself over the host plant after
completely depends over the host plant for attachment with host. Cuscuta makes
its survival. This plant sucks nutrient sap haustorial connection with the vascular
from the host plant via vascular tissue of tissue of the host plant. This haustorium is
the host plant and grows itself. This plant able to penetrate the xylem and phloem of
has no roots in the ground and it grows the host plant and attached with tissues of
over
ver the host body without touching the the host plant.
ground surface in its complete life span The flowers produce by C.. reflexa varies
(Dawson et al, 1994). C. reflexa has the in colour from white to pink. Flowers
ability not only to recognize its host plant generally produced in the early summer
but also to move towards its prey with and autumn but also depend on the
significant precision and efficiency. species. Seeds are produced in the large
Dodder plant can also choose an quantities. Seeds of this plant can survive
appropriate host between many plants on in the soil for many years in the search of
the basis of volatile compounds release by appropriate host, at this time it depends on
the host plant as their normal process of the food reserve in endosperm of the seed
transpiration (Kapoor and Sharma, 2008). (Sarma et al, 2008). Various host plants of
C. reflexa are Argyreia argentea var.

 Published by Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, MP, India 17

 Van Sangyan (ISSN 2395 - 468X) Vol. 7, No. 5, Issue: May 2020

venusta (Choisy) C.B. Clarke (family Jammu province of Jammu and

Convolvulaceae), Bougainvillea Kashmir State, India. Indian
spectabilis Willd. (family Nyctaginaceae), Journal of Weed Science, 40(1):
Clerodendron viscosum Vent. (Family 98-100.
Verbenaceae), Jatropha curcas L. (family O'Neill, A.R. and Rana, S.K. (2019). An
Euphorbiaceae), Lantana camera L. ethnobotanical analysis of parasitic
(family Verbenaceae), Mikania micrantha plants (Parijibi) in the Nepal
(L.) Kunth. (family Asteraceae), Ricinus Himalaya. Journal of Ethnobiology
communis L. (family Euphorbiaceae), and
Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. (family Ethnomedicine, 12(14). doi:10.118
Myrtaceae), Vitex negundo L, (family 6/s13002-016-0086-y.
Verbenaceae) and Zizyphus mauritiana Patel, S., Sharma, V., Chauhan, N.S. and
Lamk. (family Rhamnaceae) (Patel et al., Dixit, V.K. (2012). An updated
2012). review on the parasitic herb of
C. reflexa is a parasitic weed plant. This Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Journal of
species causes a huge loss to the crop Chinese Integrative Medicine,
plants every year (Saini et al., 2015). 10(3) : 249-255. DOI:
Many countries have laws prohibiting 10.3736/jcim20120302
import of dodder seed, requiring crop Reddy, C.S. (2008). Catalogue of invasive
seeds to be free of dodder seed alien flora of India. Life Science
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 Van Sangyan (ISSN 2395 - 468X) Vol. 7, No. 5, Issue: May 2020

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