238
H. K. Chauhan et al.
2018, 2019). The plant remains with single leaf stage for several years and continue to increase the biomass of rhizome. When the threshold of the biomass is
accumulated in the rhizome; the cycle of several years with non-flowering proceed
to flowering stages. At each new season, the plant may revert to the previous stage,
presumably if the rhizome’s resources have fallen below a threshold (Chauhan et al.
2019). T. govanianum appears each year in April after snowmelt, and flowering
occurs in May–June. Berry maturity/leaf senescence occurs in July/August at lower,
and September/October at higher altitudes, after which the plant became dormant.
2.3 Reproduction
Trillium spp. can reproduce both vegetatively and sexually. Asexual reproduction is
less common and is almost absent in some species (Ohara and Kawano 1986; Kubota
et al. 2008), while in others it varies across populations and habitat types (Serota and
Smith 1967; Gonzales et al. 2008). On the basis of modes of reproduction, Ohara
(1989) classified Trillium species into three major groups (which were divided into
five subgroups—Table 1) including Group 1: This group includes species which
exclusively reproduce by sexual reproduction via seeds; Group 2: Species of this
group mainly reproduce by sexual reproduction by seeds but vegetative offshoots
are occasionally formed in large flowering individuals. Thus, irrespective of the
potential of vegetative reproduction, they depend mostly on the seeds for their offspring recruitments; and Group 3: Species of this group reproduce to a large extent
by vegetative reproduction, although sexual reproduction plays a role in offspring
recruitment. It is also reported that 3-leaf sterile individual rarely produces vegetative
offshoots before the sexual reproductive stage. These species occur in ecologically
unstable floodplains habitats of the coastal plains.
While considering the T. govanianum, detailed reports on reproductive biology
and ex situ conservation are not available. However, it is known that the plant reproduces sexually by forming numerous seeds and asexual reproduction occurs rarely
in older plants having large rhizomes (Chauhan et al. 2018). The pressing need is
to systematically investigate the species for understanding reproductive biology and
development of ex situ conservation mechanism.
3 Uses and Active Constituents
Trillium has a long history for its uses in traditional medicines. American species, T.
erectum is commonly known as ‘beth root’ and is used by several native North American tribes to treat childbirth pain (Chevallier 1996; Hayes et al. 2009). The Chinese
species, T. tschonoskii is used to remove carbuncles and ameliorate pain and in the
treatment of hypertension, neurasthenia, giddiness, headache, cancer, hemorrhage,
hemostasis, antihypertensive, analgesia, detumescence and rheumatism (Wang et al.
H. K. Chauhan et al.
2018, 2019). The plant remains with single leaf stage for several years and continue to increase the biomass of rhizome. When the threshold of the biomass is
accumulated in the rhizome; the cycle of several years with non-flowering proceed
to flowering stages. At each new season, the plant may revert to the previous stage,
presumably if the rhizome’s resources have fallen below a threshold (Chauhan et al.
2019). T. govanianum appears each year in April after snowmelt, and flowering
occurs in May–June. Berry maturity/leaf senescence occurs in July/August at lower,
and September/October at higher altitudes, after which the plant became dormant.
2.3 Reproduction
Trillium spp. can reproduce both vegetatively and sexually. Asexual reproduction is
less common and is almost absent in some species (Ohara and Kawano 1986; Kubota
et al. 2008), while in others it varies across populations and habitat types (Serota and
Smith 1967; Gonzales et al. 2008). On the basis of modes of reproduction, Ohara
(1989) classified Trillium species into three major groups (which were divided into
five subgroups—Table 1) including Group 1: This group includes species which
exclusively reproduce by sexual reproduction via seeds; Group 2: Species of this
group mainly reproduce by sexual reproduction by seeds but vegetative offshoots
are occasionally formed in large flowering individuals. Thus, irrespective of the
potential of vegetative reproduction, they depend mostly on the seeds for their offspring recruitments; and Group 3: Species of this group reproduce to a large extent
by vegetative reproduction, although sexual reproduction plays a role in offspring
recruitment. It is also reported that 3-leaf sterile individual rarely produces vegetative
offshoots before the sexual reproductive stage. These species occur in ecologically
unstable floodplains habitats of the coastal plains.
While considering the T. govanianum, detailed reports on reproductive biology
and ex situ conservation are not available. However, it is known that the plant reproduces sexually by forming numerous seeds and asexual reproduction occurs rarely
in older plants having large rhizomes (Chauhan et al. 2018). The pressing need is
to systematically investigate the species for understanding reproductive biology and
development of ex situ conservation mechanism.
3 Uses and Active Constituents
Trillium has a long history for its uses in traditional medicines. American species, T.
erectum is commonly known as ‘beth root’ and is used by several native North American tribes to treat childbirth pain (Chevallier 1996; Hayes et al. 2009). The Chinese
species, T. tschonoskii is used to remove carbuncles and ameliorate pain and in the
treatment of hypertension, neurasthenia, giddiness, headache, cancer, hemorrhage,
hemostasis, antihypertensive, analgesia, detumescence and rheumatism (Wang et al.