Biotechnological strategies for the conservation of medicinal and ornamental climbers
Since time immemorial human beings are utilizing plants, apart from food and shelter, as medicine to cure ailments and ornamentals as aesthetic value. The recognized plants for medicinal uses mostly belong to tree, shrub and herbs, but there is another gr
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echnological strategies for the conservation of medicinal and ornamental climbers
Biotechnological strategies for the conservation of medicinal and ornamental climbers
Anwar Shahzad • Shiwali Sharma Saeed A. Siddiqui Editors
Biotechnological strategies for the conservation of medicinal and ornamental climbers
Editors Anwar Shahzad Plant Biotechnology Section Department of Botany Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
Shiwali Sharma Plant Biotechnology Section Department of Botany Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
Saeed A. Siddiqui Plant Biotechnology Section Department of Botany Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, UP, India
ISBN 978-3-319-19287-1 ISBN 978-3-319-19288-8 DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-19288-8
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015959029 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www. springer.com)
Plants become climbers, in order, it may be presumed, to reach the light, and to expose a large surface of leaves to its action and to that of the free air. This is affected by climbers with wonderfully little expenditure of organized matter, in comparison with trees, which have to support a load of heavy branches by a massive trunk. – Darwin (1865)
Preface
Climbers (lianas and vines) are one of the most interesting, but much-neglected, groups of plants. They occur in all woody ecosystems of the world. High climbers play an important ecological role in forest ecosystem dynamics and functioning, exhibiting a wonderful example of economy of nature. It allows a plant to attain maximum exposure to sunlight, water, and nutrients with minimum expense in vegetation support. Phylogenetically, climbers are found in over 125 families of flowering plants as well as among several fern groups and even in one significant gym
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