Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATIONS IN ECHINOPS ECHINATUS GROWING IN URANIUM MINERALIZED AREA OF SINGHBHUM THRUST BELT, JHARKHAND.

V.K. Singh and A.K. Mishra

Abstract

Echinops echinatus, belonging to family Asteraceae, was sampled from Uranium Mineralized area of Singhbhum Thrust Belt (STB). Evaluation of natural radioactivity was carried out in the soil as well as different organs of the same plant. Various morphological parameters viz., plant height, number of branches per plant, number of leaves per plant, number of inflorescence per plant, number of florets per capitulum and number of seeds per inflorescence was recorded. The level of radioactivity was found to be elevated in the plants sampled from STB. The number of spines per leaf, number of inflorescence per plant and number of lobes per leaf recorded higher values in the plants collected from the STB. The values of other parameters were however, less than those observed in the plant collected outside the STB.