Development of conservation methods for gunnera perpensa l.: an overexploited medicinal plant in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Chigor, Chinyere Blessing

Title: Development of conservation methods for gunnera perpensa l.: an overexploited medicinal plant in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Creator: Chigor, Chinyere Blessing
Subject: Gunnera -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Subject: Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Subject: Traditional medicine -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Subject: Medical anthropology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Subject: Medical policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Date: 2014
Type: Thesis
Type: Doctoral
Type: PhD (Botany)
Identifier: vital:11311
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019832
Identifier: Gunnera -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Identifier: Medicinal plants -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Identifier: Traditional medicine -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Identifier: Medical anthropology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Identifier: Medical policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
Description: South Africa, many plants which are used in traditional medicines are collected from wild populations. The high demand for trade and use of these medicinal plants place an enormous pressure on their natural populations, especially because they are indiscriminately harvested. The most affected of these plant species are those harvested from their underground parts, among which is Gunnera perpensa L. Gunnera perpensa is of considerable ethnobotanical interest in traditional medicine because of its wide usage. The rhizomes are widely used and indiscriminately collected in large quantities from the wild to meet the ever increasing demand in traditional medicine markets. As a result, this valuable medicinal plant species is being endangered. According to the Red List of South African Plants, the conservation status of G. perpensa has been listed as ‘declining’. The ethnobotanical survey conducted as part of this research confirms the plant species as threatened. It is, therefore, important to develop propagation and conservation strategies for this medicinal plant. Clonal propagation of G. perpensa was conducted using varying lengths of the rhizome (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cm) segments as propagules. While regeneration was possible with all the rhizome lengths, most of the growth parameters were significantly higher in the 5 cm rhizomes than the other rhizome segments. The appropriate planting depth for the rhizomes was also determined and 4 or 5 cm planting depths were found appropriate. No significant difference was observed in the growth parameters amongst the planting depths; nevertheless, 4 cm depth gave higher growth and yield. The results of this study show that regenerating G. perpensa.
Format: pdf
Format: 225 leaves
Publisher: University of Fort Hare
Publisher: Faculty of Science & Agriculture
Language: English
Rights: University of Fort Hare

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