Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources

In a crop specific exploration to collect diversity in castor (Ricinus communis L.) and safflower (Carthamus tictorious L.) and its wild relatives from north-western Himalayan region and trans-gangetic plains of India (in collaboration with Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and Project Coordinating Unit-Safflower, Solapur, Maharashtra), a total of 226 accessions representing diversity mainly in wild forms of castor (134), safflower (7) and wild safflower (56) were collected. The important variability in castor included instant shattering and forceful seed ejecting types exhibiting primitiveness, small shining heavy seeds indicating high oil contents and resistance to biotic stresses, non-spiny and non-shattering types and red rose foliage types. The variability in safflower included cold tolerant types exhibiting more similarity to C. lanatus L. from Hamirpur and Kangra district (Himachal Pradesh), extreme heat and drought resistant types in Carthamus oxycantha Bieb., cold and drought resistant types in Carthamus lanatus L from Phulwama and Baramulla district in Jammu & Kashmir. The lower hills and submontane areas in Himalayan region were observed to be the storehouse for highly variable primitive forms of castor, distributed in truly wild state. The drier areas in Gurgaon, Mahendragarh and Bhiwani district of Haryana; Bhathinda, Barnala and Firozpur district of Punjab and adjoining pockets in Kathua district of Jammu & Kashmir were found to be the hot spots of variability in Carthamus oxycantha Bieb. and the nitches around Chandhara village in Phulwama District and Singhpura village in Baramulla District of Jammu and Kashmir State for Carthamus lanatus L. The ethno-botanical studies on the targeted species revealed that the local people, particularly the ethnic groups in the remote areas of northwestern Himalayan region, are heavily dependent on these plants to meet their medical requirements effectively.