MORPHO-CHEMICAL EVALUATION OFPodophyllum hexandrum Royle

Morpho-chemical evaluation of different population of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle was carried out with the objective 1. Inter and Intra population studies onmorphological parameters and 2. Studies on variation in podophyllotoxin in different morphotype/ population. Ten populations of Podophyllum hexandrum from North west Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh) at altitude ranging from 2050 m to 3636 m amsl were studied. Plants were observed to have different number of leaves/ plant viz single leaf, two leaves, three leaves and four leaves per plant. The plant bearing single leaf were more abundant (48.08 %) as compared to two leaved(35.35 %), three leaved (16.94 %) and four leaved plant (0.20 %). Considerable morphological variations in the lamina shape of leaf was observed and ten lamina shapes were documented.Significant variation in morphological characters was observed. The podophyllotoxin content in different plants of different population ranged from 2.93-6.31 % in roots, 2.22-8.96 % in rhizomes and 2.85%-6.95 % in whole underground part i.e. rootstock. However, no correlation between number of leaves/ plant and podophyllotoxin content in root, rhizome and rootstock was observed.