medhika :

Morphology:

Plant habit Erect or prostrate, straight or profusely branched 20-130 cm in length Stem Circular to slightly quadrangular, greenish, often characterized by pinkish color due to anthocyanin accumulation under field condition 0.5-1 cm in diameter Leaf Simple and trifoliate, distinctly petiolate, stipulate; leaf lamina oval or orbicular with an entire margin. The petioles and leaf lamina varies form greenish to pinkish in the field 1.5-4.5 cm × 0.8-1.5 cm Petiole Pale green, pubescent, often anthocyanin tinged Very small; 0.5-1.1 mm Flower Yellow when young but white on maturity 1.6 - 2.2 cm Calyx Campanulate, pale green, pubescent 6 - 8 mm Individual sepal Pale green, pubescent 1 3 - 19 mm Corolla Papilionaceous, white, papery 1.5-1.9 cm Standard/Vexillum/Banner White, papery 1.5 - 1.8 cm Keels/Carina White, papery 6-10 mm Wings/Alae White, papery 4.5 - 5.5 mm Anther lobes Bright yellow, rectangular 1 -1.5 mm × 0.4- 0.5 mm Filament Hyaline, tubular 1. 7 - 1.9 mm Ovary Deep green, glaucous 1.8-2.5 mm Stigma Pale green, glaucous 1.5 - 2.1 mm Style Pale green/hyaline glaucous 0.2 - 0.5 mm Pollen grain Oval (70-90 %) to circular, orbicular, ellipsoidal grains (10-30 %). Hyaline; stained pink or red when treated with 0.5 % acetocarmine 0.032- 0.042 mm × 0.025 -0.027 mm Ratio of terminal to axillary flowers All flowers yellow when immature and white when matured Extremely rare, however the ratio varies as 1:8/1:10/ 1:11/1:13 Number of pods per plant and pod dimensions Pods brownish or yellowish brown with mucronate tips 2-8/plant 9.5-18.6 cm × 0.2-0.4 cm Seed Rectangular to oval in shape with deep grooves between the radicle and cotyledon Varies in color form pale brown to golden yellow 10-20/pod 3-5 mm × 2-3 mm

Histology:

Leaf anatomy -The upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) epidermis cells formed the boundary of the leaf blades as a continous covering of the leaf as observed in cross section. Epidermis was protected by a layer of cuticle. Mesophyll was differentiating into pallisade and spongy parenchymatous cells having large intercellular spaces. These cells were filled with densely packed chloroplasts along with the other cell organelles. The midrib was composed of single vascular bundle. The phloem was composed of sieve tubes, companion cells and parenchyma. Xylem was made up of rows of bluntly angular vessels interspersed with parenchyma. The anatomy of healthy fenugreek leaf is characterized by epidermis, parenchyma cells and usually by large intercellular spaces in photosynthetic areas.

Seed shows a layer of thick- walled, columnar palisade, covered externally with thick cuticle; cells flat at base, mostly pointed but a few flattened at apex, supported internally by a tangentially wide bearer cells having radial rib-like thickenings; followed by 4-5 layers of tangentially elongated, thin-walled, parenchymatous cells; endosperm consists of a layer of thick-walled cells containing aleurone grains, several layers of thin walled, mucilaginous cells, varying in size, long axis radially elongated in outer region and tangentially elongated in inner region; cotyledons consists of 3-4 layers of palisade cells varying in size with long axis and a few layers of rudimentary spongy tissue; rudimentary vascular tissue situated in spongy mesophyll; cells of cotyledon contain aleurone grains and oil globules.

Kotakkal Ayurveda - Mother land of modern ayurveda

medhika - Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn. - Fabaceae

medhika :

Morphology:

Histology:

Medicinal Plants