Lemphu (Rhizome) of Red/Pink water Lily (Tharo Angangba) as wetland food plant in Manipur
Prof N Irabanta Singh *
Lemphu (Rhizome) of Red/Pink water Lily (Tharo Angangba) :: Pix - TSE
Introduction
The writer’s hobby is to buy vegetables from roadside market vendors of Imphal Municipal areas. Recently, he came across Lemphu (Rhizome) which is his childhood favourite snack. He interacted with the Lady who sell Lemphu. She told him that Lemphu is derived from the rhizome of red/pink lily (Tharo Angangba).
Hence, a short write up is reported for this wet land food plant in Manipur.
Red/pink water lily is botanically known as Nymphaea rubra Roxb. Ex Andrews.
Taxonomic Hierarchy includes
🌼 kingdom-Plantae,
🌼 Sub kingdom-Tracheophyta,
🌼 Clade-Angiosperms,
🌼 Division-Magnoliophyta,
🌼 class Magnoliopsida,
🌼 order-Nymphaeales,
🌼 Family - Nymphaeaceae.
🌼 Genus Nymphaea,
🌼 Species rubra Roxb. Ex. Andrews.
Vegetative Characteristics
Nymphaea rubra has 15.1cm long and 7.9cm wide rhizome. The petioles-orbicular, leaves are 25-48cm wide. The adaxial leaf surface is bronzy red to dark green, and the abaxial leaf surface is dark purple. The leaf venation very prominent. The petiole is 140cm long.
Generative characters
The flowers are 15-25 cm wide. The four purplish red sepals are oblong to lanceolate 12-20 narrowly oval petals have a rounded apex. The androecium consists of 55 red stamens. The gynoecium consists of 16-21 carpels.
The fruit bears 1.85mm long and 1.6mm wide seeds. The penducle is 116-120 cm long. The flowers are pleasantly fragrant. Rhizomes irregular, branched, pinkish white with red-dots inside. It propagates irrigularly through spouts from the rhizomes. Generative reproduction: Nymphaea rubra may reproduce apomictically.
Distribution
N. rubra Roxb. Andrew is distributed throughout plains of India and in other countrires like Sir
Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Combodia, Veitnam, Indonesia and Phillippines. In India, it is distributed in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur valley, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Mitra, 1993).
Nutrient content of Lemphu
Rhizomes when boiled forms a very tasty and nutritive food and is used in different parts of the world as famine food. Protien and carbohydrate content of N. rubra rhizome revealed - protien content (8.44%), carbohydrate (61.53% - 63.14%). (Asharani and Biseshwari, 2013; Asharani et al., 2014).
Cultivation and market value
Cultivation of Nymphaea rubra is quite encouraging. The harvest of 1,200kg of rhizome per acre was obtained. Market cost of 1 kg Lemphuis Rs 50 to 60/-.
Uses
The flowers are used for ornamental purposes. While rhizomes, young leaves and peduncle are used as food and vegetables. Flower is astringent and cardiac toxic, helpful for heart palpitations. Rhizomes are used as cure for indigestion and dysentery.
Conclusion
Rhizome (Lemphu) of N. rubra is rich in protien source and also generate income for the financially weak populance near the wet lands of Manipur valley.
Thamna, Tharo , Thambal - Lotus blooms in Summer at Imphal Valley in June 2012 :: Pix - Banti Phurailatpam
* Prof N Irabanta Singh wrote this article for The Sangai Express
The writer is former Professor (Higher Academic Grade)/Life Sciences, Manipur University
and presently, Chairman, Nibiaa Group of Companies,
4th Floor, L.I. Shopping Complex,
Singjamei Bazar,
Imphal - 795008.
This article was webcasted on December 26, 2024 .
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