Research Projects

The genus Embelia, a genus of about 150 species, is primarily found in the old-world tropics. The exact number of species is disputed due to taxonomic complexities and the high diversity in floral forms. Twenty species of Embelia are reported from India, with 10 from Peninsular India, 7 from the Himalayan region, and 3 from Andaman & Nicobar Island. E. tsjeriam-cottam, a widely distributed species, is considered conspecific to E. robusta. E. basaal and E. viridiflora are also known in Peninsular India, but their identities remain ambiguous. Most species in Clarke's studies are known only by their type collection. The lack of understanding of species boundaries and geographic distribution of Embelia species in India highlights the need for revising taxonomy, nomenclatural, and distribution issues. Embelia is known for its medicinally important metabolites, such as embelin and its derivatives, embeliol, 5-Omethyl embelin, and vilangin. This project aims to gain insights into the systematics, evolution, and metabolite diversity of Indian Embelia using an integrated approach.