www.tropicalplantresearch.com 1 Received: 19 June 2018 Published online: 28 February 2019 https://doi.org/10.22271/tpr.2019.v6.i1.001 6(1): 01–07, 2019 DOI: 10.22271/tpr.2019.v6.i1.001 ISSN (Online): 2349-1183; ISSN (Print): 2349-9265 TROPICAL PLANT RESEARCH The Journal of the Society for Tropical Plant Research Research article Phenotypic plasticity of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. growing in different habitats of Nepal Anjana Devkota* and Pramod Kumar Jha Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal *Corresponding Author: devkotaa@gmail.com [Accepted: 05 February 2019] Abstract: The plant growing in range of environmental conditions exhibits phenotypic plasticity that reflects the ability of the plant to allow its establishment in different areas. Centella asiatica, an important medicinal plant, is widely growing in tropical and subtropical belt of Nepal. We measured phenotypic characters (density, petiole length, stolon length, SLA, leaf number per ramet, plant biomass, flower number) and soil attributes (soil pH, soil nitrogen (N), soil organic carbon (OC), soil organic matter (OM) of 21 C. asiatica populations in three habitats (open grassland, open agricultural land, shady grassland) of Nepal. Ramet density (105 plants m -2 ) and biomass yield (52.5 g m -2 ) was found highest in partially shaded grassland with soil having 5.83 pH, 0.20% N, 4.26% OC and 7.38% OM. Leaves had 391 cm 2 g -1 SLA, 4.13 cm long petiole and 1.76% N. The three sites differed significantly (p<0.001) in petiole length, SLA, leaf N, soil N, soil OC and soil OM contents. Thus land uses had a significant effect on ramet density and leaf characters of C. asiatica. Phenotypic plasticity in leaf petiole length and number of flowers per inflorescence was observed, which appeared to be governed by light availability and height of associated species. In terms of yield partially shaded grassland was the most suitable natural habitat of C. asiatica. Evaluation of growth traits and yield in a different habitat help to find the suitable condition for growth of the plant in nature. This information is helpful in planning cultivation of C. asiatica. Keywords: Phenotypic plasticity - Growth traits - Habitats - Yield. [Cite as: Devkota A & Jha PK (2019) Phenotypic plasticity of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. growing in different habitats of Nepal. Tropical Plant Research 6(1): 01–07] INTRODUCTION The plants occurring in varying environmental conditions (i.e. soil characteristics and/or light intensity) exhibit phenotypic plasticity in the form of various important ecological traits which reflects the adaptiveness of the plant in habitat (Tyler et al. 2007, Zhu et al. 2007, Zhao et al. 2010). Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., an important medicinal plant, belongs to family Apiaceae is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical region of Nepal. The plant is indigenous to the warmer regions of both hemispheres and found in different parts of the world including Africa, Australia, Cambodia, Central America, China, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, the Pacific Islands, South America, Thailand, Southern United States of America, and Viet Nam (Annonymous 1953, Iwu 1993). The plant flourishes in damp, moist and shady habitats and grows by producing stolons that are characterized by long internodes and nodes, on which are borne reniform-cordate leaves and sessile flowers in simple umbels. The plant has multiple uses in different parts of the world as vegetable in Asian and in some western countries (Peiris & Kays 1996), as medicine for treatment of leprosy and psoriasis, wounds and burns, and for insanity in traditional Indian and Chinese systems of medicine (Bose 1932, Kan 1986), as memory enhancing tonics, mental and stress-related disorders (Sharan & Khare 1991, Moharana & Moharana 1994), and as cosmetic industry for the preparation of hair oils, tonics and shampoos. Though Centella asiatica grows widely in a different habitat, evaluation of best habitat condition suitable for growth of the plant is not studied in detail. In view of this 21 different population of C. asiatica were identified representing different habitat (open grassland, open agricultural land, shady grassland) of Nepal. Evaluation of