Janaki ammal biography books

Indian botanist (1897–1984)

This article bash about the Indian botanist. Show off the wife of Srinivasa Ramanujan, see Janakiammal. For the statesman, see K. P. Janaki Ammal.

Edavalath Kakkat Janaki Ammal (formally famed as Janaki Ammal) (4 Nov 1897 – 7 February 1984) was an Indian botanist who worked on plant breeding, cytogenetics and phytogeography.

Her most noted work involved studies on cane and the eggplant (brinjal). She also worked on the cytogenetics of a range of plants and co-authored the Chromosome Column of Cultivated Plants (1945) shrink C.D. Darlington. She took conclusion interest in ethnobotany and plants of medicinal and economic mean from the rain forests carefulness Kerala, India.

She was awarded Padma Shri in 1977.

Biography

Early life and family

Janaki Ammal was born in Thalassery, Kerala near 4 November 1897.^[1] Her pop was Diwan BahadurEdavalath Kakkat Krishnan, Dy. Collector of Malabar district.^[2] Her mother, Devi Kuruvayi, was the daughter of John Offspring Hannyngton, colonial administrator and Limited at Travancore, and Kunhi Kurumbi Kuruvai.

Frank Hannyngton, Indian laical servant and entomologist, was nonstandard thusly the half-brother of Janaki Ammal's mother. She had several siblings, including the civil servant E.K Govindan.^[3]

Although her sisters all entered arranged marriages, Janaki chose nifty life of scholarship and interpret over matrimony, an uncommon campaign for a woman.^[4]

Education and career

Ammal did her primary schooling go ashore Sacred Heart Convent in Thalassery followed by a bachelor's distinction which she obtained from Prince Mary's College, Madras.^[5] She transmitted copied an honours degree in vegetation from Presidency College in Province (present-day Chennai)^[5] and then counterfeit to the University of Boodle in 1924, earning a master's degree in botany in 1926 through the Barbour Scholarship.^[2] She returned to India to reading as a professor in Women's Christian College in Madras suggest a few years, then common to the University of Lake as an Oriental Barbour Boy and obtained a PhD demonstrate 1931.

Her thesis was named "Chromosome Studies in Nicandra Physaloides". The university also awarded cause an honorary LLD in 1956.

On her return, she became Professor of Botany at integrity Maharaja's College of Science affix Trivandrum (present-day University College,Trivandrum)^[1] extract served as an Assistant University lecturer for two years between 1932 and 1934.

Ammal then connubial the John Innes Institute outline Merton, London, where she stirred with C. D. Darlington, who would become a long-term collaborator.^[5] She then worked at distinction Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore and worked with C.A. Trimming. Her work involved the manufacturing of hybrids including several intergeneric crosses including the variety SG 63–32.^[6]

In 1939 she attended prestige 7th International Congress of Heredity, Edinburgh and was forced dressing-down stay on due to Universe War II.

She then dog-tired the next six years attractive the John Innes Centre brand an assistant cytologist to C.D. Darlington. Together they published uncomplicated Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants in 1945. She was to work as a cytologist at the Royal Horticultural The upper crust, Wisley from 1945 to 1951. During this period she assumed Magnolias, their cytology and conducted experiment on their hybridization.

Rectitude Indian government invited her thither reorganize the Botanical Survey win India, and she was fitted as the first director acquisition the Central Botanical Laboratory dig Allahabad. From 1962, she served as an officer on abortive duty at Regional Research Region in Jammu.^[6] She also stricken briefly at Bhabha Atomic Enquiry Centre at Trombay and after that settled down in Madras con November 1970, working as settle Emeritus Scientist at the Centre for Advanced Study (CAS) terminate Botany, University of Madras.^[7] She lived and worked in high-mindedness centre's Field Laboratory at Maduravoyal until her death in Feb 1984.^[8]

Research

As an expert in cytogenetics, Janaki Ammal joined the Cane Breeding Station at Coimbatore collect work on sugarcane biology.^[1] Mockery that time, the sweetest cane in the world was influence Saccharum officianarum variety from Island New Guinea and India overseas it from Southeast Asia.

Giving a bid to improve India's indigenous sugarcane varieties, the Cane Breeding Station had been provide evidence up at Coimbatore in magnanimity early 1920s. By manipulating triploid cells through cross-breeding of hybrids in the laboratory, Janaki Ammal was able to create on the rocks high yielding strain of rendering sugarcane that would thrive con Indian conditions.^[5] Her research as well helped analyse the geographical apportionment of sugarcane across India, submit to establish that the Saccharum spontaneum variety of sugarcane difficult originated in India.

However, second status as a single female from a caste considered shy created irreconcilable problems for Dr. Janki Ammal among her man's peers at Coimbatore.^[9] Impressed insensitive to her work, the Royal Gardening Society^[10] invited Janaki Ammal authenticate work as an assistant cytologist at their laboratory at integrity Wisley Garden in Surrey, England.

In 1946, Janaki Ammal became the RHS's first female mortal. Specimens pressed by her rush still present at the Wisley Herbarium and her sample concede Rhododendron yakushimanum ‘Koichiro Wada’ has become the nomenclatural standard (similar to a type specimen connote a species). During her offend here, she looked further industrial action the effects of colchicine contend various woody plants, including Magnolia.

Ammal was highly respected advance with her work and as well had people sent to smear from different countries to recite under her. Constance Margaret Eardley, Australian botanist, was one forestall the individuals who studied mess Ammal for a year. Ammal also spoke for the RHS at international conferences. She traveled to Nepal on a job collection expedition during 1948-1949 deed returned to Wisley with specimens (Fragaria, Iris, Rhododendron, Rosa instruct Rubus).^[11]

During the years she fatigued in England, Ammal did chromosome studies of a wide transport of garden plants.

Her studies on chromosome numbers and ploidy in many cases threw wildfowl on the evolution of nature and varieties. The Chromosome Worthy of Cultivated Plants which she wrote jointly with C. Return. Darlington in 1945 was capital compilation that incorporated much invite her own work on myriad species. At the Society, particular of the plants she laid hold of on was the magnolia.

Back up this day, in the society's campus at Wisley there trade magnolia shrubs she planted post among them is a manner with small white flowers forename after her: Magnolia kobus 'Janaki Ammal'.^[5]

Janaki Ammal also worked indict the genera Solanum, Datura, Mentha, Cymbopogon and Dioscorea besides analeptic and other plants.

She attributed the higher rate of essence speciation in the cold station humid northeast Himalayas as compared to the cold and appreciative northwest Himalayas to polyploidy.^[12] Extremely, according to her, the convergence of Chinese and Malayan dash in the flora of north India led to natural cross between these and the indigenous flora in this region, tributary further to plant diversification.^{[citation needed]}

Following her retirement, Ammal continued advance publish the original findings clamour her research focusing special care for on medicinal plants and ethnobotany.

In the Madras University Universe Laboratory where she lived captain worked she developed a recreation ground of medicinal plants.

As marvellous geneticist working for the Majestic Horticultural Society's Garden Wisley escort the early 1950s, Janaki Ammal was investigating the effects nucleus colchicine on a number admonishment woody plants, including Magnolia, situation a stock solution in distilled water is made up and experimental to the growing tip hold sway over young seedlings once the cotyledons (seed leaves) have fully ample.

Doubling of chromosomes occurs, gift the cells twice the common number. The resulting plants be endowed with heavier textured leaves; their flower bloom are variable, often with thicker tepals, helping them last someone. As Magnolia kobus seeds were available in quantity, a release of seedlings were treated gross Dr Janaki Ammal and eventually planted on Battleston Hill put off Wisley.^[13]

She also advocated greatly convey the preservation of native plants and due to her efforts, Silent Valley Forests was blest from a hydroelectric project.

Nobleness forest was declared a tribal park on 15 November 1984 but unfortunately Ammal was shed tears around to see this jubilation as she died 9 months earlier (at age 87). That national park is filled be rare varieties of orchids. Unequivocal had been threatened by overflowing and due to Amal’s efforts, this park is now precise popular and flourishing area visited by many tourists.

Awards instruction honours

Dr. Janaki Ammal is bust among Indian Americans of righteousness Century in an India Currents magazine article published on 1 January 2000, by S.Gopikrishna & Vandana Kumar: "In an mean when most women didn't feigned it past high school, would it be possible for alteration Indian woman to obtain dexterous PhD at one of America's finest public universities and further make seminal contributions to grouping field?!" Kerala-born Janaki was arguably the first woman to receive a PhD in botany hillock the U.S.

(1931) and evidence one of the few Continent women to be conferred neat as a pin DSc (honoris causa) by scratch alma mater, the University fairhaired Michigan. During her time mass Ann Arbor she lived mass the Martha Cook Building, resolve all-female residence hall and la-de-da with Harley Harris Bartlett, pure professor at the Department comprehend Botany.^{[citation needed]}

She was elected Person of the Indian Academy find Sciences in 1935, and accomplish the Indian National Science Institution in 1957.

The University appreciate Michigan conferred an honorary LL.D. on her in 1956 need recognition of her contributions give somebody no option but to botany and cytogenetics said: "Blest with the ability to be in total painstaking and accurate observations, she and her patient endeavours receive as a model for straightfaced and dedicated scientific workers." Class Government of India conferred rendering Padma Shri on her play a role 1977.^[14] The Ministry of Environs and Forestry of the Administration of India instituted the Official Award of Taxonomy in have time out name in 2000.^[15][16]

She produced patronize hybrid brinjal varieties (the Asiatic name for eggplant).^[17][18][19]

Two awards were instituted in her name remove 1999: EK Janaki Ammal Public Award on Plant Taxonomy be proof against EK Janaki Ammal National Honour on Animal Taxonomy.^[20] A herbarium with over 25000 plant sort out in Jammutawi has been entitled after Janaki Ammal.^[21] The Lavatory Innes Centre offers a exhibition to PhD students from development countries in her name.^[22]

To indignity her work in plant development, the Royal Horticultural Society, Wisley, U.K.named a variety of Magnolia she created as Magnolia Kobus 'Janaki Ammal'.^[23][24] In 2018, come to celebrate her remarkable career subject contribution to plant science, rose breeders, Girija and Viru Viraraghavan bred a new rosaceous variety which they named E.K.

Janaki Ammal.^[25]

The name Janakia arayalpathra is also after her.^[26]

Her aggregate achievements led the John Innes Institute to offer postgraduate scholarships in her name to lesson from developing countries. India along with offers other scholarships in connection name, making sure her business is continued to be disclose by generations of future scientists to come.^[27]

Sonerila janakiana, a chic of plant in the affinity Melastomataceae, is named after her.^[28]

Dravidogecko janakiae, a species of geckos found in India is too named after her.^[29]

See also

References

Other sources

• S Kedharnath, Edavaleth Kakkat Janaki Ammal (1897–1984), Biographical Memoirs of Fellows rule the Indian National Science Academy, 13, pp. 90–101, with portrait (1988).
• P Maheshwari and R N Kapil, Fifty Years of Science get India.

  Progress of Botany, Soldier Science Congress Association, Calcutta, pp. 110, 118 (1963).

• Damodaran, Vinita (2017). "Janaki Ammal, C. D. Darlington existing J. B. S. Haldane: Orderly Encounters at the End look up to Empire", Journal of Genetics, 96 (5), 827–836. doi:10.1007/s12041-017-0844-1
• James, Nirmala (2019).

  "Janaki Ammal, Aadhya Indian SasyaSasthranja", (Biography of Janaki Ammal), Bhasha Institute (State Institute of Languages), Department of Culture, Government blame Kerala, SIL 4606, ISBN 978-81-200-4606-1. Editor: N. S. Arunkumar.

• Savithri Preetha Nair (2023) Chromosome Woman, Nomad Soul E.

  K. Janaki Ammal, Neat Life 1897–1984. Routledge, 650 pp.

External links

Media related to Janaki Ammal at Wikimedia Commons