WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Rohatgi et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

SJIF Impact Factor 7.632

Volume 9, Issue 6, 1357-1364 Research Article ISSN 2278 – 4357

FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF LEAF AS A BOTANICAL EVIDENCE

Sanya Sharma1, Shipra Rohatgi2* and Prasansha Singla1

1
BSc Student, Forensic Sciences, Amity School of Applied sciences, Amity University,
Amity Education valley, Panchgaon, Manesar Guru gram, Haryana-122413, India.
2
Research Scholar, Amity Institute of Forensic Sciences, Amity University, Noida, Uttar
Pradesh, India.

Article Received on ABSTRACT

07 April 2020, Environmental Forensics is the application of scientific methods to
Revised on 28 April 2020,
Accepted on 18 May 2020 address the questions related to the origin and the timing of
DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20206-16317 contaminant release in the environment. Forensic botany being the
subdivision of environmental forensics focus upon the use of plants

*Corresponding Author and its parts in criminal investigation for the purpose of legal cases.
Shipra Rohatgi Botanical evidences are parts of the plant which can narrow down the
Research Scholar, Amity channel of investigation and help in exonerating the innocent. Leaves
Institute of Forensic
are considered to be the important botanical evidence as it can help in
Sciences, Amity University,
distinguishing the primary and secondary crime scene by tracing the
Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
actual parent plant and then by reaching the soil type. The inspiration
of this study was different varieties of leaves and the fact that criminals tend to ignore but can
be a breakthrough in cases such as a famous Danzing murder case in Florida. The article
comprises of collection of 50 different leaves from two different states which are Delhi and
Haryana and their examination on the basis of physical parameters which are colour, shape,
venation, vein count, climate, midrib length and total length of leaves where as in further
studies we would be focusing on the examination on leaves on chemical and biological
parameters as well, to have a better accuracy. Amongst the parameter chosen for examination
it is being observed that shape and vein count gives the best result which is 80% and 50%
respectively and the parameter climatic conditions gives a null result.

KEYWORDS: Environmental forensic, Forensic botany, leaves, venation and vein count.

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INTRODUCTION
Leaf is any usual flattened green outgrowth from the stem of a vascular plant and they are the
primary sites for photosynthesis and they are initiated by in the apical bud along with the
tissues of the stem itself botanical evidence is a valuable evidence because it can be easily
overlooked by the culprit, it can lead to the actual crime scene and it is easy to examine.
Forensic botany can provide enough supporting information as an evidence during criminal
investigations. Moreover, this field is still and underutilized field of the investigation due to
lack of experience and botanical knowledge amongst the examiners. If any part of plant
especially leaf is present at the crime scene as an evidence it is very easy to trace the plant
and the soil type in which such plants can grow easily. Once the plant is identified it can help
in determining a sample’s geographic origin and it can also provide the link between the
crime scene and the suspect.[1-8] These evidences are more commonly being ignored by the
investigators but the civil and criminal courts accept this as a suitable scientific evidence.
Morphological and anatomical features confirm the source only when present as non-
degraded and non-fragmented material but if present in degraded stages then DNA
sequencing and other biomolecular techniques can be used to establish the link between the
plant part and the source, thus can be useful in the forensics. The major problem for
molecular biology analysis is the reproducibility of the evidence when present in degraded
and fragmented condition.[9-15]

MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY

 Sample size: - Fifty leaves samples were collected from Delhi and Haryana such as
Epipremnum Aurenum, Ficus Religiosa, Jasminum Sambac, Azardirachta Indica,
Magnoila Champaca, Ficus Bengalensis, Buxus Sempervirens, Origanum Majorana,
Syzgium Cumuni Saraca Asoca, Dracaena Reflexa, Hibiscus Rosa, Ficus Benjamina,
Nasturtium, Magnifera Indica.
 Collection: - the leaves were plugged from the trees
i. Washed under running tap water
ii. The leaves samples were then pad dry and subjected to examination under simple
microscope.
 Parameters used for analysis: - colour, shape, venation, vein count, midrib length, total
length and climatic conditions.

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Objectives to be achieved
1. To find out the best physical technique for the examination of leaves as an important
evidence.
2. To find the effect of various physical parameters.

RESULT
Table No.1: Showing the pictorial representation, colour, venation, vein count, midrib
length and total length from the leaves of Delhi and Haryana region (N=50).
Midrib Total
Vein
Leaves and botanical name Colour Venation length length
count
(inch) (inch)

Kelly green
with light Reticulate 30 6 60
yellow patches.
Epipremnum Aureum
(Moneyplant)

Hunter green
with yellow
Reticulate 38 7 58
patches near
midrib.

Ficus Religiosa (Peepal tree)

Forest green. Reticulate 24 6.2 68

Jasminum Sambac (Mogra plant)

Forest green. Parallel 22 13 640

Azadirachta Indica (Neem tree)

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Hunter green
with veins
clearly visible Pinnate 67 8 50
in yellow
shade.
Magnolia Champaca (Champa plant)

A mixture of
army green and Reticulate 13 10 660
forest green.

Ficus Benghalensis (Banyan tree)

No venation
Olive green. or difficult NA 1.5 304
to see

Buxus Sempervirens (Hedge plant)

Hunter green. Reticulate 11 8 360

Origanum Majorana (Marva plant)

Yellow colour Reticulate 22 10 280

Syzygium Cumuni (Jamun plant)

Forest green. Pinnate 47 29 440

Saraca Asoca(Ashoka tree)

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Hunter green. Parallel 45 50 188

Dracaena Reflexa (Son of india)

Viridian green. Reticulate 23 43 117

Hibiscus Rosa(Gudhal)

A mixture of
shamrock and Pinnate 26 40 120
Kelly green

Ficus Benjamina (Weeping fig)

Forest green
with yellow Palmate 15 5.5 50
patches.

Nasturtium

Yellow with a
Pinnate
pinch of spring 26 76 138
reticulate
green

Mangifera Indica (Mango tree)

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Table No.2: Showing the leaves shapes with reference to margins, apex and base.
Botanical names Apex Margin Base
Epipremnum Aureum Acute Undulate Cordate
Ficus Religiosa Caudate Undulate Cordate
Jasminum Sambac Cuspidate Undulate Cordate
Azadirachta Indica Aristate Serrate Oblique
Magnolia Champaca Cuspidate Entire Acute
Ficus Benghalensis Retuse Entire Rounded
Buxus Semperviren Retuse Undulate Acute
Origanum Majorana Acute Denticulate Acute
Syzygium Cumuni Acute Entire Truncate
Saraca Asoca Accuminate Lobate Acute
Dracaena Reflexa Apiculate Entire Acute
Hibiscus Rosa Acute Serrate Trunate
Ficus Benjamina Cuspidate Entire Rounded
Nasturtium Retuse Undulate Truncate
Mangifera Indica Cuspidate Undulate Oblique

Table No.3: Depicting the effect of climatic conditions on leaves.

Climate Effect on leaves
Leaves are large and typically hunter green and have capacity to absorb
Tropical
sunlight because the sun is visible for a very short period of time. These
cold climate
kinds of leaves are present mainly towards the pole.
Tropical dry Leaves are much more variable including many compound leaved legumes
climate and more species with thorns.
Subtropical The leaves present in this region are mostly wax coated because of the
humid regular rainfall in the area and the plant and leaves are well nourished
climate because of all the nutrients available.
Temperate All size of leaves is present in this kind of climate because in this type of
climate climate winters are mild and rainfall is moderate.

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DISCUSSION
The research paper underscores the examination of 50 different leaves collected from Delhi
and Haryana region based on its phyto-morphological parameters such as colour, shape,
venation, vein count, midrib length, total length and climatic conditions. These parameters
are useful in establishing a link between the leaf and its parent plant, guiding in the
investigation of crime scene by exonerating the innocent and narrow down the channel of
investigation. Features like venation, vein count, midrib length and total length proved to be
very fruitful for analysis as it can distinguish one parent plant from another which may be
located at different areas where as the colour of leaves depends on the concentration of a
green pigment known as chlorophyll which can also vary from one area to another whereas
the climatic condition as a factor gives a null result because the leaves were collected from
the temperate region of climate hence no specificity in leaves has been observed.

CONCLUSION
Botanical evidences are the one of the forensic evidence which the suspect and the
investigators tend to neglect, but it can serve as one of the major evidences in cases where
other common evidence are not available. A total of 50 different species of leaves were
collected to study the different Phyto morphological parameters. The success rates of
different the parameters were calculated and it can be seen that shape shows 80% of positive
identification and the least was seen in the climatic condition at 0%. Vein count, colour,
midrib length, venation and total length showed 50%, 46.6%, 40%, 20% and 35.8%
respectively as shown in Fig 1. In further studies the examination can be enhanced by
increasing the sample size and the tools of examination for a better statistical analysis.

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