Cartification can be seen as a one of the most important concrete step in context of sustainable forestry management. Since India, being the signatories of the IITO objectie 2000, have an obligation to ensure that every product in the international market comes from sustainable forest management areas by the year 2000. A general assessment has been done in that context to analysis the scope and potential of the same.

Atylosia scarabaeoides (L.) Benth. a slender twining shrub, and its used traditionally in India for gastric trouble, stomachache, tonic after delivery, burning sensation, diarrhea, gastric disorders, checks hair fall and rheumatism. The present study deals with the various aspects of morphological characters of seed/pod of A. scarabaeoides. Seeds were germinated in Petri dishes, which started on the second day ended up on the seventh day of the testing. Germination capacity percentage came out to be more than 84.25%.

Thirty nine accessions of Som, Persea bombycina Kost. were evaluated through rearing of muga silkworm, Anthereae assamensis Helfer during two commercial seasons viz. Kotia (October-November) and Jethua (May-June) to identify the superior accessions for more silk productivity. The rearing performances on each of the som accessions were evaluated on four characters viz. effective rate of rearing (ERR), Cocoon weight, shell weight, and shell ratio percentage (SR%) by the multiple trait evaluation index (EI) method. During Kotia crop, fourteen accessions showed average EI values of >50 (ranging from 50.22 to 62.37) and during Jethua crop, twenty accessions manifested average EI values of >50 (ranging from 50.12 to 67.55).  It was found that ten accessions viz. PT-11, PT-16, PT-17, PT-27, PT-28, PT-29, PT-37, PT-38, PT-34 and PT-04 exhibited average EI values of >50 in both the rearing seasons thereby indicating the superiority of these accessions to the other accessions.

An ethnobotanical study of plants used by the traditional healers, herbalists and local people for the treatment of diabetes mellitus was conducted in the villages of the mountainous regions, Nepal. The present study has documented 25 plant species belonging to 17 families, which have been used for the treatment of this disease. The use of infusion from plant leaves was the commonest method of herbal preparation. At present, these traditional knowledge and practices are in risk due to land use change and over-exploitation of the species. Hence some species are under serious threat indicating urgent conservation need of the useful plants with their habitats.

Ixora polyantha Wt. (Rubiaceae) is a rare, endemic species of the Western Ghats with high potential ornamental value. The fruit setting in this taxon is found to be rather infrequent when compared with other wild species of Ixora may probably be the reason for its rarity. The paper discusses the various experiments and results carried out in clonal propagation of the species.

Effect of different doses of aqueous extracts of Walnut leaf was studied on germinating seeds and early seedling growth of three Wheat varieties (cv. VL-738, VL-804 and VL-832) recommended for hills under West Himalayan agri-silvi system. Six treatments comprised of distilled water (Control =0%), 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% concentration of leaf extracts were treated. The effect of aqueous extracts was found inhibitive indicating a direct proportional relationship with concentration dependent manner on seed germination and subsequent seedling growth. Each variety exhibited extent of phytotoxicity at 100% extracts application in comparison to untreated control. Invariably there was a decrease in first count, germination, seedling root and shoot length, seedling fresh and dry weight and vigour index with increasing aqueous extracts concentration on germinating Wheat. However, the shoot length was observed maximum at 60% concentration for variety VL-804. Variety VL-804 showed more tolerance against Walnut leaf extracts and range of susceptibility to applied allelochemical among tested varieties was found in order of VL-738> VL-832> VL-804.

Seedling of Ocimum americanum L., a common medicinal and aromatic weed of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India has been described and illustrated from morpho-taxonomic point of view. Seedling morphology has been recorded for 39 days up to 5th true leaf stage. The collet was distinct and white with a conspicuous brown swollen ring. The seed leaves are isocotylar, opposite, petiolate, strigose, and persistent up to 4th true leaf stage and without distinct veins, whereas the true leaves are with 7 distinct veins. The taxonomic significance of different morphological attributes of seedlings have also been discussed.

The present study was undertaken to understand the population and its distribution of Nardostachys jatamansi in response to its associating species in three different sites of alpine region i.e. Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Dayyara of Garhwal Himalaya. Vegetation analysis to determine community composition associating with N. jatamansi was studied using quadrat sampling method. Analysis of vegetation revealed that the community composition of N. jatamansi in different sites did not vary much. Site-1 (Yamunotri) and Site-3 (Dayyara) showed a total of fifteen species each, while Site-2 (Kedarnath) represented by a total of twelve plant species. Species diversity was slightly higher in Site-1 than Site-2 and Site-3. The comparative analysis of total plant density at each site versus the individual contribution of N. jatamansi at Site-1, Site-2 and Site-3 showed the 33.62 %, 25.12%, and 14.92 % contribution in total density of all species.

An experiment, on effect of tree-crop combinations and nitrogen levels on economic returns from Mucuna pruriens L. based Agroforestry Systems, was carried out during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 in experimental farm of Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh. M. pruriens was grown in association with Prunus persica (Peach), Grewia optiva, Morus alba and Setaria sphacelata.  Three nitrogen doses applied to M. pruriens were 40, 80 and 120 kg/ha. The net returns were calculated on financial (farmer’s land) and economic (rented land) basis. Mucuna seeds accrued maximum net financial returns of Rs. 20436/ha and 20286/ha, grown in association with Grewia and Setaria and Peach and Setaria, respectively. Application of nitrogen level from 40, 80 to 120 kg per hectare increased the yield of seed and hence the net returns giving maximum at 120 kg N/ha. Peach and setaria under Peach + Setaria + M. pruriens system gave maximum net returns to the tune of Rs. 38328/ha, followed by Peach, Morus and Setaria (Peach + Morus + Setaria + M. pruriens) giving Rs. 37052/ha. Total net financial returns from all components were maximum (Rs. 58614/ha) from Peach + Setaria + M. pruriens followed by Peach + Morus + Setaria + M. pruriens amounting to Rs. 56889/ha. Sole crop accrued minimum net returns (Rs. 20286/ha). The benefit cost ratio (B:C ratio) was maximum (2.41) for Peach + Setaria + M. pruriens, followed by Morus + Setaria + M. pruriens, whereas, sole crop of Mucuna gave minimum B:C ratio of 1.77. Thus, the net returns from Agroforestry Systems were higher as compared to sole crop. The nitrogen application increased the yield and hence net returns from intercrop also had similar effect. Thus, fruit based systems gave higher returns per rupee investment as compared to fodder based systems on farmer’s own land as well as if the entrepreneur is practicing these systems on rented land.

Morphological studies on seeds of eighteen cultivar conducted to characterize Ber on the basis of morphological characters seed shape, Seed colour, seed size, Seed weight, Seed apex, Seed base, Seed surface, Pulp/stone ratio. Maximum seed length was observed in Desi kathacultivar (2.7cm). Minimum stone weight was observed in Illaichi (0.4) while maximum seed weight was observed in Mirchia (1.71gm). These characters provide useful information for categorization of Ber cultivars and shown sufficient variability. It will be helpful for further scientific information and improvement of Ber crop through selection and hybridization. According to Red Data Book the Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. is a threatened species thus it needs to be conserve. The overall study of appropriate strategies to identify and compare elite cultivars of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. of Meerut and Saharanpur Commissionaire of Western Uttar Pradesh.

The plant Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. is highly medicinal, beside many other uses it is commonly used in malaria, various types of fevers, piles and skin diseases including leprosy. Though the plant is common in hotter parts of India, it is rare in Jharkhand, probably due to very hard nature of seed-coat and non availability of moisture during the dehiscence of fruit.

The desert climate is though full of harsh conditions, where temperature reaches to 50oC with sandy storm, moving sand dunes etc. However this unique area has several important medicinal plants which are very useful in various diseases. Utilization of various plants was already reported in traditional medicinal system. Tribulus terrestris is also such a wonderful plant which has many fold importance. Various workers have find out several important compounds from them and its various species are also reported by several scientists. An attempt has been made to provide detail information about Tribulus terrestris.

There is urgent need of Quality planting material (QPM’s) for the plantation of Saraca asoca tree. The study was undertaken for the nursery management. The albinism and polyembryony was noticed first time in the highly demanded medicinal plant Saraca asoca. The study was conducted during, 2008-2009 at Research Farm, College of Forestry, Dapoli (M.S.).

A study was undertaken to document the ecological status of wild edibles consumed among the Cholanaickens tribe of Western Ghat in India. It was found that they consume a number of wild edible plants. It was observed that the people are less dependent on their traditional foods owing to the availability of subsidized food from the cooperative stores.  A total of fifty six species of wild edible plants were documented which are consumed by the Cholanaickens. Among those species, twenty four species were leafy vegetables, followed by twelve fruit yielding species, nine species, which produce edible seeds, and eleven species producing tubers and rhizomes. The phytosociological study showed that only thirteen species of edible plants are available at present in the study area. It was also found that regeneration of most of the tuber species is not taking place probably because of higher exploitation in the previous period.

Medico-ethnobotanical studies carried out among the Konda Reddis of Andhra Pradesh during 2006-2008 revealed the information on 38 empirically accepted and frequently used prescriptions involving 37 plant species from 36 genera and 24 families with additives for the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. The method of preparation of medicine and details of application are provided. The alleged curative values of the considered plant species should provide ample opportunities for their critical scientific study.

Three taxa of family Rubiaceae viz. Leptomischus wallichii (Hook.f.) H.S. Lo, Ixora balakrishnii Deb & Rout and Paederia lanuginosa Wall., earlier known to occur from other states of N.E. India are now being reported for the first time from Arunachal Pradesh. Detailed taxonomic description, current nomenclature and distribution has been provided to facilitate their identification.

The present paper put on record Vicia lathyroides L. (Fabaceae) a species new to the flora of India. The species was collected from Jammu region, Jammu and Kashmir State in 2010. Since it has not been reported earlier from this region therefore, recorded an addition to the flora of India.

Present communication provides an enumeration of 48 weeds with phenological pattern and their ethnobotanical uses recorded from tribal inhabited localities of Ratlam district (Madhya Pradesh).