Nine trees of Sterculia urens were selected for experimentation. Out of nine trees, three were used for gum tapping through semicircular blazing and remaining six trees were tapped through gum inducer technique. After one month, each blaze and hole made on the trees were again treated following same technique/method for gum collection. Treatment was done eleven times at an interval of one month during the period of experiment. To know the effect of treatment and treatment interval on gum yield, collection of gum was carried out from each tree separately at monthly interval just before beginning of subsequent treatment operation. Higher diameter tree yielded more gum in both the techniques of gum tapping, however, gum yield was maximum in case of gum inducer technique. The gum inducer technology was found suitable for karaya gum tapping from Sterculia urens trees in Jharkhand region with less harm (17 times by volume) on the trees and more gum production (about 200%) in comparison to semi circular blazing technique of gum tapping.

The present study was conducted in Oak dominated forests of Nainital in the Uttarakhand Himalaya, to assess the phytosociological attributes of medicinal plant species by randomly laying 10 quadrats of 10×10 m² for trees, 5×5 m² for shrubs and 1×1 m² for herbs across study area. The vegetation data recorded was quantitatively analysed for density, frequency, abundance to frequency ratio and Importance Value Index (IVI). Overall the density of trees ranged between 1.60 to 6.60 individuals/100m². Shrub density varied between 18.10 to 23.20 individuals/25m² while herb layer had a density ranging between 4.60 to 14.60 individuals/m². Among trees Quercus leucotrichophora was the most frequently distributed. Among shrubs, Berberis spp. and Daphne papyracea were the most frequent while most of the medicinal herbs were rare.  Litsea umbrosa among trees while Daphne papyracea among shrubs were dominant in two of the selected sites, as evident from their higher IVI values. Among medicinal herbs Ocimum basilicum in Oak forest, Smilax aspera in Oak conifer forest and Valeriana wallichii in Oak mixed forest had maximum IVI. Most of the species were contagiously distributed in all the study sites while random and regular distribution was less common.

The use of different species of Sphagnum (S. papillosum and S. khasinum) shows very prominent results when used as substrate media in rooting of spice and oil yielding plant Cinnamomum verum Presl. (Syn. C. zeylanicum) through air layering. The treatments (T₂ & T₆) combination with Indole Butyric acid (IBA) (2000 ppm) gave 90-100% rooting success comparison to other combinations and control.

Cyathea gigantea (Wall. ex Hook.) Holtt. is a rare and endangered terrestrial fern. Also this fern species have economic, food and medicinal uses. So, it is of high importance to conserve and protect it. It is successfully conserved ex-situ at Experimental Botanic Garden, Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Umiam (Barapani), Meghalaya.

The investigation was conducted during the year 2005 – 2006 which was laid out in Factorial Completely Randomized Design with five treatments, viz.; T₀ (Open land), T₁ (Cultivated land), T₂ (Dendrocalamus strictus), T₃ (Casuarina equisetifolia) and T₄ (Eucalyptus tereticornis) with four replications. The soil samples were collected from three depth (0 – 20, 20 – 40 and 40 – 60 cm). The organic carbon content, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, porosity and water holding capacity of soil increased in 0 – 20 cm surface layer as compared to deep layer of the soil i.e. D₂ and D₃. However, in case of tree species organic carbon content, available nitrogen and phosphorus were highest under Casuarina equisetifolia, whereas potash recorded under Dendrocalamus strictus plantation. Maximum water holding capacity and porosity were found under Eucalyptus tereticornis plantation. Here also degree of improvement goes down with an increase in depth of soil.

Caesalpinia bonduc grown as a hedge or live fence around the agricultural fields in Konkan region. The demand for this fevernut or Molucca bean seed has increased because of its medicinal properties in recent days. The albinism was observed and reported in this species first time. Total percent of germination of seed was 79.5 per cent in which albinism was 1.8 per cent.

In the present Investigation an attempt has been made to study the women health care practices of Meitei Community of Manipur. A detailed survey was conducted at different sites of all the districts of Manipur State. A total of 36 medicinal plants belonging to 26 families are recorded which are used in different healthcare practices. In the present investigation some of the common diseases were found to be irregular menstruation, abortion, postnatal complicacies, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, lactation etc. In the present work information including medicinal uses, preparation, composition, doses etc. were recorded. It was also reported that due urbanization and semi modernization people their traditional knowledge and culture will be lost forever. Therefore, it urgently needs to document of their indigenous knowledge for the welfare of humankind at large. Phytochemical and Pharmacognistic study of less known ethno-medicinal plants will help to discover new drugs for the benefit of mankind at large.

Athyriumparasnathense (C.B. Clarke) Ching ex Bir is recorded for the first time from Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra. This is an endemic species to India.

Present study has been focused on assessment of diversity, distribution and indigenous uses of medicinal plants in the Rissa Khad Watershed, Himachal Pradesh. A total of 546 medicinal plants belonging to 125 families and 393 genera were recorded. These species are distributed between 700-2150m. Of the total medicinal plants recorded, 92 species were native and 36 species near endemic to the IHR. Two species i.e., Pimpinella acuminata and Pittosporum eriocarpum were endemic to the IHR. Maximum species were used for skin diseases followed by wounds and injuries, dysentery, stomach problem, headache, eye diseases, cough, asthma, tonic, snake bite, teeth problem, cold, boils, abortificent, rheumatism, sores and piles, respectively. The continued over exploitation and habitat degradation of some of the commercially viable species may lead to their extinction from the wild in near future. Ecological assessment of the native, endemic and commercially viable species, investigation of active ingradients, mass multiplication of native, endemic and commercially viable medicinal plants through conventional (vegetative and seeds) and in-vitro (Tissue culture) methods, and establisment in natural habitats (in situ conditions) and ex situ conditions, and promotion of  education and awareness among the inhabitants for the conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants have been suggested.

The study was undertaken with the main objective of  evaluating plants used for curing fever by the primitive tribal groups of North-coastal Andhra Pradesh. 61 medicinal plant species belonging to 59 genera and 41 families were reported. Three species and 21 practices were found to be new.

The paper provides information about ethnomedicinal uses of 36 angiospermic plant species belonging to 36 genera and 29 families used by the tribal communities of Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh. These plants are mostly used to cure seminal weakness, fever, antidote, skin diseases, liver and stomach disorders, etc. Parts of the plant used, dosage, and mode of drug administration in different ailments are described. The species have been arranged alphabetically with correct botanical name with authority, family to which it belongs, local name, habit and ethnomedicinal uses.

Variability and diversity of Mentha rotundifolia L. (Huds.), an economically important aromatic culinary herb was analyzed based on observations on nine salient growth characters recorded from 37 accessions of the species collected from various locations of its traditional growing areas in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.  Among the nine characters studied, only two characters such as shoot weight and internodal length showed statistically significant variation between the accessions. Other attributes like plant height, number of primary branches, number of nodes, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf breadth and leaf area did not vary significantly between the accessions.  Such non significant variability with respect to majority of the morphological characters indicates the narrow genetic base of the species in its traditional area of cultivation and the possible threat of the crop becoming incapable of overcoming biotic and abiotic stresses and change in climatic conditions.

Centratherum punctatum Cass. ssp. punctatum is newly recorded from the state of Kerala. Description, nomenclature and photographs are provided to facilitate easy identification.