In the Indian Himalayan Region, the use of medicinal plants is still a tradition continued by local people or ethnic communities and Traditional Medicine Systems play an important role in daily health care of poor people. The use of plants as medicine is slowly increasing in the developed world because they have minor or no side effects. The present study was conducted in Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary of Himachal Pradesh as the total dependency of the stakeholders on nearby forests for medicinal resources. In the present study, we reported 371 plant species that are used by the people in and around Nargu WLS as medicine.  Distribution of maximum species (297 spp.) occurred between 1801-2800 m zone and only 40 species were present above 3800m. Of the total medicinal species recorded, 163 spp. were native to the Himalayan region and 24 spp. native to the Himalaya and other biogeographically regions. Rests (184 spp.) were non-native. The most frequently cured disease category (108 spp.) was gastrointestinal disease. Stakeholders of the Sanctuary and surrounding villages have rich indigenous knowledge of the use of medicinal plants to maintain their primary health. Traditional herbal remedies are important and effective because many traditional uses are scientifically proven through phytochemical and pharmacological studies. However, a large number of plant species remain untested for bio-efficacy and toxicity. Such tests may reveal novel remedies that have bioprospecting potential. Moreover, the study emphasizes the need for the conservation of such precious medicinal resource of the area by managing and conserving the natural habitats, checking unscientific exploitation and by applying in-situ and various ex-situ conservation methods.

Efforts were made to conserve 570 accessions of wild edible fruit plants collected and conserved at JNTBGRI (Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute) as part of the project entitled “Germplasm collection, evaluation of yield potential and exploitation of the fruit crops of the Western Ghats of Kerala”. The lesser- known wild plant accessions belongs to 106 species under 41 families. All the accessions are conserved ex-situ in JNTBGRI, Kerala, India. Among those 106 species, 67 species yield raw fruits, 11 species yield vegetable fruits, 22 species yield edible seeds / grains / kernels and the remaining 6 species yield spices and condiments.  Twelve species are endemic to the Western Ghats region, of which, Salacia beddomei (Hippocrateaceae) comes in the red listed category and found mention in the Red Data Book of Indian Plants (Nayar & Sastry, 1988).

Odisha being the coastal state of Indian sub-continent records a rich medicinal plant diversity in general and orchids in particular.  Since time immemorial, these important plant resources remains in a neglected state leading to an alarming situation in near future. Virgin forests of Odisha spreading in areas like Gandhmardan Hills,  Niyamgiri Hills,  Deomali Hills,   Mahendragiri Hills and Similipal Biosphere Reserve hoards rich orchid diversity enduring luxuriant growth.  Out of 137 species of Orchids recorded so far, Similipal area alone harbours about 94 orchid species possessing high aesthetic and medicinal value. Unfortunately, the medicinal importance of orchids of this region has drawn least attention from both the scientific fraternity as well as general populace compared to their role in horticulture field.  Orchid species of Odisha like Acampe carinata (Griff.) Panigr., A. praemorsa (Roxb.) Blatt. & McCann, Geodorum recurvum (Roxb.) Alston, Habenaria marginata Coleb., Rhynchostylis retusa (L.) Bl. and Vanda testacea (Lindl.) Rchb.f. are used to cure rheumatism, arthritis, dysentery, asthma and snake bite etc. However, the medicinal potentialities of these orchids are not so well exploited though they possess immense curative values. Further, as the forests of Odisha are experiencing various anthropogenic as well as abiotic pressures, many of the orchid populations are fast shrinking leading to their mass depletion. Realizing this, the current communication highlights the importance of 26 medicinal orchids very often used by the tribal populace of Odisha to get relief from various ailments. Concurrently, some major conservational strategies have also been projected.

The influence of the status of planting materials such as mother rhizomes, primary fingers and secondary fingers on growth and yield of Kaempferia galanga L. was analyzed presently based on fifteen morphological characters.  The study showed that there was not so much of influence for the status of the planting material on the growth and yield of Kaempferia galanga L. It further has shown that depending upon the availability, planting materials of different status can be used for propagation on a large scale without compromising on crop yield.

Increased rate of soil salinity caused changes in macro and micro nutrients uptake, which may lead to decline in photosynthesis capacity and respiration in the plant Syzgium travancoricum Gamble. is a critically endangered species located in damp forest with marshy land, where high rate of salt accumulation has been happening. An optimum level of salinity (0.05 - 0.07) is inevitable for the proper growth and survivability of this species in their natural habitat and also for natural regeneration. A range of reduction in the number of existing plants of this species can be seen in their natural habitat due to the salinity stress.

An easy multiplication method through air-layering of branches of commercially important horticulture species Litchi chinensis using Sphagnum as substrate media is discussed in the present paper.

There are extensive surveys have been carried out in the region of Jharkhand towards exploration of ethnomedicinal plants of Jharkhand. In the present communication an exploration on composition of plant ingredients utilized for preparation of herbal recipes for the treatment of various diseases and disorders have been described. The availability of particular herbs in one area and sometimes not available in another areas, however the combination of ingredients is presented for further research works on ethnopharamcological observation and further scientific validation to understand the potential of formulations in primary healthcare.

In this article highlights a brief description of Calendula officinalis L. is provided along with its medicinal uses to cure Chronic urticaria.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most difficult ailments to control in the world today. The emergence of drug resistant strains has made previously effective and affordable remedies less effective (There are more than twenty drugs that are currently used for the treatment of TB and almost all of them were developed some years ago. The drugs are used in differing combinations in different circumstances, so that for example some TB drugs are only used for the treatment of new patients who are very unlikely to have resistance to any of the TB drugs). This has made the search for new medicines from local traditional medicines. The specific objectives of this study were to identify plant species used in the treatment of TB, parts used, their methods of preparation and administration. The present study was conducted in the central tarai region of Kumaun, Uttarakhand in the year 2008-2011. Total fifteen plant species were found to be used to cure tuberculosis. The different use of Adhatoda vasica was reported first time from the study area. Species Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia variegata, Baliospermum montanum, Sida rhombifolia, Withania somnifera, Asclepias curassavica, Echinops echinatus, and Saccharum spontaneum were reported first time of the study area.

An attempt has been made to prepare a detailed account on ethnomedicinal uses of exotic plant species of Madhya Pradesh. In the present paper the ethnomedicinal uses of 63 exotic Angiospermic plant species belonging to 32 families and 58 genera are described used by local tribes of the state. For each species the information regarding botanical names, family, local names, nativity, parts used and ethnomedicinal uses have been provided. 40% exotic plants came from America alone. The information has been gathered by field survey and from available literature.

The paper provides first-hand information on herbal remedies practiced by the tribals of East Godavari district. During ethnobotanical study 79 plant species belonging to 73 genera and 45 families were found to be used by the tribals to cure cuts and wounds. The report incorporates the mode of application and dosage of these herbal drugs.