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Showing posts from December, 2012

Ethnobotany and bioactive compounds in leaf of Bixa orellana L. and its

Plant Science Research 34 (1&2) : 93-96, 2012 ISSN 0972-8546 Ethnobotany and bioactive compounds in leaf of Bixa orellana L. and its toxicity to Artemia salina L. S. Kumar, P. K. Tripathy and P. K. Jena Ψ Department of Botany, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack- 753003, India A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received : 14 November 2012 Received in revised form : 11 December 2012 Accepted : 13 December 2012 A B S T R A C T Bixa orellana L. (Kum Kum) belonging to the family Bixaceae is a indegineous plant in Odisha. It is also cultivated at some places. The leaves and fruits of the plant are used as dye and as natural lipstick. They are also used as dye for colouring the vegetables and dishes. The plant and its parts are used in treatment of different diseases by the rural and some peripheral tribal communities of Odisha, such as those residing in Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest. Experiments were designed to study the ethnobotanical use of the p

Cocculus hirsutus (L.)

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Sanjeet Kumar Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Common name: “ Musakani” Botanical name: Cocculus hirsutus Family : Menispermaceae Vernacular name(s)                                                   Sanskrit: Vatsadani                                                      Kannada: Yagadi balli                                                             Hindi: Patalagurudi                                                      Huyer- Bengoli                                                                                                                                                Distribution It is widely distributed in Odisha, Tropical and Subtropical India, Tropical Africa, Ethiopia , Uganda , Zambia , Yemen , Iran , Nepal , Pakistan , Myanmar , Namibia , South Africa . Botany of Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Straggling perennial climber more or less villous. Leaves triangular to ovate, base rounded, truncate or cordate, margin entire, apex obtuse, rounded or emerg

Acorus calamus L.

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Sanjeet Kumar Acorus calamus L. Botanical name: Acorus calamus Family: Acoraceae Distribution                                                It is native of Central Asia and Eastern Europe . In India it grown in marshy areas up to 1800 meters height. It is cultivated in many parts of India such as Kashmir Manipur etc. Botany of Acorus calamus L. It is a grass-like, perennial, rhizome forming, consisting long creeping roots. Leaves are thick and erect. Flowers are small, sessile, greenish brown and densely packed. Fruits small and berry having few seeds. Medicinal value(s) Rhizome is used in epilepsy and mental ailments. Mature leaves are used as insect repellant. In Vedic periods it was used as a rejuvenative. The root chewed to fight the problems of toothache . Chemical compound(s) The main chemical compound is ‘asarone’ . It is a genotoxic substance causing genetic mutation and tumors. Rhizomes also contain Choline. Common use(s) ·        

Some wonderful Tribal Groups of Odisha

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Sanjeet Kumar Some wonderful Tribal Groups of Odisha Bagata Baiga Bathudi Bhottada King of Niyamgiri Bhumij Bhuyan                          Birhor Bonda Chuktia Bhunjia Dharua Didayi Dongaria Kondh Gadaba Kharia Gond Hill Kharia                          Ho Juang Kisan Kolha Kol-lohara Kondh Gauda Koya Kulis Kutia Kondh Lanjia Saora Lodha Mankirdia            Matya Munda Omanatya Oraon Paudi Bhuyan Santal Saonti Saora Shabara Lodha Santhal Source: From Literature

Dillenia indica L.

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Sanjeet Kumar Dillenia indica L. Common name:   “Awoo” Botanical name: Dillenia indica L . Family: Dilleniaceae                                                                           Distribution It is native to Southeastern Asia, Deccan peninsula, Sub-Himalayan tract, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya , Sri Lanka , Myanmar , China , Sumatra, Java , Bangladesh , Vietnam , Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia .   Botany of Dillenia indica Moderate sized evergreen tree with a dense crown. Trunk rather crooked and irregular. Leaves deep green, oblong to lanceolate, pubescent beneath. Flowers white, solitary. Sepals, elliptic, thick. Carpels yellowish green with linear-lanceolate. Fruit indehiscent, yellowish-green. Seeds 5 or more in each carpel in colourless glutinous pulp, reniform, black. Medicinal properties Fruit juice is mixed with sugar is used as cooling beverage against fever. Fresh fruit juice is used as a cardio tonic. Leaves and bark are used as

Pennisetum pedicellatum Trien. Mem.

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Sanjeet Kumar Pennisetum pedicellatum Trien. Mem. Common name: “Girnar” Botanical name: Pennisetum pedicellatum Trien. Mem Family: Poaceae Vernacular name(s)                                                   Taxonomic classification English: Deenanath grass                                                 Kingdom: Plantae Nigeria : Kyasuwa                                                           Division: Magnoliophyta Mauritania : Bare                                                            Order: Cyperales                                                                                     Family: Poaceae                                                                                     Genus: Pennisetum                                                                                     Species: pedicellatum Botany of Pennisetum pedicellatum Trien. Mem. It is a tall, annual, bunch grass, up to 1.3 m high, branched from the base and and often

Azadirachta indica (Neem) : A common medicinal plant of India

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Sanjeet Kumar Azadirachta indica Common name: “ Neem ” Botanical name:   Azadirachta indica L. Family: Meliaceae                                                                                            Botany of Azadirachta indica L. Neem is a fast-growing tree with approx height 15- 25 meters. Leaf opposite, pinnate with dark green leaflets, short petioles. Flowers more or less drooping panicles, 5-7 mm long, bisexual, male flower exist on the same individual. Fruit smooth, drupe, elongate oval, roundish; mesocarp whitish yellow. Seeds with brown coat. It is very similar to Melia azedarach or chinaberry tree. Distribution Cultivated and naturalized throughout India and many other tropical countries. Native of India , Myanmar and China . Chemical compound(s) Three main important bitter compounds are Nimbin , Nimbinin and Nimbidin . The seeds contain azadirachtin a complex secondary metabolites. Medicinal value(s) Neem oil  is used for preparing cos

Argyreia nervosa : a medicinal plant used among tribal communities as threaputic medicine

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Sanjeet Kumar sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com Argyreia nervosa (Burm.f.) Bojer. Common name: “ Mundanoi ” Botanical name: Argerya nervosa (Burm.f.) Bojer. Family: Convulvulaceae Vernacular name (s)                                                  Taxonomic classification Oriya: Mundanoi                                                          Kingdom: Plantae Bengoli: Gaguli                                                             Division: Asterids Hindi: Samandar Sok                                                   Order: Solanales Telgu: Samudra Pala                                                     Family: Convolvulaceae English: Elephant creeper                                              Genus: Argyrea Sanskrit: Vidhara                                                          Species nervosa Botany of Argyreia nervosa                                                                             It is a perennial vine, stout climber with woody s

Linaceae : Flax Family of Flowering Plants

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Sanjeet Kumar sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com Linaceae Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order Type: Eudicots-Rosids I Order: Malpighiales Family: Linaceae The Linaceae is a family of flowering plants and known as European Common Flax family . The family is cosmopolita and includes approximately 250 species. There are 14 generas, classified into two subfamilies: Linoideae and Hugonioideae. In Linoideae, the largest genus is Linum, The largest genus of Hugonioideae is Hugonia . Linoideae and Hugonioideae can be differentiated by the number of fertile stamens (5 in Linoideae, 10 in Hugonioideae) and fruit type (capsules in Linoideae, fleshy drupe-like fruits in Hugonioideae). Under the old Cronquist system of classifying the flowering plants, the Linaceae was placed in its own order Linales. Modern classifications place it in the order Malpighiales. Genera in subfamily Linoideae Anisadenia Cliococca Hesperolinon Linum Radio