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Showing posts from December, 2016

Paederia foetida

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Family: Rubiaceae Status : RET (Rare, Endangered and Threatened) in Odisha

The forest of musings

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The Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) won the U.N.-India Biodiversity Governance award, instituted by the Government of India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for the best managed protected area of the country recently. Padma Mahanti, IFS, who served as Deputy Director, PTR, was hugely responsible for initiating innovative concepts of eco-tourism and in following up effectively some of the programmes introduced at the PTR. Padma was member secretary of the Periyar Foundation. She won the Green Guard Anti-Poaching award in 2007. Padma, who is now Regional Passport Officer in Odisha, recently released a book of poems titled  Mist and Musings , which narrates in verse and interludes in prose the story of her life, experiences in Periyar. In an e-mail interview Padma shares her memories of Periyar, her thoughts on wildlife management and more. Excerpts from the interview. What does Periyar mean to you? Periyar was my first independent posting after my training a

MIRACLES OF RAMAYANA FRUITS

Uma Nath 1)Soursop fruit ( Lakshman fruit)     The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible, white pulp, some fiber, and a core of indigestible, black seeds. Sour soup an antioxidant fruit is rich in Vitamin C. *The fleshy part of the fruit on application to any cut, accelerates the healing process. *Sour soup is able to inhibit the risk of osteoporosis and helps in digestive process of our body. *Sour soup is rich in dietary fibre.              Soursop is the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree. The exact origin is unknown; it is native to the tropical regions of the Americas and is widely propagated. 2) Bullocks heart ( Ram fruit)  Ramphal or Annona reticulata also known as bullock’s heart is originated from West Indies, Central and South America. However, It is naturalized in Southeast Asia, India, Taiwan, West Africa and Australia.           Health benefits of Ramphals is quite fascinating. They are high in vitamin C, a nutrien

TAXONOMY, ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF DIOSCOREA SPECIES: A WILD TUBER CROP

Sanjeet Kumar sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com Dioscorea species is commonly known as Yam worldwide. It has diverse vernacular names. In Odisha, it is known as Ban Aalu. Most of species are edible but with bitter taste. Some species are non-edible too. Rural and tribal communities consume the edible species after boiling or after through processing. Sometimes they leave the tubers in running water for removing bitterness taste. They cook the tubers with main meal. They have medicinal values. Most of the species are used to check birth control and to cure skin infections by the tribal people of Odisha. Several species of this genus serve as staple crops in many parts of the world (Mabberley, 1997; Martin, 1974). In general, all of the principal yam species are frost-intolerant and vigor is affected at temperatures below 20°C. A temperature range of 25-35°C is common in the majority of the yam producing districts and Coursey (1967) suggests that the rate of growth of Dioscorea increases