New records of flowering plants collected from the Phou Khao Khouay National Biodiversity Conservation Area for the flora of Laos

We report 14 species of flowering plants as new additions to the flora of Laos. These are Illex viridis (Aquifoliaceae), Capparis erycibe (Capparaceae), Euphorbia bokorensis (Euphorbiaceae), Exacum darae (Gentianaceae), Aeschynanthus cambodiensis (Gesneriaceae), Tetraphyllum roseum (Gesneriaceae), Utricularia gibba (Lentibulariaceae), Macrosolen brandisianus (Loranthaceae), Decaschistia siamensis (Malvaceae), Nyssa yunnanensis (Nyssaceae), Adenia penangiana var. penangiana (Passifloraceae), Pentaphylax euryoides (Pentaphylacaceae), Wikstroemia bokorensis (Thymelaeaceae), and Debregeasia wallichiana (Urticaceae). We discovered the species during a botanical survey of the Phou Khao Khouay National Biodiversity Conservation Area (PKKNBCA) of Lao PDR in 2015-2019. In addition, nine rarely collected flowering plant species in Laos are newly reported for the PKKNBCA.

Ethno-Botanical Survey on Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Leguminosae Family at Rajnandgaon and Balod District of Chhattisgarh

Leguminosae is one of the largest family with three sub-families and it has a great ethno-botanical and ethno-medicinal importance in indigenous and urban communities throughout the Chhattisgarh. Leguminous plants are widely used for many purposes by peoples of rural areas and it includes many important cultivated economic food crops. The research work was initiated to get information and reports the traditional and medicinal uses of the family leguminosae by tribal peoples of Chhattisgarh. The paper also deals with an account of endemic and rare plants of Leguminosae existence of Chhattisgarh. In our field survey we got 3 rare plants species Alysicarpus bupleurifolicus, Flemingia stricta,and Zornia gibbosa belonging to Papilionatae sub-family. They had highly medicinal properties that’s why their more exploitation done by tribal people and get become a rare plant species which is also included in BSI report of endemic and rare plants of Chhattisgarh 2004. A total of 63 medicinal plant species are used by the local health healer for the treatment of different disease. The medicinal plants used by the traditional users of Rajnandgaon and Balod district are arranged alphabetically followed by botanical name, common name, flowering time, habit and their uses.

Leptomischus anisophyllus (Argostemmateae: Rubiaceae), a new species from Vietnam

Leptomischus anisophyllus, a new species of Rubiaceae, is described and illustrated, and its conservation status is discussed. The species was discovered in 2017 during a botanical survey of Pu Mat National Park (Nghe An Province, Central Vietnam). The new species is remarkable by its anisophylly, a rare feature in Leptomischus. Besides, Leptomischus anisophyllus differs from morphologically similar congeners by the following features: stems terete, pubescent when young, flowers distylous, corolla tube 10–15 mm long. An updated key to the Vietnamese species of Leptomischus is provided.

Ethno - Botanical Survey Of Plant Species Used For Mosquito Control In Nigeria

In Nigeria, there is paucity of information on plants used to repel or kill mosquitoes despite the abundant plant species in the country’s tropical rain forests. Majority of available data are on the traditional use of plants for curative purposes. This study documents some plant species used for insecticidal or repellent purposes against mosquitoes in Nigeria. An ethno-botanical survey was carried out in four geo-political zones in the country using structured questionnaires and focus group discussion. A total of six plant species belonging to five families were reported in Delta state with Conyza Canadensis (Compositae) being the most utilized (50%) and Aspilia africana (Compositae), the least mentioned (5.60%). In Enugu state, a total of nine plant species belonging to eight families were mentioned by respondents with Aframomum melegueta the most utilised (26.09%) while Agava sisalana and Dracaena manii belonging to the families Agavaceae and Dracaenaceae were the least mentioned (1.09% each). A total of six plant species belonging to five families were reported in Kaduna State with Lantana camara belonging to the family Verbenaceae accounting for 58.82% of the utilised plant species for mosquito control while Ipomea asarifolia, Terminalia catappa and Citrullus vulgaris belonging to the families Convolvulaceae, Combretaceae and Cucurbitaceae respectively were the least utilized (5.88% each). Lagos State recorded the highest number of plant species (twenty five) belonging to eighteen families. Spondia mombin belonging to the family Lilaceae was the most mentioned (7.33%) while the least mentioned (0.37% each) were Magnifera indica, Baphia nitida and Pennisetum purpeum belongingto the families Anacardiaceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae respectively. There is a need for further investigation on these plant species as they may constitute potential sources of cidal and repellent compounds against a wide range of insect pests. Keywords: Ethno-botanical survey, insecticidal, repellence, mosquitoes, plant species

Ethno-botanical Survey on Medicinal plants used by Tribes of Karanja (Ghadge) Tahsil of Wardha District, Maharashtra, India

Introduction: Tribals or forest dwellers have much knowledge of the drugs growing around them. Most of this treasure of knowledge has been passed orally without any written documents. It is therefore very important to preserve and protect the traditional knowledge and also to prepare a digital data base of traditional medicine. Aim & Objectives: Ethno-botanical survey on medicinal Plants used by the Tribes of Karanja (Ghadge) Tahsil of Wardha District, Maharashtra, India and to prepare the ethno-botanical database of study area. Material & Methods: Ethno-botanical study was conducted through field surveys. Data was collected using questionnaire, interviews and discussions. The collected data was investigated using specific quantitative parameters including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Relative popularity level (RPL), Use value (UV), Fidelity level (FL), Relative frequency citation (RFC) and Rank order priority (ROP). Observations & results: Total 7 local informants were interviewed for Ethno-botanical data. Total 65 plants associated to 46 families were verified, authenticated and then recognized with ethno medicinal uses. Informants used 10 types of parts of plant from 6 kind of habitat and do the management of the patients with 6 type of medicinal preparations through 5 routes of administrations. Values obtained by calculating ICF, UV, RFC, FL, RPL and ROP were suggestive of informant’s knowledge regarding particular plant species in treating the particular ailment. Conclusion: The present work would be useful in identification of newer species and their therapeutic applications.

OBNOXIOUS PLANTS AND WEEDS OF DISTRICT LAKHIMPUR KHERI AND IN ADJACENT AREAS OF U.P. INDIA

In this present study, the paper innumerate 101 Obnoxious Angiospermic plants those are growing in District Lakhimpur Kheri and the adjacent areas. In this survey total district area was studied and collected the information of the Obnoxious Angiospermic plants that are grown, wild, planted, cultivated & naturalized of road sides, park avenues and gardens in the area. Since a great change has been seen within last 05 years in the wild and cultivated species. That there are some plants those not eaten by animals. Therefore, there is a great need for a complete study conducted on the obnoxious plants. The plants were identified with the help of different published flora and herbarium lodged in different places of India. A survey of Obnoxious plants and Weeds was conducted for 5 year (2010-2015), during the study period it has been put in mind that no place should be missed because every and each place is highly valuable and important to collect and record new plant species. The progressive and repeated Botanical survey in understanding of the flora of a region gives an uptodate information about plants growing in that area. The critical review of a literature reveals that the work on an Angiospermic flora covering district Lakhimpur Kheri was under taken by various workers in the past viz. Hooker (1872-1879), Duthei (1903-1929). But the survey was on all type of Angiospermic plants. Now it has been taken in mind that how many Obnoxious plants are growing in Lakhimpur Kheri district and adjacent areas.

An alarming public health concern over variability in herbal compositions of marketed immunity booster products during COVID-19: A botanical survey-based study

The world is going through pandemic of the century named COVID-19 disease. The COVID-19 pathogenesis involves cytokine storm in advanced stage leading to systemic hyper-inflammation. Medicinal herbs are practiced as part of alternative therapies in addition to clinically approved drugs with strong belief of its safety and efficacy. In present times, many herbal immunity booster products are available in market which claims to boost immunity for fighting against COVID-19 in prevention and cure. In this study, herbal products with tag of Immunity boosters were surveyed from medical stores and studied for their botanical contents. We surveyed 60 herbal products out of which 31% were tablets and rest were other forms like capsule, decoction and avaleha. Among the products, 17% products were from Dabur followed by Himalaya, Zandu and rest other leading brands of herbal market. Total 98 plants belonging to 50 diverse plant families like Zingiberaceae, Lamiaceae, Piperaceae and Apiaceae were reported being used in these products. Including Fruits (19%), Root (18%) and Leaf (17%), total 20 different plant parts were found used as medicinal herbs. These herbal products were having 10.27 ± 14.02 herbs with range of 56 indicates huge ingredient variation among the products. This diversity in products poses serious health concern in buyers who do not know the safety and efficacy of immunity boosters, being used in COVID-19 pandemic.

Adverse effects of medicinal plants used by cancer patients in Beni Mellal and the communication of this use

Moroccan cancer patients use traditional herbal medicine and no ethno botanical study has targeted them in the Béni Mellal Khénifra region. We had the objective to measure the frequency use of medicinal plants by cancer patients in the region of Béni Mellal Khénifra as well as the communication around this use and to inventory the plants used added to their adverse effects. We used an ethno botanical survey was conducted among 314 patients at the regional oncology center of Béni Mellal. The prevalence of use and the relative frequency of citation (RFC), the proportion of patients reporting this use and its adverse effects were measured. the prevalence of medicinal herbs use was 37.3% (n = 117). The citation relative frequency of plants ranged from 0.005 to 0.16. We found, also, 32 species belonging to 19 botanical families. Almost 90% (n = 102) of patients do not communicate this use and the most used plants are: Marrubium vulgare (16%), Ephedra alata (13%) and Juniperus oxycedrus (12%) Some plants seem toxic, in particular Juniperus oxycedrus used in a form of tar. The drug-plant interaction requires monitoring due to the lack of communication.

Psychomedicinal plnts of District Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, India

People of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir have been traditionally using many medicinal plants for the treatment of different psychological disorders and mental illnesses. These plants are also used in different religious practices like sorcery, rituals and ceremonies since time immemorial. Extensive and intensive field survey carried out during the period of 2017-2021 and found that there are 27 plant species are being used by local inhabitants for the purpose of psycho-medicinal uses. The information gathered from local inhabitants of the study area like old folk, tribal people, shepherds, Vaidyas or medicinal practitioners etc. The collected plant species are properly identified with the help of local floras and authenticated from regional herbaria like Botanical Survey of India, Northern Circle (BSD), Dehradun and Forest Research Institute (DD), Dehradun. The study enlists 27 plant species from 27 different genera belonging to 25 different families. The botanical name alongwith the local name, plant parts used and their uses is included for each plant species. The different psychological disorders or mental illnesses treated through the mentioned psychomedicinal plants are epilepsy, headache and migraine problems, hydrophobia, insomnia, weak memory, sychoneurosis and insanity. Religious ceremonies, rituals and sorcery practices, like exorcism, are performed using these plants to treat insanity, snake bite and to keep away negative energy.