This document discusses medicinal plants found in India. It begins with an introduction about India's biodiversity and reasons for its rich variety of plants. It then profiles Indian medicinal plants and describes diverse habitats where they are found, including the Himalayas, deserts, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats and coastal regions. Examples of specific medicinal plants are provided for each region along with the plant family and parts used and their medicinal uses. The conclusion recognizes India's wealth of medicinal plants that have been used in traditional medicine systems for ancient times.

1. Keshav Narayan Pai
Msc I
Department of Botany

2. Content
• Introduction
• Profile of Indian Medicinal Plants
• Medicinal Plants of Himalayas.
• Medicinal Plants of Deserts.
• Medicinal Plants of Deccan Plateaue
• Medicinal Plants of Western Ghats
• Medicinal Plants of Coastal region
• Conclusion
• References

3. Introduction
• India is among the 12 mega bio diversity
countries of the world.
• About 12% of worlds known plant species and
8% of worlds known flowering plant species are
found in India.

4. Why Biodiversity is rich in India?
Reasons
 Good Rainfall
 Altitude
 Soil Condition

5. Profile of Indian Medicinal Plants
• All India co-ordinated Research Project of Ethnobiology
(AICRPE) has estimated around 8000 plant species
recorded in medicinal use.
• Medicinal plant occur in all bio- geographical zones
• India has rich medicinal heritage i.e Ayurveda,
Siddha, Unani, Folk.

6. Diverse Habitats
 Deserts
 Temperate Forests
 Tropical Forests
 Mangrooves
 Coastal and Islands.

7. Medicinal Plants of
Himalayas
Aconitum ferox
 Family : Ranunculaceae
 Part used : Roots
 Uses: Antidote for poison, it relieves
body pain and used as ailment for Asthma
and diabetes.

8. Eupatorium cannabinum
 Family: Asteraceae
 Part used: Flowers
 Uses: Diuretic, remedy for purifying blood,
juice used to stop bleeding.

9. Aconitum heterophyllum
 Family: Ranunculaceae
 Part used: Underground stem and root
 Uses: Antipyretic, anti inflammatory, treatment of piles,
vomiting etc

10. Rhododendron arthopogon
 Family: Ericaceae
 Part used: Leaves
 Uses: Its oil is used in treating cold, obesity , flu and
gout.

11. Medicinal Plants of Deserts
Cressa cretica
 Family: Convolvulaceae
 Part used: Leaves and Flowers
 Uses: Used to treat Asthma, leprosy
and also tuberculosis.

12. Convolvulus microphyllus
 Family: Convolvulaceae
 Part used: Leaves an
 Uses: It is used to reduce cholestrol ,it is also psycho
stimulant and to reduce stress.

13. Tecomella undulata
 Family: Bignoniaceae
 Part used: Bark and seed
 Uses: Blood purifier, used to treat diseases of liver,
internal tumours.

14. Medicinal Plants of Deccan Plateaue
Rawolfia serpentina
 Common Name: Sarpaganda
 Family:Apocynaceae
 Part Used:Roots
 Uses: Used to treat snake bites,
mental disorders.
 Reserpine is extracted from them

15. Celastrus paniculatus
• Family : Celastraceae
• Parts used: Seeds
• Uses: Seed oil is used as tonic for memory loss, used to treat
neuro degenerative diseases.

16. Medicinal Plants of Western Ghats
•Garcinia indica
• Family: Clusiaceae
• Parts used: Fruit
• Uses: They contain rich amount of anti- oxidants,
treated for fever and also for skin diseases

17. Embelia ribes
• Comman name: Vidanga
• Family: Myrsinaceae
• Parts used: Seeds
• Uses: To treat cardiac disease, skin diseases, obesity etc.

18. Myristica malabarica
• Family: Myristicaceae
• Part used: Bark, seed.
• Uses: To treat Ulcers,
gangrene, Rheumatism.

19. Medicinal Plants of Coastal Region
 Acanthus ilicifolius
 Family: Acanthaceae
 Parts used: Roots, leaves
 Uses: Treat Asthma and
Rheumatism, Skin diseases.

20. Avicennia marina
 Family: Acanthaceae
 Part used: Bark
 Uses: Treatment of Scabies
 They have Anti- bacterial,
Anti- microbial Properties.

21. Rhizophora mucronata
 Family: Rhizophoraceae
 Part used: Leaves, Bark.
 Uses: Treatment of Diabetes, Dysentry.
 Also used to treat Bloody Urine.

22.  India is an home of many useful medicinal plants
in the world and medicinal plants are used from
ancient days i.e AYUSH(Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani,
Siddha and Homeopathy).
 Research are going on to study the medicinal
plants and more research are to be conducted in
this field.

23.  www.encyclopedia.com/tropic/medicinal
plants.aspx.
 www.botany.com/medicine.htm