Medicinal Plant Resources of South Bengal

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In recent past, owing to increased pollution and climate change, the human diseases are on the rise. The allopathic medicine provides relief but not without side effects. Hence, there is increased tendency towards use of plant based medicines, which have no side effects. India is a land where Ayurveda was born during Rigveda. Blessed with great diversity of plants, we have numerous plants, which can heal each and every diseases of man. Our strong and healthy forefathers never went to modern hospital and were completely dependent on the locally available medicinal plants. As per World Health Organization report 80% of the world population is still dependent on traditional and local plant medicines. Hence, conservation of our medicinal plants and its gene pool is of utmost important.

Owing to large scale deforestation we are losing our plant resources fast. The West Bengal Forest Department has taken several measures in conserving our medicinal plant resources. Silviculture (South) Division has started pioneering work of Joint Forest Management at Arabari, which is first of its kind in entire country. The division has established four Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas and Two Ex-situ conservation areas at Amlachati and Digha. Amlachati in Paschim Medinipur District has a very large collection of medicinal plants probably largest collection at a single place in India.

Earlier, Forest department published two volumes of books containing details of about more than 580 species of medicinal plants. Those two volumes published earlier have been appreciated by all. Now a single book is being published containing details of 581 species of medicinal plants of South Bengal with pictures and descriptions and indicative use. We hope the single volume of book will help Scientists, Foresters, Researchers, Ayurveda Practitioners and Students and also create awareness about medicinal plants. The price of the book has been kept at the lowest so that it can be used by all.

Owing to shrinking forest area and deforestation we are fast losing our biodiversity. The medicinal plants, upon which the surrounding local community was dependent for centuries are getting rarer. Except in cities and towns, where people use allopathic medicine, bulk of rural population is dependent on the medicinal plants surrounding us for treatment of bodily ailments. The Silviculture (South) division has taken up several measures to conserve and create awareness about Medicinal plants. It has established Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas (MPCAs) and Ex-situ conservation sites. Under National Medicinal Plant board project it has supplied quality planting materials to different divisions for rising plantation by involving local people. The Amlachati Ex-situ conservation site in Paschim Medinipur district has huge collection of around 704 species of medicinal plants both indigenous and exotic. This might be the highest collection of medicinal plant germ plasma in a place in India. This place has attracted thousands of visitors, which includes tourists, school children, scholars, scientists, ayurveda practitioners, drug manufactures, etc. There are only a few books which provide information on medicinal plants. Hence, with the objective of providing field guide for identification of medicinal plant, The Research wing published first volume on Medicinal Plant in 2005. The first volume contained details of 375 medicinal plants. For ease of identification in the field, colour photographs were given along with scientific name and various local names used in the various parts of Bengal. The book contained other details like distribution, morphological and phonological description, flowering and fruiting timings, method of propagation and a note on cultivation. All the pictures and details of the book was drafted by Shri. Saurabh Chaudhury, IFS the then Divisional Forest officer, Silviculture (South) Division and Shri. Tushar Kanti Das, Range Officer, Jhagram Research Range. All the scientific and techinal details were corrected and edited by Shri. N.D. Paria, Professor of University of Calcutta.

Encouraged by the success of the volume one, the Research wing took out the second volume with more species in 2010. In the second volume 208 species of medicinal plants found in Amlachati were included. As lot of medical and botanical jargons were used in the book, for the ease of common man, Glossary of Medical and Botanical terms were included at the end of the book. Shri. Saurabh Chaudhury, IFS the then Divisional Forest officer, Silviculture (South) Division and Shri. Tushar Kanti Das, Range Officer, Jhagram Research Range prepared the draft of the book with pictures. The scientific and technical parts were scrutinized by Shri. N. D. Paria, Ex-Head of the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta and Dr. K.K. Biswas, Retired reader, Department of Botany, Midnapur College. Overall editing was done by Dr. Kana Talukdar, IFS, The then Conservator of Forests, Research Circle.

Very soon both volume I and II became out of print. The book is in high demand from the public. This prompted us to go for reprinting of both the volume. Earlier two volumes were bigger in size and little bulky for carrying to the field. To make the book handy in carrying to the field, both volumes I and II have been combined into a single volume with reduced, attractive size and design. The cover pages have been made attractive. An introduction chapter has been added briefing the importance of medicinal plants and the activities carried out by Silviculture (South) Division in conserving the medicinal plants. Shri. A.B. Roy Chaudhuri, IFS the then Chief Conservator of Forests (Research & Development) provided necessary guidance and support in publishing both the volumes.

One page has been dedicated for each species to make it convenient to use and read. The format of the description were retained as in volume 1. Two species Pistacia chinensis and Tabernaemontana heyneana in volume II are not distributed in South Bengal. Hence, they have been removed from the book. Better pictures have been replaced for more than 250 species. For some species whole tree or plant photo with leaf arrangement, flower, fruit and seed photos have been added. Except these changes, original contents of volume I and II have retained. Best possible efforts have been made to nullify the mistakes in this book. However, small mistakes might have crept without our knowledge. All the readers and users of this book are requested to send the mistakes and comments to us. We take necessary measures to rectify the mistakes in the next reprint, if any.

To make this book affordable to everyone, the cost of the book has been kept at Rs. 199/- without any profit. The objective of the book is fulfilled if people start growing medicinal plants in their home garden and start using it in their home.

Do you know domestic and wild dogs have been reported to feed on Grasses and Lantana leaves? Dogs do not have the means to digest grass, as they lack the enzymes needed to break down the fibers. They get relieve from stomach ache and parasitic worms. Similarly, Sloth Bear are reported to feed on Amaltus (Cassia fistula) fruit pulp for the laxative action. Chimpanzees and man co-existing in sub-Saharan Africa are also known to ingest the bitter pith of Vernonia amygdalina for the control of intestinal nematode infections. Animals know the plant species to feed for each and every bodily ailment. Medicinal plants play a vital role towards the natural protection of human as well as other animal's life. From prehistoric times man has looked to wild and domestic animals for sources of herbal remedies. Both folklore and living examples provide accounts of how medicinal plants were obtained by observing the behaviour of animals. By looking at wild animals man learned to use medicinal plant for treating livestock. Man was always surrounded by wide array medicinal plants. Gradually, the most effective one was selected and became part of ethno medical traditions.

Plants have been used in the traditional healthcare system from time immemorial, particularly among the tribal communities. Numerous wild and cultivated plants play a vital role in their culture, customs, traditional healthcare system, rituals, etc., and this interrelationship has evolved over generations of experience and practice. Plants are primarily used due to their safety, effectiveness, cultural preferences, inexpensiveness and abundant availability. Since, medicinal plants were available free of cost in the immediate surroundings, there use in ancient times were abundant. In India, medicinal plants have been used for treating ailments since ancient times. Earliest use of medicinal plants was documented from around 1500 BC during Rig Veda. Ayurveda, which mainly used medicinal plants, was developed in India. Charaka and Shushruta were great contributors in the field of Ayurveda. Charaka-Samhita mentions about 700 herbal medicine and Sushruta samhita menions around 2000 herbal medicine.

Traditionally medicinal plants have been put to use by Hakims, Herbalists, Vaidyas, Ayurvedic practitioners and common man. As per World Health organization, 80% of the world population is dependent on traditional medicine for its primary health care. Tribal people utilize medicinal plants in their immediate vicinity free of cost. Many people have lived longer without taking allopathic medicines. The medicinal plant knowledge has been less documented and mostly has descended from people to people. In recent past people have been trying to do scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning plants and their medicinal, religious, and other uses through a specialized branch of science known as Ethnobotony.

Out of 20,000 medicinal plants listed by WHO, India's contribution is 15-20%. In India, more than 2,000 drugs are of plant origin. In recent days, Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly using medicinal plants as raw material for making drugs. Excessive use and deforestation has pushed medicinal plants species to the brink of extinction.

West Bengal has a diverse climate and forest type from Littoral swamp and mangrove forests in South to Dense deciduous Sal Jungle in Southwest Bengal to Temperate forests in North Bengal. Because of diverse forests, West Bengal has good number of medicinal plants. The West Bengal Forest department has worked closely with local people in conserving forest resources and medicinal plant resources. The conservation of medicinal plants can be grouped into two categories. Conservation of medicinal plants in the natural habitat is known as in-situ conservation and outside its natural habitat is known as ex-situ conservation. In national parks and sanctuaries along with wildlife, the medicinal plants are also conserved. In places, where the medicinal plant diversity is high medicinal plant conservation areas (MPCAs) have been declared. In these areas felling and commercial extraction is completely closed. Conservation of MPCAs will help in conserving the gene pool of medicinal plants species. Four MPCAs have been established in South Bengal viz., Garh Panchkot, Bonnie camp, Kankrajhore and Susunia. Under UNDP and NMPB funded projects studies have been conducted in these areas to know diversity and ethnobotonical knowledge to prepare comprehensive management plan for the future.

Bonnie Camp MPCA Bonnie camp MPCA is situated in Mathurapur-II block in South 24-Paraganas district. It is around 4 hour boat ride from Raidhigi. The total forest area is 3273 ha of which 300 ha is declared as MPCA. It has a unique Salt water Heritiera fomes type forest, with salt tolerant plants occurring in tropical and subtropical intertidal estuarine regions and tidal creeks. As the area is inundated by salt water during high tides, these plants have developed special adaptations to survive under adverse conditions.