The information on poisonous seeds of indigenous plant species is very much useful not only for promoting awareness among the people to avoid from harmful effects but also for judicious utilization of such seeds for control of insect-pests, bugs, mosquitoes and many injurious organisms. Very occasional references were made with regard to the poisonous nature of seeds of wild plants growing in the state or country. Therefore, attempts were made to identify the poisonous seeds of some selected plant species of Gandhamardan hill ranges of Orissa with their local name, locality of collection, distribution and notes on poisonous action.

The undivided Kalahandi district was a grand repository of vegetable wealth of which medicinal plants were plentiful. Of the 62 tribes inhabiting in Orissa, about 54 tribes are present in this region since they are utilising various forest products to meet the necessities of life sustenance. However, in course of time the forest cover has been reduced mostly due to over exploitation of woody elements. One of the important aspects of tribal lifestyle is utilisation of indigenous medicinal plants to cure various ailments. Due to depletion of medicinal plants there is also shrinkage of this knowledge among them. Hence, a floristic exploration of medicinal plants has been launched upon during 1997-1999. This has yielded 229 angiospermic species under 197 genera belonging to 76 families. These have been properly identified and are preserved in the form of herbarium specimens in the P.G. Department of Botany, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. Their nomenclatures have been updated. In the present checklist, the species are arranged alphabetically with corresponding families and local Oriya names. Different parts used to cure diseases have also been appended. Need for the conservation of rare and less known medicinal plants has been highlighted.

The paper reports an account of the plants of Orissa that are useful for the extraction of homoeopathic drugs. A total of 107 species have been enlisted through literature survey as homoeopathic medicinal plants with their correct nomenclature and local names. These species belong to 97 genera under 48 families. Each species is provided with its place of availability, natural or exotic, chemical property and other information that are useful for homoeopathic pharmaceutical industry.

A survey was carried out during 1994-2000 in forest areas and plains of Andhra Pradesh for information on wild edible plants and personal interviews were conducted with various tribals and local villagers. A total of 419 wild species belonging to 100 families are used for edible purpose, of which 157 species are fruits, 160 species leaves, 38 spp. tender shoots and shoot tips, 37 spp. stem and root tubers, 27 spp. seeds and grains, 8 whole plant, 15 flowers and flower buds, 1 radicle, seedlings, 2 gums, 3 tender buds, 2 bulbils. These plants are used in normal period or in times of scarcity

The spice family Zingiberaceae comprised of 53 genera and over 1400 species is distributed throughout the world. The family is economically most important for spice, medicines, essential oil, dye, oleoresin and also few of them are used as vegetables as well as garden plants. Orissa records only 9 genera and 24 species wildly growing in different forest areas belonging to this family. Regional Research Laboratory has been trying to collect the germplasm of zingiberaceous plants and develop the agrotechnology of their large scale cultivation. This paper includes the enumeration of these species, their present status and distribution,vernacular name, uses, flowering as well as ecology.

In the present communication three infrageneric taxa have been enumerated as new records for the State of Orissa.

Ethnobotanical survey covering Kalimpong hill subdivision (altitude to 3660 m) in the eastern Himalayan region of India was carried out by the present author during 2004-2006, following standard methods. The herbarium specimens were identified at CAL. Twelve species of flowering plants, widely used in the folk-medicine of this region, are highlighted in this paper. They have a broad spectrum of medicinal uses. New or less known healing applications of these plants were recorded. Such plants are mostly utilized by the Bhutias, Lepchas and Nepalis, the major ethnic communities of Kalimpong hills, bonded together by Nepali language. For each species, family, local names, life-form, altitude range and distribution, flowering and fruiting months, detailed uses, threat status of IUCN and annotations etc are given. Owing to over-exploitation, a number of medicinal and/or economically lucrative species are already under different categories of threat. Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz, has almost disappeared from this area as a result of ruthless exploitation during last twenty years. Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet ssp. indicum, a potent diuretic plant, is now ―extinct‖ in the wild in Kalimpong and adjoining Darjeeling hills, albeit it was abundant there about two decades ago. Several other medicinally important species heavily exploited in the past are: Aconitum bisma (Buch.-Ham.) Rap., Arisaema consanguinatum Schott, Hedychium spicatum Sm., Panax pseudoginseng Wall., Piper longum L., Stephania glabra (Roxb.) Miers etc and consequently they are now threatened. Biopiracy of such important medicinal plants often takes place from this region which must be strictly prohibited. In general, the underground plant parts e.g. root/stem tuber, rhizome, root etc have remarkably high medicinal value. Such plants of Zingiberaceae, Costaceae, Araceae, Araliaceae, Menispermaceae, Ranunculaceae and many other families provide the real medical support in everyday life in the mountainous remote villages where the qualified doctor to people ratio is 1:4892. Its fascinating to see that when the era of ―telemedicine‖ is coming up and probably arrived at the most modern doors, the people living in far-flung Himalayan villages are still healed at nature‘s own dispensary. The information given in this paper will be useful for backing conservation strategies, and facilitate better understanding of phytotherapy research.

Twentyfour plant species with less known medicinal or medico-religious uses ractised by the tribals of Phulbani district, Orissa are reported alongwith local names and mode of administration.

The prestine mangrove resources of Orissa were remarkable. However, paradoxically due to lack of knowledge regarding their judicious exploitation and high socio-economic value, the mangrove biota were neglected and were ruthlessly devastated, in order to meet the various requirements of the nearby inhabitants.Reclamation of mangrove forest land for the settlement of immigrants, paddy cultivation and prawn culture have accelerated the depletion of mangrove biota. In recent time, mangrove conservation vis-a-vis prawn culture has become a debatable issue in Orissa.

As per an estimate provided by satellite data (LANDSATTMF) the total mangrove spread in Devi-Mahanadi Brahmani Baitarani - Subarnarekha deltaic complex sustained 217.93 Sq. Kms of mangrove in 1985 which has degraded to 199.19 sq.Kms in 1993 as per a report by (IRSLISSIIFCC) organisation. Hence, there is a significant depletion of 17.93 Sq. Kms of mangrove coverage during a period of eight years. And it is further degraded to 195 Sq. Kms in 1995 (Misra, 1999). Notwithstanding the variability in respect of the mangrove coverage in Orissa given by various agencies or research institutes it is evident that this plant community is degrading at an alarming rate (Map No. 1).

Yet, it is high time to develop appropriate strategies for sustainable exploitation of the mangrove biota which has got a significant bearing on the socio-economic development of the Orissa state. Concurrently, effective steps should be adopted for the natural regeneration of the mangrove taxa in the denuded area simply by giving protection. This should be supplemented with rehabilitation of the mangrove species basing on multidisciplinary scientific research data. In otherb words, conservation and judicious utilisation of the mangrove resources should proceed in a harmonious manner.

In the present paper the author has tried to unveil the potential value of different plants of six districts and their surroundings. Many of the residents have knowledge of plants or plant parts used as medicine, but only local folk-doctors have the knowledge of their growth season, place and mode of harvest, post harvest treatment, storage and usage, doses etc. Commercial pressure has reached the areas during the last decade and illegal export of a large number of plants is reported . 38 folk recipes explored on 48 plant species belonging to 44 genera and 31 families are presented herewith.