Potential Medicinal Plants of Eastern Ghats (Orissa)

Abstract

The eastern ghat hill ranges lies between 11° 30' and 22° N latitudes and 76° 50' and 86° 30' E longitude along the East cost of India. Floristically the region is enriched with about 2000 species of flowering plants comprising 13 % of the Indian elements (Nayar, et al. 1984). The chain of hill ranges of Eastern ghat in Orissa is rich repository of medicinal plants. Because of habitat degradation and over-exploitation of medicinal plants these resources are becoming scarce which needs systematic and scientific exploitation in a sustainable manner. Besides these the indigenous knowledge possessed by the local vaidyas, medicine men who are