SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS OF NORTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL (INDIA)

Abstract

The district of the North 24 Parganas forms a part of the SouthWestern portion of the Presidency Division of West Bengal. It extends over 4090 sq. km. The head-quarter is situated at Barasat, established on December 1995. Present study deals with 65 medicinal plants of this district. Their uses in field observation and from authentic literature and their abundance have been incorporated in details. Present study recorded that all together 65 plant species with medicinal properties have been recorded and study has been carried out in detail from Nilgunj, Jagaddal, Thakurnagar, Bisharpara-Kodalia and Bamungachi of the North 24 Parganas district. All the herbarium specimens were kept in G.C. Bose Herbarium, Bangabasi College, Kolkata-700 009, West Bengal, India. The study was conducted by personal interview with the village people and local medicine men (Kabiraj and Hakim). They helped us providing some information according to their knowledge and experiences, about the medicinal uses of the local flora.The information collected by interviewing from the local medicinal men need clinical study for confirmation whether they are effective or not and conserve them scientifically in their original habitat. At the same time the rare plants like-Andrographis paniculata, Crotalaria verrucosa, Derris indica, Hemidesmus indicus, Hygrophila phlomoides, Smilax glabra, S. prolifera, Stephania japonica and Terminalia arjuna of the studied area of North 24 Parganas district need conservation and also can be recommended for plantation due to their important medicinal values.