Preface What a wealth of human kind is available to us in the tropics especially the millions of species of plants through their gene reservoirs offer manifold benefits to us! From our wake up cup of tea – coffee in the morning to the late evening we enjoy the myriad contributions of the kalpavruksha. Without knowing it, each day we utilize hundreds of products that owe their origin to wild plants. Indeed our welfare - the welfare of all of us; in developing this country is intimately tied up with the welfare of tropical plant species and their resources. From the time immemorial, the people of India have been using thousands of medicinal plants for curing various diseases, suggesting that Ayuverdic has been widely used to maintain human health. Raw herbs were mostly collected from agricultural fields, waste lands and forests. Since the western countries have started recognizing the importance of natural drugs, due to their safe, without side effect, non-poisnous and cost–effective nature, collection of raw herbs become more intensive. Let us briefly note some further contributions of plant species and their biological resources to our daily welfare, via the fields of medicine. Little though we may realize it, each time we take a medicinal prescription to our neighborhood chemist there is one chance in two that our purchase owes its origin, in some way or other to start point materials from wild plants. The product may be an analgesic, an antibiotic, a diuretic, a laxative, a tranquilizer. The commercial value of these medicines and drugs, plus other pharmaceuticals, now is being hike day by day. Are these rate feasible for common poor people?

India is fortunate in terms of natural wealth, which is manifested in its great plants diversity. Since time immemorial medicinal plants nature hidden and to a large extent unexplored treasure has been used virtual in all human cultures around the country. The wide spread use of herbal remedies and health care preparation from commonly used traditional herb and medicinal plants as those described in ancient texts such as Vedas, the Quran and the Bible have been traced to the occurrence of natural products with medicinal properties. Ancient people used plants as purgatives, sedatives, antitussives, and to alleviate a wide range of ailments such as fever and insanity. According to WHO, 3.5 billion people in developing countries use plant based medicines for their primary health care. WHO also indicates that over 30% of the world’s plants species have at one time or another been used for medicinal purpose.   The people of India have been using thousands of medicinal plants for curing various diseases suggesting that Ayurveda has been widely use to maintain human health. Ancient Indian medicinal heritage is based on 7000 plant species and about 8000 herbal remedies have been codified in the Ayurveda. Plants in Ayurveda have Sanskrit names the synonyms; each plant may have synonyms ranging from five to hundred.

1. Abrus precatorices Scientific name     :     Abrus precatorices Linn. Common name      :     Indian Liquorices Family      :     Fabaceae English      :     Indian liquorices Hindi      :     Gunj Kannada      :     Gulaganji Plant habitat and description : It is found in South China, the pacific island, tropical Africa, the West Indies and almost all tropical countries in moist places. In India, it occurs commonly near the ravines of miscellaneous forests, waysides, grass of localities up to 1000 m altitude and throughout warmer regions of country. It is propagated by seeds and can also be propagated by cuttings of firm shoots in sand under glass. A much branched, perennial climber with woody stem. Leaves are paripinnate leaflets opposite, deciduous, oblong, ligulate, membranous, and glabrous or thincy silky beneath.

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