Assam gets its first glossary on medicinal, aromatic plants

Although India's northeastern region is often dubbed as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the subcontinent, yet hardly any records existed about the region's plant species till recently.

Now, a forest officer in Assam has come out with a unique book that has recorded close to 1,400 medicinal and aromatic plant species as well as wild mushrooms that are found in abundance in the wilderness of Assam and which contain medicinal properties to treat several critical diseases like cancer and AIDS.

Penned by Senior Forest Officer Jatindra Sarma, "Medicinal Plants and Mushrooms of India with Special Reference to Assam" is the result of 15 years of hard work put in by the author and is expected to be of immense help to foresters as well as the scientists in the country.

"I have been working on this project for the last 15 years. Reading about these plants has been a passion for me since my days at the Forest College. I was posted in Karbi Anglong district in 2001 and that is when I thought of recording these plants," Sarma told IANS in an interview.

"I have recorded 1,340 plant species and 60 varieties of wild mushrooms in my book. Out of these 1,400 species, about 20 plant species are yet to be named; these are recorded for the first time," he said, adding that since the beginning of his forestry career, he had badly felt the need for comprehensive literature, especially for use by foresters who are devoid of knowledge on the intricacies of plants.

The two-volume work not only records the species but also includes a description about the plant and mentions the latest nomenclature in scientific parlance with available vernacular names in Assamese, common names in English and names in Sanskrit and Hindi as could be gathered from available literature.

"For example Jyotishmati (Celastrus paniculatus Willd) is a commonly used herb in Assam. While the bark is used as a brain tonic, the juice of its leaf is an antidote for opium poisoning. Its seeds are extremely useful in treatment of leprosy, paralysis, leucoderma, asthma," Sarma says in the book. The paragraph on Jyotishmati includes its photograph, photograph of the leaf, the tree, bark and seeds, besides a description about its habitat and nomenclature.

It also contains a pictorial description about Ophiorrhiza rugosa Blume (Rubiaceae), which gives us Camptothecin, the anti-cancerous drug which is used in treating ovarian cancer, colon cancer and also AIDS. "Its leaf paste is used as poultice for treatment of arthritis," he said.

The book also contains information on Gandheli (Nothapodytes nimmoniana), the herb that contains anti-carcinogenic properties but was feared to be extinct in Assam. The species was once again spotted by Sarma during his survey.

"I think the information in the book will be useful for botanists, ecologists and wildlife managers, among others. The brief descriptions and images can assist during field surveys and other research to identify plants for both human and animal usage," he said.

"The book was intended for foresters in India. I thought it prudent and wise to present the book in two volumes for use across the country," he said.

(Aditya Baruah can be contacted at aditya.assam@rediffmail.com)

--IANS

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