STUDIES ON SOME AMERICAN EXOTIC WEEDS OF PASCHIM MEDINIPUR DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA, AND THEIR MEDICINAL USES

Abstract

In Indian flora, there is the entry of many exotic plant species that came from tropical America, Africa, the Mediterranean region, China, Australia, and Malaysia, etc. mostly with food grains. The entry of these plant species, mostly the herbs and also the shrubs were reported from the then British India as many plants were taken for introduction to India. Some of these weeds had already established themselves in India due to the favorable tropical climatic condition and some flourished as dominant components in Indian flora, state flora, and also in local flora like in districts or regions. In West Bengal, there are many of them in the district of Paschim Medinipur. Due to the presence of these plant species in nature, many of them are used for different purposes and thus established their importance, particularly for medicinal uses. A few of them are of newly reported uses as known from the local people by query and some are studied as seen to be used for some diseases. Thus the newly recorded medicinal uses are presented here as additional reports besides their previous reported uses. All total 14 plant species of American origin are here presented with their life photographs, Botanical names including family and precise characters, along with English names, local names, native countries, reported previous uses and the present reports, mostly restricted to medicinal purposes.

Keywords

• american exotic weeds
• medicinal uses
• paschim medinipur
• west bengal