Ficus benjamina (Weeping fig): Classification, Distribution, Description, Use, and Management

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The Ficus benjamina L. is a fig tree that is native to a large region that includes India, China, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the South Pacific, and the northern part of Australia (Riffle, 1998), and has been widely introduced as part of urban tree planting programs in many tropical and subtropical countries due to its ornamental value and adaptability to urban environments. F. benjamina is now found in a variety of cities throughout the world, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Spain, the United States, Mexico, Turkey, Paraguay, Pakistan, the Dominican Republic, Singapore, Venezuela, mention a few.

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Synedrella nodiflora: Classification, Distribution Characteristics, Morphology, Germination, and Uses

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Synedrella nodiflora is a little, annual weed of cultivation native to America that can also be found in India’s plains and the Andaman Islands. It is occasionally discovered in the Amravati district (M.S.). The leaves are used as a pollutice for rheumatism and the juice is used to treat earaches. Rathi and Gopalkrishnan (Rathi and Gopalkrishnan, 2005). A leaf infusion is used as a laxative in Ghana; leaf sap is used in Cango for oral affections and is put on gums to tighten them. In Malaya, it is used for poulticing painful legs and headaches after confinement, and in Indonesia, the sap is put in the ear for earache. In Tganyika, the roots are pounded and cooked, and the decoction is offered as a cough mixture (Burkil 1985). Rathi and Gopalkrishnan discovered that aerial parts of Synedrella nodiflora have insecticidal action against Sapodeptera latura ( 2005).

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Holy Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Classification, Origin, Distribution Characteristics Chemical Constituents and Uses

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Tulsi is a Hindu sacred plant that is revered throughout India. Tulsi is a Sanskrit word that means “the incomparable one” or “matchless one.” Ocimum sanctum is a 75-cm tall, multi-branched, erect, sturdy, and scented plant. This little plant is grown and worshipped in Hindu temples and homes all over India. Vishnu-Priya, Tulsi in Sanskrit, Kala Tulsi in Hindi, and India’s Holy Basil in English are all frequent names for this plant. This plant’s leaves, seeds, and roots have all been employed in traditional ayurvedic treatment. This herb has long been prized for its medicinal qualities. Tulsi comes in two varieties: Black (Krishna Tulsi) and Green (Tulsi) (Ram Tulsi). Chemically and medicinally, they are quite similar. Ocimum sanctum L (Tulsi), Ocimum gratissimum (Ram Tulsi), Ocimum canum (Dulal Tulsi), Ocimum bascilicum (Ban Tulsi), Ocimum kilimandschricum, Ocimum americanum, Ocimum camphora, and Ocimum micranthum are some of the species found in the genus Ocimum. They are extensively renowned for their therapeutic benefits and are grown in many places of the world. Vanya (wild) and Gramya (grown in hones) are two other names for Tulsi. Colds, coughs, malaria, dengue fever, bronchitis, asthma, sore throats, influenza, heart conditions, eye problems, mouth infections, insect bites, stress, and kidney stones are just a few of the ailments that can be treated with this plant.

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Cynodon dactylon (Indian Doab): Classification Distribution Characteristics Chemical composition and Uses

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Cynodon Dactylon (Doob grass) is considered sacred grass in India since it is used to feed sacred cows. Doob’s Sanskrit name is durva, which means “chopped or eaten by the animal.” The plants vilva, durva, and tulsi, which are revered by Lord Sankara, Ganesa, and Visnu, respectively, cure vata, pitta, and Kapha dosas. Hindus use the leaves durva to worship the God Ganesha. Since ancient times, this plant has been known for its cooling, haemostatic, diuretic, and tonic effects, as documented by Dhanvantari, Kaiyadeva, and Raja Nighantus. Durva comes in two varieties, white and green, according to Ayurvedic scriptures. Cynodon plant is a pungent, bitter, aromatic, hot, appetiser, vulnerary, anthelmintic, antipyretic, and alexiteric, according to Ayurveda, India’s traditional pharmacopoeia.

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Urtica dioica (Soi): Classification, Characteristics, Chemical Constituents,  and Uses

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Flavonoids, tannins, volatile chemicals and fatty acids, polysaccharides, isolectins, sterols, terpenes, protein, vitamins, and minerals are the primary chemical constituents of Urtica dioica. Acetylcholine, histamine, 5 hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), leukotrienes, and formic acid are the chemicals that cause the burning sensation in leaf trichomes. Kaempferol, isorhamnetin, quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, rutin, and their three rutinosides and three glycosides are the most common flavonoids. It has been discovered that shikimic acid derivatives such as phenylpropanes, caffeic acid, and different esters of this acid such as chlorogenic acid and caffeoyl malic acid exist. Carotene, hydroxycarotene, lutoxanthin, lutein epoxide, and violaxanthin are examples of carotenoids. Vitamins B, C, and K, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium, are abundant in the leaves. Essential amino acids, glucokinnins, and high chlorophyll content are also present.

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Lavatera kashmiriana: Distribution, Characteristics, Chemical constituents and Medicinal Uses

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Lavatera Kashmiriana is a Kashmir Valley indigenous and endangered plant (Molur and Walker, 1998). It is a lovely, semi-evergreen, perennial tall mallow flowering Kashmiri plant that grows in humus-rich soils in meadows, shrubberies, and forest clearings (Ford, 1938; Sharma, 2003; Kaul, 1997; Vidyarthi, 2010). Roots as a laxative (Sharma, 2003), gastrointestinal problems and renal colic (Kaul, 2010), flowers for common cold and mumps, and seeds as an antiseptic. L. cachemiriana is a valuable ornamental and medicinal herb that was once only found in the Kashmir valley (Molur and Walker, 1998; Kaul, 1977), but is now distributed throughout the western Himalayas from Pakistan to Uttar Pradesh/Uttaranchal (Sharma, 2003; Kaul, 1977).

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Kingcup (Caltha palustris): Distribution, Characteristics, Chemical composition and Uses

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Caltha palustris can be found in all highlands of the Ukrainian Carpathians. It grows around damp channels and on the borders of ponds, wet meadows, lakes, wetlands, and swamps, as well as along rivers in slow-flowing and stagnant waters. The plant first appeared in gardens in Austria and southern Germany towards the end of the seventeenth century. It has become a prized garden plant among aficionados in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, England, and Holland. It has long been utilised for medical purposes in Ukraine.

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Oxalis corniculata (Khati Buti): Classification, Distribution, Characteristics, Chemical constituents, and Ethnomedicinal Uses

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Oxalis corniculata Linn. is found in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. It is a member of the Oxalidaceae family. It grows readily among human settlements, roadsides, gardens, and yards in practically all warmer sections of India, particularly in the Himalayas up to 2500 metres in elevation.
It is a delicate-looking, low-growing herbaceous plant found in wet gloomy locations, roadsides, plantations, lawns, and practically all regions throughout the warmer sections of India, especially in the Himalayas up to 8,000 feet altitude. (Hemant and colleagues, 2011)

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Heartleaf Philodendron: Description, Characteristics, Cultivation, Propagation, Chemical Constituents, and Uses

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Propagation of Philodendron species is commonly done via cutting and layering. During the growth season, try to propagate them. Where the leaves touch the stem, tiny brown nubs appear. These nubs will produce roots if they come into contact with soil or water. Cutting a branch just below a root nub and placing it in water with a few bits of horticultural charcoal to lessen the possibility of rot is one of the easiest ways to reproduce this plant. It is potted in rich soil as soon as new leaf development occurs. Hairpins or bent wire can also be used to pin vines to the earth at the root nub. In a relatively short period, the root nub that comes into contact with the earth sprouts new roots. Misting multiple times a day can substantially benefit the plant once the various sections of the Philodendron species are rooted.

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Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum): Classification, Characteristics, and Medicinal Uses

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Epipremnum aureum, also known as the money plant in Asian nations, is a member of the Araceae family and is one of the most simple houseplants to care for. It grows best in bright indirect light or an area protected from the afternoon sun, and stem cuttings can be easily propagated (Sonawane et al. 2011). The money plant is a herbaceous plant classified as a C4 plant because it contains a mechanism for turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen (O2) during photosynthesis (Sharma 2013). Because photorespiration releases CO2 at a lower rate than other C3 plants, it uses oxygen solely during cellular respiration for light respiration. As a result, with the net increase in oxygen concentration in the atmosphere, the net production of O2 by photosynthesis exceeds the net consumption of O2 during respiration (Sharma 2013).
Epipremnum aureum, often known as golden pothos, is a kind of epipremnum. It is one of the most widely used tropical ornamental plants in hanging baskets. Epipremnum aureum is a potent air purifier. Unlike other plants that produce carbon dioxide at night, it continues to produce oxygen.

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