The Agasthyamalai hills at the southern end of the Western Ghats, India, are well known for their herbal wealth. The evergreen forest ranges from 300 to 1868 m in altitude. It is also where the Vedic sage Agathiyar, who contributed for the Siddha system of medicine, came from.
Herbal Wealth of Western Ghats Agasthyamalai is the outcome of an extensive survey conducted by the then Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) unit located at Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu. This involved collecting folk claims and basic information., as well as carrying out digitization of herbarium specimens, and visits to the Agasthyar hills for the collection of basic information to go with the photographs. The book provides an overview of various facts including updated botanical nomenclature, distribution, IUCN status, uses, threat perspective, formulations etc. safety/toxicity and contra-indications were also covered on the reported plants. Information on folk claims of the reported plants, high quality images of plant and herbarium specimens will certainly act as a ready resource for those who are working in the herbal medicine sector. |
