Regionally accepted popular source of Ayurvedic medicinal plants in Southern India

Abstract

South India flora comprises Western ghats as well as Nilagiri Hills which are among the most diverse biggest sources of medicinal plants. The collection, practice and preparations from Southern India are well known not only all over India but also in abroad.  Many of the popular pharmaceutical companies are located in South India only, which invariably extensively depend on the regional botanical sources of raw drugs. Currently regionally accepted Ayurvedic medicinal plants are under scanner and importance is being given to validate these sources both documented and undocumented in the classics of Ayurveda. In this article efforts have been made to collect all such available sources and discuss on the various parameters such as avilabality, morphological identity, pharmacological actions etc. Article also aims to contribute for popularisation of such medicinal plants andanticipating their adoption into mainstream of Ayurvedic medical practice.