Wild Plants of Indian Sub-Continent and Their Economic Use

A large variety of wildflora are found in Indian subcontinent because it is endowed with a variety of physiographical features and climates. Such a diversity of wildflora does not exists to any country due to lack of various evolutionary determinants such as mountain systems, plateaus, plaines and river systems etc. Wild plants have variety of uses. Apart from providing animal feed, fuel wood and improving the land productivity, the different part of the various wild species available have multiferous uses. Their use vary from place to place even for the same species. The plant Leucaena leucocephala leaves are fed to the cattle and branches are used for thatching houses in North Eastern States of India while in Philippines, it is used mainly for green manuring and timber. Extracting toddy from Boarassus flabellifer is the main use in Andhra Pradesh but used for making canoes which are important for transport during wet season in West Bengal. In our country wild mango (magnifera indica) trees are used for fruits but it is employed for boat making in Bangladesh. In Indonesia, Arenga pinnata is utilized for making sugar and alcohol while sago is made in the neighbouring countries from the same plant.