Economic value of medicinal plants in Indo-gangetic plain areas of Kanpur: An Urban environment

The paper presents information on the economic values and traditional uses of 78 plant species found in the near by areas of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and highlights the uses of these plants by the local inhabitants and their economic values. The scientific and vernacular names of plants, their ecological distribution, and the popular uses of the plant, their economic values are presented in this abstract. The majority of medicinal plants grow in the wild (61%), while others are cultivated (37%) and some (1.9%) are domesticated. Some of these plants are more abundant in the urban area where they grow in forest areas. Among the 78 species inventoried, 13(12.7%) medicinal plants are widely commercialized in the region and exploited outside of the province. The data are collected from 10 wholesalers and local people. This survey demonstrates that the medicinal plant sector in the province is a promising economic resource.