DIVERSITY AND ETHNOMEDICINAL PTERIDOPHYTES OF JALPAIGURI DISTRICT WEST BENGAL, INDIA

The Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal lying the foothills of Eastern Himalaya at an elevation of 180-400 m may be considered as a resourceful area for pteridophytes. The present studies were carried out to collect, identify and documentation of ethnomedicinal properties of those pteridophytes. During the study period (2017-2020), seasonal field visits were carried out and a total of 45 ferns and fern-allies of different families were documented. The dominant families were Pteridaceae, Polypodiaceae and Thelypteridaceae. The study revealed different uses of ferns and fern-allies as food, fodder, treatment of various diseases, and as ornamental plants. This study may further help us for further exploitations of this group of plants and their conservation.