OBSERVATIONS ON SOME FERNS OF PACHMARHI BIOSPHERE RESERVE IN TRADITIONAL VETERINARY USES BALENDRA PRATAP SINGH AND RAVI UPADHYAY 1 Department of Botany, Government Narmada P.G. College, Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, India (Received July 04, 2010, Revised Accepted August 19, 2010) ABSTRACT The present study mainly focuses on the traditional veterinary uses of Ferns used by the tribes of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh state, India. Observations on four Fern species belonging to three genera and three families are presented in this paper. Their botanical names, family names, local names, habit, and veterinary uses are provided. Key Words : Ferns, veterinary, Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Madhya Pradesh (India) INTRODUCTION Pachmarhi biosphere reserve area is constituted in the Central part of India. It is one of the highly biodiversity-rich areas with high floristic diversity and unique plant life forms because of the varied spectrum of variations of the latitude, altitude, rainfall, topography, soil type and other climatic aspects. Pachmarhi BR area is often recognized as “Genetic Express Highway” linking two biological hot spots of the country viz. Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats, also as confluence of northern and southern type of vegetation. The total area of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is 4981.72 sq. km. It is located at Longitude 22° 11’ to 22° 50’N and Latitude 77° 47’ to 78° 52’E. It covers parts of three civil districts, viz., Chhindwara (29.19%), Hoshangabad (59.55%) and Betul (11.26%). It includes three wildlife conservation units viz., Satpura National Park (524.37 sq km), Bori Sanctuary (485.72 sq km) and Pachmarhi Sanctuary (491.63 sq km). During past years extensive survey of different remote areas of Pachmarhi have been explored by various researchers (Vasudeva & Bir (1992, 1993a, 1993b, 1993c, Pathak 2001) in connection with pteridophytic biodiversity. After review of available literature it is revealed that 107 species of pteridophytes belonging to 18 families and 52 genera occur in this area. This region also forms the habitat for some tree ferns belonging to family Cyatheaceae and Angiopteridaceae. The habitats of these tree ferns are fragile and under constant anthropogenic pressure of over exploitation. These ferns are also used by the native people for various ethno medicinal purposes. Some species of Adiantum like Adiantum capillus-veneris L. and A. philippense L. are traded by local vendors by the name “Hansraj & Tejraj” as aphrodisiac plants. Some observations on the ethno veterinary uses of four ferns, belonging to 3 genera and 3 families, are presented in this paper. METHODOLOGY The present study is the outcome of exhaustive field survey undertaken for the Indian Fern J. 27 : 94-100 (2010) 1 E-mail : drru12000@yahoo.co.in