PHYTOTAXONOMY Vol. 10, 2010. pp. 45-46 Traditional uses of the Indian species of Litsea Lam. Trina Bhuinya', Paramjit Singh 1 and Sobhan K. Mukherjee 2 'Botanical Survey of India, C. G. O. Complex, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700064 2 Taxonomic & Biosystematic Laboratory, Dept. of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani-741235 E-mail: 'trina.bhuinya@gmail.com, : pchanna@gmail.com, \sobhankr@gmail.com Litsea Lam., with 45 species in India, is the largest genus of the family Lauraceae. Several species yield aromatic oil and exhibit medicinal properties, which are used by the tribals in different parts of the country. The present study accounts for the traditional uses of the species of Litsea Lam. Key Words: Litsea Lam., traditional uses Introduction Litsea Lam. is an important genus of Lauraceae, the cinnamon family, many species of which are being used for various medicinal and ethno-botanical purposes from time immemorial. There are nearly 400 species of Litsea Lam. growing in the warm climate of Asian countries. In India, 45 species are found to grow throughout the country, except in the desert parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The genus has high species concentration in the evergreen forests of the Himalaya (ca. 28 species) and the Deccan Peninsula (ca. 25 species). Methodology The present work is based on the data collected during field trips as well as from herbarium sheets deposited in major Indian herbaria. All available literature on Litsea Lam. was also consulted for this, study. Field surveys were conducted in parts of Western Ghats like the Nilgiris, Trivandrum Hills, Mahabaleshwar, and in the Eastern Himalaya like the Darjeeling Hills, Khasi and Garo Hills, Sikkim Himalaya and foothills of Arunachal Pradesh during 2004-2007 for the purpose of collecting species of Litsea Lam. along with information on ethno- botanical uses among the natives of these places. All such specimens were given field numbers and deposited in the Central National Herbarium (CAL). Species were studied and identified. Medicinal uses of different species were surveyed and recorded. Traditional uses of Litsea The species of Litsea Lam. are well distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Out of the 45 species found in the country, 51.11% are concentrated in northeast India and 42.22% in peninsular India. The genus shows maximum diversity in the northeastern states Parts of these plants, like leaves and bark, have been used as traditional medicines since ancient days (Table 1). Essential oils, like citral, lauric acid and oleic acid extracted from L. eubeba, L. glutinosa, L. monopetala and L. stocks// are used commercially for the preparation of medicines, insecticides, perfumes, flavours and colognes. Oil extracted from L. eubeba is a good competitor of Chinese 'lemon oil' due to its low cost of production and easy method of cultivation of the species. Decoction of different parts of this plant is used to cure burns, sprains, indigestion, cough and bronchitis, paralysis and even mental disorders like hysteria and forgetfulness among the tribals of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Sikkim. Flowers are often used to flavour tea. Leaf extract is used to treat athlete's foot and other skin diseases. The fruit is edible, carminative, and used for treating dizziness and excessive perspiration. Fruits are sold in the markets of northeast India, and are eaten raw or used to prepare pickles. The oil from the bark (Kataky et ai, 1976) and fruits resembles citronella oil and is used widely in perfumery, soap industry, sanitary products and as deodorizer. In aromatherapy, it is used for refreshing