Scholarly Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 4(6), pp. 331-338 June, 2014 Available online at http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJAS ISSN 2276-7118 © 2014 Scholarly-Journals Review Podophyllum hexandrum Royle 1 Ishfaq Hameed, 2 Asad Ullah, 1 Waheed Murad and 1 Sahib Khan 1 Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Pakistan 2 Center of Plant Biodiversity, University of Peshawar, Pakistan Accepted 12 June, 2014 General distribution: It occurs 2000–4500 m. Found in Tibet, Afghanistan, Hamaliyan areas of Pakistan and India, Bhutan and China (Evans, 2002). Most of the commercial supplies come from the Central United States and from Virginia and North Carolina (Claus et al., 1974). Podophyllum hexandrum also known as the Indian podophyllum, growing on the lower slopes of the Himalayas and forest from Afghanistan eastwards to central China (Airi et al., 1997; Gupta and Sethi, 1983; Giri and Narasu, 2000; Choudhary et al., 1998). Interior ranges of the Himalayas at 9,000-14,000 ft. from Sikkim to Hazara, decending to 6,000 ft. in Kashmir (Chopra et al., 1992). In Pakistan it is distributed in the valleys of Astor, Chitral, Hazara, Dir, Murree Hills, Swat and in Azad Kashmri (Nasir and Ali, 1972 and Evans, 2002). Historical Aspect It is said that Mayapple was introduced to modern medicine in 1787 and remained as an item in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1910. The trade term Podophyllum was first used in the edition of 1910. In the first edition of American Dispensatory (1852) it has been described as cathartic, emetic and alterative (Lloyd, 1929). An official British Pharmacopoeia. Key words: Podophyllum, hexandrum, Royle INTRODUCTION (1980) as cathartic. This plant has been discussed in detailed by the author of Indian Materia Medica (Nadkarni, 1982). The Indian Pharmaceutical Codex (Mukerji, 1953) includes resin as a cholagogue purgative. It is also included in Martindale, the Extra Pharmacopoeia (Reynolds, 1994). Recently this herb has attracted attention of researchers looking for new medicines (Keville, 1995 and Rizvi et al., 2007). Cultivation, Collection and Preparation Prefers a moist peaty soil and filtered light or shade (Sanders, 1926; Phillips and Rix, 1991). Grows well in moist open woodland (Knight, 1980; Brown, 1980; Huxley, 1992). Hardy to about -20°c (Phillips and Rix, 1991), it takes some years to become established (RHS, 1988) but is very long lived in a suitable habitat (Anonymous, 1982-83). Young leaves may be damaged by late frosts but otherwise the plants are quite hardy (Anonymous, 1982-83). Over collection of the plant from the wild is becoming a cause for concern as local populations are being endangered (Manandhar, 2002). *Corresponding Author’s Email: asadbotanist@yahoo.com Young plants only produce one leaf each year, older plants have 2 or 3 leaves each year (Coventry, 1923). Plants in this genus have excited quite a lot of interest for the compounds found in their roots which have been shown to have anti-cancer activity (RHS, 1988). The sub-species P. hexandrum chinense. Wall has larger flowers and more deeply divided leaves (Phillips and Rix, 1991). Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in a cold frame in early spring. The seed germinates in 1-4 months at 15°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shady part of the greenhouse for at least 2 growing seasons. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the winter when the plants are dormant. Division in March/April (Sanders, 1926). Podophyllum species are commonly grown in gardens for their beautiful flowers. It can be successfully cultivated on well-drained sandy loam soil rich in organic matter (Choudhry et al., 1998). The growth and stand of plants on poor soil is stunted and thus regarded as uneconomical. It requires temperate climates conditions with very cold winter and mild summer. It is found on the cooler shady slopes of mountain ranges at altitudes ranging from 25,00 to 3,000 m in above high mountainous areas in Pakistan (Rizvi et al., 2007). This species can be propagated from seeds, seedling and also from sections of