Pharmacognostic Studies on Hypodematium crenatum

Abstract

Although a large number of ferns are known to have medicinal properties, pharmacognostic features of only few of them are known (Claus, 1956; Wallis, 1960; Anonymous, 1966; Mitra et ah, 1973, Mukherjee et al., 1980 and others). Hypodematium crenatum (Forsk.) Kuhn which is used in the indigenous system of medicine by tribal and local folk of Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh is known by the name ‘Bhoot Kesar’ (Singh, 1969-70) and in Rajasthan by the name ‘Jadi Buti’ (Sharma and Vyas, 1985). In Rajasthan its leaves are used to induce conception in women and the whole plant is used by exorcists for fumigation in Pachmarhi. Drug samples available in these areas consist of rhizome with roots and leaves. Accordingly, this paper describes pharmacognostic features such as chemical tests of drug samples and their physical constants such as extractive values, ash, and protein content. Diagnostic, morphological and anatomical features are also described, some of which were earlier reported by Mehra and Loyal (1956), Nayar and Bajpai (1970), Loyal (1972) and Khare and Shankar (1987).