Win one, lose many
India needs to have a hard look at the sources of all its varied traditional knowledge and how to protect them
A sip of earthy flavour
Anantamool tea is more than a refresher for the farmers of Vidarbha
Back where it belongs
India emerges victorious from a legal wrangle with the US over the patenting of neem
Follow Up
Biobusiness
Tribal women in Chattisgarh beat the poverty trap with fortunes from traditional medicines
Himalayan herbal heritage fading
Forest produce in Western Ghats suffer mystery infection
Peepal power
The Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh never misses the opportunity to savour the tender leaves of peepal
Relish history
Rich in its mythological antecedents, the prickly pear has many medicinal merits
Intoxicatingly delicious
With increasing urbanisation and changing food habits, very few people are aware of the mahua fruit and its oil, let alone its health benefits
The eco tree
Many tribal communities consume semal because of its medicinal properties. Others worship the tree. A clan of the Bhil tribe in Rajasthan …
Fruity twist to grandma's tale
The country fig can pass off as any other wild fruit. Little can one guess it has a cluster of fibrous flowers inside, loaded with prebiotic …
Textile therapy
A handloom trader experiments with traditional medicinal herbs for dyeing garments
Sri Lanka bans export of high-value medicinal plant
Mushrooms shield body from radiation
A bushful of medicine
Seabuckthorn, a plant with numerous medicinal properties, grows wild in India. Rural communities are the losers
On the wild side
Residents of Garhwal swear by the taste and health benefits of a lesser known vegetable
Guggal faces sticky end
Ayurveda prescribes it for heart ailments; no data available on surviving plants
Herbs to heal cattle
In the absence of veterinary services, traditional medical practices for treating livestock remain popular in tribal villages
Blossoms with benefits
Heti flower adds variety to cooking when few options are available just before the harvest season in Maharashtra
Forestland benefits
Under the Lok Vaniki scheme, a farmer can extract benefits from his land by selling its produce, including timber
Paradise under fire
The beautiful Valley of Flowers, known for its flower diversity and fecundity, is caught in a strange controversy over ban on grazing
The secret gardens of Malabar
An English translation has been made exactly 300 years after the Hortus Malabricus was written, new, sinister designs seem to lurking behind it - …
Taste the tangy
A little-known ingredient from Kerala, kodampuli, is full of medicinal properties