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Frequent ethnobotanical surveys of the Nath inhabited localities of Bundelkhand Region viz. Banda, Karwi, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Jhansi, Jalaun, and Lalitpur districts of Uttar Pradesh and Chhatarpur, Datia, Tikamgarh districts of Madhya Pradesh were undertaken during 1998-2001 on the guide lines as suggested by schultes (1962) and Jain (1963 a, 1964, 1965). The information about the use of plants for food, fooder, medicine, dye, oil, fibre and tannin etc. were recorded by personal interviews with tribals (Nath). Some ethnobotanical informations were also recorded from herbalists, forest dwellers, cowherds and old experienced villagers of the area under study, these informations could be obtained by intimate contact and consistant persuation with them. Specimen were also collected of all the plants reported to be used for different purposes and marked with there field numbers, They were identified upto species level. Some specimens were also confirmed with the isotype specimens preserved in the herbarium of Botanical survey of India, Central circle Allahabad. All the specimens except some well known plants were preserved for authentic information and future refrence. The plant materials used for various purposes by the tribals like roots, rhizomes. stems, bark, branches, leaves, flowers, and seeds were also collected and preserved in F.A.A. All these specimens have been deposited in the herbarium of the Post Graduate department of Botany, Pt.J.N.P.G.College, Banda (U.P.).

23 For the purpose of enumeration, the plants have been placed alphabetically on the basis of their botanical names under their respective families arranged according to Hooker's system (1872-97) of classification. The information about the ethnobotanical use(s) of plant has been given in the following sequence :Botanical name : Local name(s) (given in parenthesis), habit. Local use(s) (as reported by tribals and other villagers). Locality (Loc.) indicating place (The place of collection of information and plant material) district, state and field number. Ethnobotanical distribution (Ethn. dist.) of the plant species (used for similar and disimilar purposes) is given on the basis of available literature.

*** DATIA LALITPUR Labar Bongra Kuthound Yamuna Rivar JALAUN Oral Jarlya Gursarain •Chirgawan HANSE: Orchha Barua Sagar thivipur?. AA Talbehat Mahroni Rath Panwarl Kurara HAMIRPUR AA Muskara Maudaha Kulpahar Kabral Charkhari Garoutha MAHOBA Laundi Chandia Nowgong Ken River MAP OF BUNDELKHAND Baberu BANDA Atarra CHHATARPUR Ajaygarh TIKAMGARH Khajurahg AA A PANNA Bijawar Amanganj Pawal District Boundary Rivers ° Naraini hwang Kamasin Baghain R. Rajapur Paharl Mau KARWI Bargarh Manikpur AA Kalinger 25 50 Km. A Area Surveyed for ethnobotanical studies and collection of plant material. District Head Quarter Important Places

25 SOIL AND CLIMATE The climate of Bundelkhand is the result of its position astronomical or physical. The tropic of cancer passes just south of this region. Its situation in the interior part of the Indian subcontinent gives it a continental character with extremes of temperature in large ranges. Centrality of the region also imposes on it, the features of a transition zone between the tropical martitime climate of the east (Bay of Bengal) and the tropical continental dry climate of the West (Thar desert). The altitude does not play any important part in determining its climate. On the basis of typical monsoonic climate in the whole region, the year is divisible into three well marked seasons viz., rainy (mid June to mid October), winter (mid October to February) and summer (March to mid June). (a) Temperature The average annual temperature of Bundelkhand in 1999-2001 remained uniformly high (70° - 93° F). The mean annual temperature of Banda was 80.2° F, that of Orai 72.5° F. Jhansi 79.5° F. Nougaon 77.7° F but their mean monthly values considerably varied from their annual means. The temperature exhibited a large range of variations between winter and summer seasons. The lowest temperature was recorded in December at Orai 55.5° F. Banda 57.2° F. Naugaon 60.5° F, Jhansi 64.2° F. However, the highest average monthly temperature in Banda 96.2° F, that of Jhansi 94.5° F. Naugaon 92.5° F and Orai 91.4° F could be recorded in the month of June (with the onset of mansoon, during June upto August). During September and October