Grasses: An Underestimated Medicinal Repository

Abstract

Grasses have been on this earth as monocotyledonous plants and have been a survivor on the planet despite ofrnvarious ecological changes. Many grasses hold the medicinal value and are a repository of some unique medicinalrnproperties. Man had been using these grasses in various forms from cultivating the cereals like the rice, wheat andrnmaize and millets for food to growing sugarcane for sugar and jaggery. The bamboo grass, with its woody stem, isrnideal as building material and in making paper. Lemon grass is used to perfume soaps and to flavor curries. Otherrngrasses are used for making thatches for huts. It is very essential for humans to identify such important grasses andrndevelop a strategy for their conservation.