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Vasaka is a Medicinal plant , mainly used as a crude drug for different ailments. The plant is distributed in all over India and many other countries of temperate region. The present study is carried on Adatoda vasica L.distribution in Delhi NCR region. The region has a lot of consumption of crude drugs along with its historical heritage, geographical area and cultural diversity. It has modern civilization. This region is also known as the planet of Crude Drugs due to rich markets of wild herbal plants. Since historical times vasica is also well known as an indigenous herb. The whole plant is beneficial for health, mainly in the treatment of bronchitis using its leaf extracts. It's root and bark decoction is used in the quantity of 10 to 15 grams 3 times a day for 3 days in the treatment of removal of intestinal parasites in rural areas. The juice of vasica leaves liquefies thick sputum. Its dry leaves smoking gives relief in asthma. According to Ayurveda, a gulkand made from vasaka flowers is used in the treatment of tuberculosis. The use of hot decoction of its leaves is useful in the treatment of itching and other skin diseases. Modern medicine has discovered the active constituents are alkaloids in which vasicin, oxyvasicin and vasicinone. In which vasicin is an active ingredient to expel sputum in the body. The herb is found in scattered form in the NCR region & now shrinking its production due to over development.

1. To find out the distribution pattern of the studied plant and their demographic presentation from special distribution.

2. To prepare layout planning map for ongoing plantation program for Applied plant species under study area.

3. To conserve the plant species for contact, supply the herbal / Crude drug.

The phytogeographical distribution work was also done by different workers. Medicinal plants & other plants geographical distribution were also done by pharmocogonostical studies. Some scientiest did the work on soil, vegetation & distribution pattern (Money 1965, Sharma 2007, Polunin 1967, Walts 1971). Rathore (1992) used the remote sensing technique for distribution pattern of plants. Shankar & Kumar (1988) did the work on the ecology of Indian desert area. Kashyap (2002) did the work on medicinal plant & their pharmacognostical studies with germination & distribution patterns. As part of the research work, the flora of the area was also studied by many botanists and their information about its crude drug quality were also given as Linneaus S.C.(1753) in Species his book Plantarum. Koppen (1900) did the work on the classification of the plants. Hooker(1906) did the worked on “A Sketch of the flora of British India”. Washington and Raunkiaer (1934) published the book on The Life-forms of the plant and statistical plant geography. Polunin, (1967) Introduced about Plant Geography and some related Science. Watts (1971) Principles of Biogeography. Mani,(1974) did the work on ecology and biogeography of India. Krebs (1978) did the work on Ecology - The experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. Bachketi (1984) did the work on social forestry in India with the problems and prospects. Bhandari (1990) mentioned the flora of Indian Desert. Dhuley (1999) worked on herbal flora and published on Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia. Sharma (2007) wrote a book on medicinal plants Geography which was very useful to confirm through literature. Kashyap ( 2002) did the work on certain medicinal plants habitats and other aspects. Sharma (2019) and Kukreti et al (2023) did the work on Phytogeographical distribution of  medicinal plants and vegetation.

The proposed study research area is NCR Region has the geographical extension included NCT Delhi, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Meerut, Bulandshahar and Some region of Haryana the study area has been included NCT Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Meerut and Baghpat from North- latitude 28⁰44'42''N and East longitude 77⁰05'35''E from  the area under study is dominated by highly developed region as well as agricultural region. It is highly dense populated area .Delhi NCR region comprises along with Haryana (Gurugram, Rohtak, Faridabad, Karnal, Panipat, Jhajjar, Ambala, Panchkula, Jind, Kurukshetra, Hisar, Sirsa, Kaithal, Sonipat, Palwal, Fatehabad, Yamunanagar, Nuh, Rewari, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri)  UP (Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Baghpat)  ( Map) -

The present study has been concentrated on extensive field work. The important data of Adhatoda vasica L. has been collected from authentic resources. The Survey of India, topo sheet and bioclimatic Map has been used. The map has been taken for entire NCR Delhi region. This data has been collected in addition to reports, maps, research papers books, monographs, soil survey data published and unpublished materials from various agencies. Remote sensing and physical factors like climate, soil types and water quality also helpful to examine the distribution pattern. Biological factors such as flora and fauna, Social factors included population, mobility, economic activities, etc were also surveyed. These were studied after examining the data related to usage and other data (some productivity indicators) have been used in the survey site.The spot to spot survey was completed. The community study of the studied plant was used by Raunkier's method to find out the distribution pattern. Somewhere Adatoda vasica was found in dotted form. It is common in some regions some times it was seen in abundant form indifferent areas. The species quality of the Adhatoda vasica plant also known by local community. The natural, environmental and climatic conditions for Adhatoda vassaca were also studied Phyto-climatic data. A carto - graphic interpretation of the species of Adhatoda vasica L. from the point of view of phylogeographic studies were also completed at two levels. ie. at the macro as well as micro level. It could be helpful to complete the phytogeographic observation.

The spot to spot survey was completed and calculated by Raunkier's method to find out the distribution pattern. Somewhere Adatoda vasica was found in dotted form. It was common in some regions some times it was seen in abundant form in different  areas.

NCR Delhi, has the vasaca plant on the waste lands near by roads, rivers and untouched vegetational sites. Phytogeographical distribution pattern of studied plant. It will be helpful in the conservation, analysis and distinctive quality of Adhatoda vasica L. in herbaceous species found in different areas of the studied area which covers Ghaziabad, Meerut, Baghpat, Delhi, Haryana and some parts of Rajasthan and many other parts of India.

The studied herbaceous plant Adhatoda vasica L. found in the area of ​​ Delhi NCR was found deficient in various factors. Also in the successful aspect one can see the results of the efforts made by the Forest Department increasing land under green coverage through tree plantation programs and awareness campaigns. but it has been found Adhatoda vasica L. not grown or planted anywhere by forest department & people.

Natural vegetation of Adhatoda vasica L. is being eroded from Delhi NCR region through irregular rainfall, heavy industrialization, wind erosion, water erosion, high temperature, storm and soil erosion.  All these activities have been caused threatend the Adhatoda vasica L.

                 

Fig 1 and 2 : Natural habitat of the plant- Adhatoda vasica L.

Excessive overgrazing, use of insecticides and pesticides, indiscriminate cutting of bushes have resulted in erosion of vegetation and reduction in biomass production and if all these problems continue in future. A large area of ​​herbaceous plant coverage will help to create a desired situation

The results showed that people should take immediate steps to explore the forest management weeds, so that Delhi NCR Region can be completely protected by natural vegetation. The present study can help to make the strategies for wild & natural reservoirs. The Delhi NCR region can be useful to develop suitable forest management technologies and strategies by naturalists and policy makers.

Adhatoda vasica L. is used as a main crude drug.  It is mainly used to treat bronchitis T.B. & Cough.  The leaves, bark, fruit and flower extracts of this plant are used in the treatment of intestinal parasites.  The leaves of this herbaceous plant contain vaccine alkaloid which is responsible for bronchodilation persistence.The essential oil of the leaf is potential for the expectorant action.Various types of alkaloids such as vaccinone, vaccinolone, and vesicol are found in its leaves and roots, which play an important role in the treatment of bronchitis.

Studies have also found that vassaca is also used effectively in the treatment of acidotic (dyspepsia) and pyorrhea. On the basis of thrombopoietic, the main alkaloid vaccine helps in increasing the platelets in the blood.

Plant succession – Analysis of the development of vegetation. The Life-forms of the plant and statistical plant geography. Manual of vegetation analysis were taken by many eminent scientists which helped to proceed the works. (Clements,F.E.,1916; Raunkiaer,C.1934; Cain and Castro,1959)

Many workers like Eyre, S.R.(1963), Money,D.C.(1965), Wegner, P.L. (1965), Hills, E.S.(1966) and Polunin, (1967) did the work on vegetation, climate, soil and plant geographical related work and we also did the present work on Adhatoda vasica . Some scientist did the work on the biogeography ,ecology and environmental condition as Watts, D.(1971), Mani,M.S.(1974), Robinson, H.(1978), Krebs, C.J. (1978), Charan, A. K. (1992)  and Shankar V. and Kumar S. (1988).

Sampath Kumar et al (2010), DoshiJJ et al (1983), Levin & Pandita (1983) and Pandita et al (1983) did the work on the pharmacognostical studies and ethanobotanical studies which support the present work . They also worked on phytochemical investigation  in Adhatoda vasica and  other herbal plants.

Many scientists also did the work on the forestry, social forestry and agricultural forestry which is also helpful to see the pattern of distribution of the plants (Bachketi N.D. 1984; Vietmever N.D. 1986; and Bhandari M M; 1990). With the help of remote sensing, we can do habitate mapping, species mapping, functional diversity and spectral diversity (Wang and Gamon 2019;) Rathore, N.S. (1992). Similarly Kukretietal (2023) studied the tree species diversity, distribution and population, structure of faxinus xanthoxyloides in western Himalayas.

The present study we found that Adhatoda vasica is present in dotted form in the investigated NCR area. It was only found on the waste and untouched land. Generally, the plant was luxuriantly found on the road sides & river side, near bhatta waste areas. It was also dominated on the hill areas of the Raisena hills, Delhi, Arawali hills Rajasthan, waste lands of Haryana and Desert areas of jungles. It required serious attantion to conserve the studied herbal plant, Adhatoda vasica. It should be introduced into agro practices for the conservation and balancing in between demand and supply.

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