ABSTRACT
2The present chapter introduces the articles that form the content of volume 5 of Ethnobotany of India. This volume relates to the Indo-Gangetic plains which form a vast area in northern India. This study region and its physical features, land use patterns, vegetations and floristics are introduced first. This is followed by an introduction to ethnic diversity of the region, Indus valley civilization, one of the oldest civilizations of the world that saw the emergence of great traditional knowledge on plants and utilitarian traditional knowledge (on food, medicine, veterinary medicine and other useful items). These are followed by introductions to chapters on plant contraceptives, Ethnomedicinal plants of skin diseases, and liver diseases as well as on the ethnobotany of neem. The importance of ethnogenomics and the developments that happened during the post -genomic period on ethnobotanical research is also introduced. Finally the future aspects that need to be taken on Indian ethnobotany are also discussed.
