Identifier	Thesis 1387
Author	Islam, Saiful.
Title	Ethnobotanical study of the plants of Indian markets of New York City
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University
Date of Publication	1994
Resource Type	Master's Thesis
Abstract	The study done on twenty species of Indian plants sold in Indian markets, in. New York City shows only six (20%) species of the plant probably originated in India. The other twelve species of the plants originated in Africa, China, America and tropical Asia. These plants were brought by the invaders, traders or travellers and taken in cultivation. They brought their culture which has also diffused into the Indian culture. For example betel leaf and betel-nut is only cultivated in Eastern India though the nativity of betel leaf and betel-nut is Malaya. They are are consumed allover the Indian subcontinent. This simple example shows the diffusion of exotic culture into culture of India. Speciemens were collected from different Indian Stores in New York City, in Jackson Height. Seeds of certain species were planted for backyard cultivation, so that I would get first-hand experience with the living plants. The plants grew well. Leaves from the plant were pressed to make herbarium speciemens. Pictures of the fruit (fresh, frozen or canned) were also used to make herbarium speciemens. Both of the speciemens have been deposited at Central Connecticut State University. The study showed almost all the people in the Indian sub-continent prefer to eat cooked vegetables with the addition of spices. Thirteen species (65%) of the Indian plants are cooked. Immature fruits of eight (40%) species (bitter gourd, snake gourd, bottle gourd, spiny bitter cucumber, smooth loofah, angled loofah, papaya and jackfruit) of the three different families are the main part of the meal. Mature fruits of four (20%) species (papaya, star fruit, jackfruit and litchi) of the four different families is eaten as snack or refreshment. Leaves of the four (20%) species (Chinese spinach, Indian spinach, swamp cabbage and bottle gourd) of the four different families is consumed as cooked leafy vegetables. Flowers of the species bottle gourd is also consumed as a cooked vegetable. Betel leaves and betel-nut is used for chewing and also used as a medicinal plant. Rhizhomes of Cucurma longa and curry leaf is used for flavoring and coloring in preparing food dishes and in ritual and marriage ceromonies in the Indian sub-continent. I studied twenty different species of the Indian plants belonging to thirteen different families. There are some wild relatives of the cultivated plants (Luffa acutangula) which are still found on the Indian sub-continent. The Russian botanist Nikolay Vavilov (1932), included the Indian sub-continent in two centers of "genetic diversity", Indo-Malayan and Central Asian (including North West India). Litchi and star fruit were domesticated within Vavilovs center of origin (Chinese center). To study the great wealth of genetic material and diversity in the long-established crop plant population of the Indian agriculture, we need to study and systematically collect all varieties of the Indian crop plants, find centers of diversity and find about peoples practices. New archaeological data will help us in determining the current domestication and origin of cultivated plants in the Indian sub-continent, with the advanced information on plant systematics, ecology, ethnobotany, cytology, genetics and the history of the Indian culture.
Notes	"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology."; Thesis Advisor: Thomas Mione.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,1994; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-55).
Subject	Asian American grocers--New York (State)--New York. Vegetarian cooking. East Indian Americans--Ethnobotany.
Department	Department of Biology
Advisor	Mione, Thomas
Type	Text
Software	System requirements: PC and World Wide Web browser.
Language	eng
OCLC number	34280795
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Ethnobotanical study of the plants of Indian markets of New York City

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