ETHNOBOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY OF TRIBE MAYDEAE (POACEAE)

Grasses (Poaceae) are the monocotyledonous, herbaceous plants with cosmopolitan in distribution. In food chain and ecology, it plays an important role as a base resource. Maize is the well-known plant of tribe Maydeae of the family Poaceae which is used all over the world for food, fodder, beverages and primary source for production of milk and meat. Only few grasses are well-known for their medicinal value. Present study is an overview of Tribe Maydeae with special approach to endemic wild relatives and in context of future aspect in ethnomedicinal and pharmacological studies.