DIVERSE GERMPLASM COLLECTION AND UTILIZATION OF DESERT DATE BALANITES AEGYPTIACA L.: A MULTI PURPOSE MEDICINAL PLANT OF INDIAN ARID REGION.

Balanites aegyptiaca (L.), is commonly known as 'desert date', or 'Hingot' is an evergreen, woody, true xerophytic, spinous, perennial flowering tree belongs to the family Balanitaceae. It is widely distributed in sandy, plain and dry land areas of dry land areas of Africa, South Asia and throughout the drier parts of India specially in Western Rajasthan, West Bengal and Maharashtra. B. aegyptiaca is a multipurpose plant with high economic potential for the people of desert. Different parts of the plant are confirmed to be utilized in folkloric medicines for the treatment of many diseases in India and Asia. All parts of the plant have gifted various pharmacological activity. The fruit and nuts of collected germplasm accessions are showing peculiar morphological variation in size, shape colour and weight. This preliminary study shows presence of variability among widely distributed population of this plant which will further help in understanding natural variation available in habitat before planning exhaustive collection and conservation programme for genetic improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]