Bikarma Singh was born in India and is working as a Senior Scientist at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow - one of the pioneer institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, known for the largest research and development activities under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. He is recognized as Assistant Professor in AcSIR (Ghaziabad), and registered as Ph.D. Supervisor in University of Jammu. He graduated with Honours and is a Gold Medalist in Botany from North-Eastern Hill University Shillong in 2005, and completed a Doctorate Degree in Botany from Gauhati University Assam and Botanical Survey of India (Shillong) Meghalaya in 2012. Prior to joining CSIR-NBRI Lucknow in 2020, he was working as Senior Scientist in CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu and was involved in R&D related to Plant Sciences. He also served as Scientist-Ecologist in WAPCOS Limited Gurgaon.Currently, Dr. Singh pursues research with passion and possesses 15 years research experience in Plant Sciences, expertised in systematic and biotechnology, ethnobotany, value addition from essential oils, ecology, biodiversity germplasm conservation and EIA. He is serving as a reviewing member for National and International Scientific SCI and UGC listed journals, undertaken as lead leader for organizing many seminars and workshops. He received Prestigious recognition as Outstanding Scientist in Botany in 2019 awarded by Venus International Foundation, Chennai and two of his Ph.D. Scholar received best research paper award, working in the area of Botany. He authored/co-authored 8 books and published 86 research papers/experimental findings in peer-reviewed International and National journals. His recent books are Botanical Leads for Drug Discovery, Plants for Human Survival and Medicine and Plants of Commercial Values. He has 2 patents on medicinal aspects, and worked as PI/Co-PI/Team member for more than 40 research projects funded by Govt. and Private Organizations. He is supervising 5 Ph.D. students in Science to defend their doctorate degree. He is a member of several research committees, and delivered invited talks as key-note speaker/lecturer under various themes in several conferences, seminars and workshops.

• Introduction Editors Choice: Bikarma SinghSynopsis and Current Issue Editors Choice: Bikarma Singh1. Morchella esculenta Dill. ex Pers., an Important Medicinal Mushroom of Himalaya: Traditional Usages, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Need for Scientific Intervention - Bikarma Singh, Yash Pal Sharma, Brijesh Kumar, Bishander Singh and TN Lakhanpal2. Woodfordia fructicosa (L.) Kurz., a Potent Indian Medicinal Plant in Curing Peptic Ulcer - Anil Kumar Katare, Inshad Ali Khan, Durga Prasad Mindala, Prasoon Kumar Gupta, Surjeet Singh and Bikarma Singh 3. Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook.f. & Thomson (Giloy), a Multifaceted Elixir Plant of India - Neha Sharma and Naresh Kumar Satti 4. Modelling the Environmental Niche and Potential Distribution of Magnolia campbellii Hook.f. & Thomson for its Conservation in the Indian Eastern Himalaya - Dibyendu Adhikari, Prem Prakash Singh, Raghuvar Tiwary and Saroj Kanta Barik 5. Bunium persicum (Boiss.) Fedtsch.: Distribution, Botany and Agro-technology - Sajan Thakur and Harish Chander Dutt 6. Dysoxylum binectariferum (Roxb.) Hook., a Plant of High Medicinal Value and a Source of Leads for Modern Medicine - Vikas Kumar, Sonali S. Bharate, Ram A. Vishwakarma and Sandip B. Bharate 7. Biochemical Analysis of three Species of Hemiparasitic Taxa in the Polluted Area: Significant Role in Mitigators of Pollutants - Shibdas Maity, Souradut Ray and Amal Kumar Mondal 8. Exploring Commercial Cultivation of Tissue Cultured Raised Banana in Himalayan Shivalik Range - Sabha Jeet, VP Rahul, Rajendra Bhanwaria, CP Singh Rajendra Gochar, Amit Kumar, Kaushal Kumar, Jagannath Pal and Bikarma Singh 9. Advent of Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk.) Husk as a Cost Effective and Promising Gelling Agent in Plant Tissue Culture Experiment - Sougata Sarkar, Sana Khan, Janhvi Pandey and RK Lal10. Medicinal Importance of Artemisia annua L. and Discovery of Artemisinin - Praveen Kumar Verma, Aliya Tabassum and Sanghapal D. Sawant11. Threatened Subsistence of Economically Important Spinifex littoreus (Burm.f.) Merr. (Family Poaceae) - Amal Kumar Mondal, Tamal Chakraborty and Sanjukta Mondal Parui12. Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria as a Potent Tool in Amelioration of Salinity Stress: A Review - Prachi Sharma and Ratul Baishya13. Systematic Studies on Starch Grain of Selected Indian Pulses: Potential Health Benefit and Commercial Values - Shilpa Dinda and Amal Kumar Mondal14. Improvement of Commercially Valuable Plants Through Genetic Manipulations - Ujjal Jyoti Phukan and Vigyasa Singh15. Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC: Ensuring Sustainability and Societal Enabling Through Agricultural Practices - Susheel Kumar Singh and Sunita Singh Dhawan16. Taxonomy, Anatomy and Phytochemical Screening of Eulaliopsis binata (Retz.) C.E. Hubb. (Family Poaceae) - Shilpa Dinda, Debashree Ghosh, Souradut Ray and Amal Kumar Mondal17. Indian Rhododendrons and their Value Addition: Revision of Species Diversity and Review with Reference to Product Development - Sumit Singh and Bikarma Singh18. Cyperus pangorei Rottb. (Cyperaceae) an Economically Important Mat Grass for Rural Prosperity in India: Cultivation, Processing and Marketing - Anup Kumar Bhunia and Amal Kumar Mondal19. Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Leaf Extract of three medicinally important plants and its Effects on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth on Mungbean - Sk. Md. Abu Imam Saadi and Amal Kumar Mondal20. Genetic Improvements of Medicinal Plants through Tissue Culture Techniques - Gitasree Borahi, Monabi Paw and Mohan Lal21. Aromatic Wealth of Himalaya: Value Addition and Product Development from Essential Oils - Bikarma Singh, Sneha and Rajneesh AnandGlossary of TermsColour PlatesIndex to Scientific Names

Bikarma Singh was born in India and is working as a Senior Scientist at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow - one of the pioneer institutes of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, known for the largest research and development activities under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. He is recognized as Assistant Professor in AcSIR (Ghaziabad), and registered as Ph.D. Supervisor in University of Jammu. He graduated with Honours and is a Gold Medalist in Botany from North-Eastern Hill University Shillong in 2005, and completed a Doctorate Degree in Botany from Gauhati University Assam and Botanical Survey of India (Shillong) Meghalaya in 2012. Prior to joining CSIR-NBRI Lucknow in 2020, he was working as Senior Scientist in CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu and was involved in R&D related to Plant Sciences. He also served as Scientist-Ecologist in WAPCOS Limited Gurgaon.Currently, Dr. Singh pursues research with passion and possesses 15 years research experience in Plant Sciences, expertised in systematic and biotechnology, ethnobotany, value addition from essential oils, ecology, biodiversity germplasm conservation and EIA. He is serving as a reviewing member for National and International Scientific SCI and UGC listed journals, undertaken as lead leader for organizing many seminars and workshops. He received Prestigious recognition as Outstanding Scientist in Botany in 2019 awarded by Venus International Foundation, Chennai and two of his Ph.D. Scholar received best research paper award, working in the area of Botany. He authored/co-authored 8 books and published 86 research papers/experimental findings in peer-reviewed International and National journals. His recent books are Botanical Leads for Drug Discovery, Plants for Human Survival and Medicine and Plants of Commercial Values. He has 2 patents on medicinal aspects, and worked as PI/Co-PI/Team member for more than 40 research projects funded by Govt. and Private Organizations. He is supervising 5 Ph.D. students in Science to defend their doctorate degree. He is a member of several research committees, and delivered invited talks as key-note speaker/lecturer under various themes in several conferences, seminars and workshops.

• Introduction Editors Choice: Bikarma SinghSynopsis and Current Issue Editors Choice: Bikarma Singh1. Morchella esculenta Dill. ex Pers., an Important Medicinal Mushroom of Himalaya: Traditional Usages, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Need for Scientific Intervention - Bikarma Singh, Yash Pal Sharma, Brijesh Kumar, Bishander Singh and TN Lakhanpal2. Woodfordia fructicosa (L.) Kurz., a Potent Indian Medicinal Plant in Curing Peptic Ulcer - Anil Kumar Katare, Inshad Ali Khan, Durga Prasad Mindala, Prasoon Kumar Gupta, Surjeet Singh and Bikarma Singh 3. Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook.f. & Thomson (Giloy), a Multifaceted Elixir Plant of India - Neha Sharma and Naresh Kumar Satti 4. Modelling the Environmental Niche and Potential Distribution of Magnolia campbellii Hook.f. & Thomson for its Conservation in the Indian Eastern Himalaya - Dibyendu Adhikari, Prem Prakash Singh, Raghuvar Tiwary and Saroj Kanta Barik 5. Bunium persicum (Boiss.) Fedtsch.: Distribution, Botany and Agro-technology - Sajan Thakur and Harish Chander Dutt 6. Dysoxylum binectariferum (Roxb.) Hook., a Plant of High Medicinal Value and a Source of Leads for Modern Medicine - Vikas Kumar, Sonali S. Bharate, Ram A. Vishwakarma and Sandip B. Bharate 7. Biochemical Analysis of three Species of Hemiparasitic Taxa in the Polluted Area: Significant Role in Mitigators of Pollutants - Shibdas Maity, Souradut Ray and Amal Kumar Mondal 8. Exploring Commercial Cultivation of Tissue Cultured Raised Banana in Himalayan Shivalik Range - Sabha Jeet, VP Rahul, Rajendra Bhanwaria, CP Singh Rajendra Gochar, Amit Kumar, Kaushal Kumar, Jagannath Pal and Bikarma Singh 9. Advent of Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk.) Husk as a Cost Effective and Promising Gelling Agent in Plant Tissue Culture Experiment - Sougata Sarkar, Sana Khan, Janhvi Pandey and RK Lal10. Medicinal Importance of Artemisia annua L. and Discovery of Artemisinin - Praveen Kumar Verma, Aliya Tabassum and Sanghapal D. Sawant11. Threatened Subsistence of Economically Important Spinifex littoreus (Burm.f.) Merr. (Family Poaceae) - Amal Kumar Mondal, Tamal Chakraborty and Sanjukta Mondal Parui12. Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria as a Potent Tool in Amelioration of Salinity Stress: A Review - Prachi Sharma and Ratul Baishya13. Systematic Studies on Starch Grain of Selected Indian Pulses: Potential Health Benefit and Commercial Values - Shilpa Dinda and Amal Kumar Mondal14. Improvement of Commercially Valuable Plants Through Genetic Manipulations - Ujjal Jyoti Phukan and Vigyasa Singh15. Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC: Ensuring Sustainability and Societal Enabling Through Agricultural Practices - Susheel Kumar Singh and Sunita Singh Dhawan16. Taxonomy, Anatomy and Phytochemical Screening of Eulaliopsis binata (Retz.) C.E. Hubb. (Family Poaceae) - Shilpa Dinda, Debashree Ghosh, Souradut Ray and Amal Kumar Mondal17. Indian Rhododendrons and their Value Addition: Revision of Species Diversity and Review with Reference to Product Development - Sumit Singh and Bikarma Singh18. Cyperus pangorei Rottb. (Cyperaceae) an Economically Important Mat Grass for Rural Prosperity in India: Cultivation, Processing and Marketing - Anup Kumar Bhunia and Amal Kumar Mondal19. Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Leaf Extract of three medicinally important plants and its Effects on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth on Mungbean - Sk. Md. Abu Imam Saadi and Amal Kumar Mondal20. Genetic Improvements of Medicinal Plants through Tissue Culture Techniques - Gitasree Borahi, Monabi Paw and Mohan Lal21. Aromatic Wealth of Himalaya: Value Addition and Product Development from Essential Oils - Bikarma Singh, Sneha and Rajneesh AnandGlossary of TermsColour PlatesIndex to Scientific Names