41TRADITIONAL USES OF SOME WEEDS OF ASTERACEAE BY THE ETHNIC COMMUNITIES OF KOCH BIHAR DISTRICT, WEST BENGALThe district of Koch Bihar is situated on the north eastern part of the state of West Bengal under Jalpaiguri division. Ethno-botanical field studies have been conducted in different parts including remote corners of the district and have recorded 30 uses of 12 weeds of the family Asteraceae by the ethnic communities in various purposes. Among them 03 species are consumed as vegetable, 02 species are used for preparation of cooling and alcoholic drinks and 12 species are prescribed by the ethnic practitioners for the treatment of different ailments. In the present communication, scientific and vernacular names of the plants along with the mode of preparation of medicines and doses have been presented. subhajitb6@gmail.comResearch412014Weeds,Asteraceae, Ethnic Communities,Koch BiharBandyopadhyay S,Mitra S,Sobhan Kumar MukherjeeDepartment of Botany, K. N. College, Berhampore, Murshidabad - 742101, West Bengal.,Department of Botany, Ranaghat College, Ranaghat, Nadia - 741201, West Bengal.,Taxonomy & Biosystematic Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Nadia - 741235, West Bengal.