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Synopsis The steroidal drugs are some of the costliest and most important medicines used throughout the world. Dioscorea deltoidea is the main species exploited in India for the steroid industries. It is being felt that the natural stock of this important raw material is being exhausted due to over-exploitation from, the forest regions of the northwest Himalayas. There are apprehensions that this important raw material may be completely lost to the industry if adequate steps to conserve the stock are not taken up immediately. Towards this direction the present work aims at an intimate study of the plant, its distribution pattern, ecological amplitude, habital diversity, the range of variation in rhizome characters together with mineral constituents and diosgenin content under different climatic, edaphic and phenological conditions. The books is of immense value to the industry, Academicians and Researchers.