Abstract
The present investigation deals with the ethnomedicinal plants of Kumaragiri Hills of Salem district, Tamilnadu. The indigenous knowledge of the village dwellers, the herbal medicine practitioners and other traditional healers and the native plants used for medicinal value were collected through questionnaire and personal interviewed during field trips. The study revealed some unknown medical uses of medicinal plants. The scientific name, family, vernacular name (Tamil), part used and traditional practice of 80 species, 65 genera and families are discussed here for the treatment of various ailments. The dicotyledons are represented by 73 species of 58 genera and 37 families while monocotyledons are represented by 7 species of 7 genera and 4 families. 91.25% dicotyledons and :8.75% monocotyledons were encountered.
Highlights
Indian subcontinent is blessed with most varied and diverse soil and climate conditions suitable for the growth of veritable plant species
Plants have been used as medicines for thousands of years and are used today in their natural as well as processed from many medicinal plants which have been forgotten by modern man as a result of his dependence on the quick results of allopathic medicines and are being rediscovered because of growing awareness of unwanted side effects and others aspects of the later (Dwarakan and Alagesaboopathi, 1999)
Periodic field trips for ethnobotanical exploration were undertaken during November 2007 to April 2008 in Kumaragiri Hills of Salem district
Summary
Indian subcontinent is blessed with most varied and diverse soil and climate conditions suitable for the growth of veritable plant species. The indigenous people are well acquainted with the properties and uses of plants of their surroundings. People depend on the forest resources for various purposes like for wood, timber, non-timber forest products, medicines, food etc. Plants have been used as medicines for thousands of years and are used today in their natural as well as processed from many medicinal plants which have been forgotten by modern man as a result of his dependence on the quick results of allopathic medicines and are being rediscovered because of growing awareness of unwanted side effects and others aspects of the later (Dwarakan and Alagesaboopathi, 1999). Plants have always been the source of medicines and have many uses to mankind. According to some earlier workers (Chopra et al, 1956; Jain, 1965; Kritikar and Basu, 1999; Nadkarni, 2001) plants have been used in traditional medicine for several thousand years (Abu-Rabia, 2005)
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