Abstract

Dr. Sunil Kumar Sen* and Lalit Mohan Behera

ABSTRACT

Ethnobotany is the study of relationship between plants and people of our surroundings. Since prehistoric times medicinal plants have been used virtually in all cultures as a source of medicine. Hundreds of plants are mentioned in ayurvedic and scientific literatures for their use as food, clothes, medicines, shelter, other house-building materials, faith and believes. Those plants are mostly available in wild, but some of them are planted in the garden as a major towards primary healthcare by the urban people. The present study was undertaken to record information on some ethnomedicinal plants collected from different forest pockets of Bargarh district in Western Odisha. The study provides information on 38 plant species belonging to 29 families used as antipyretic herbal medicine. In spite of modernization process, the tribals and other village people of the district still have faith in the efficacy of indigenous medicinal plants. Botanical name, family, local name, plant part used, dosages and mode of applications are provided for each plant species.