Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants and its Status among the Tribes in Mananthavady of Wayanad District, Kerala

Abstract

Documenting the indigenous knowledge through botanical studies is important for the conservation and utilization of biological resources. The information on the traditional uses of plants and its status is lacking in Mananthavady of Wayanad district. The paper docu-ments the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants that are in use by the indigenous tribes residing in pockets at Mananthavady
\nforests. About 295 medicinal plant species belonging to 93 families have been recorded. The five major tribes namely Kurichia, Kuruma,Kat-tunaika, Adiyan and Paniya residing at Thirunelly, Kartikkulam, Thalappuzha, Kuruva, Kunhome and Mangalassery forest areas are using these plants for the treatment of various health problems. Among these 5 species are endangered, 22 species are vulnerable, 11 species
\nare rare and 220 species are abundant