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Indigenous uses of medicinal plants in North Garo Hills, Meghalaya, NE India

Author Affiliations

  • 1Wood Science and Forest Products Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli-791 109, Arunachal Pradesh, INDIA

Res. J. Recent Sci., Volume 3, Issue (ISC-2013), Pages 137-146, (2014)

Abstract

The present study was conducted to highlight the indigenous uses of medicinal plants by Garo tribe in North Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Villagers and traditional healers (Ojhas) were consulted to gather information on medicinal plants. In the present study a total of 66 medicinal plants belonging to 61 genera and 40 families were documented and information on local names, scientific names, family, habit, plant parts used and medicinal uses of these plants were also given. Trees were the main sources of medicinal plants followed by shrubs, climbers and herbs. The recorded plant species were used for common ailments like headache, stomach problems, cold, cough and fever, jaundice, skin diseases, blood pressure and epilepsy etc. Bark and leaves were mostly used plant parts, followed by roots, fruits and seeds for curing diseases. The recorded plants were consumed orally in the form of juice or decoction. It was also observed that knowledge of medicinal plants was confined only to elder people and traditional healers (ojhas) and source of extraction of these valuable resources were nearby forests.

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