Ethnomedicinal Perspectives of Botanicals used by Malayali Tribes in Vattal Hills of Dharmapuri (TN), India

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information about the medicinal plants used by Malayali tribes in Dharmapuri district Tamilnadu, India. Informations presented here were gathered from Malayali tribes using an integrated approach of botanical collections and interview schedules. A total of 7 informants were interviewed and 27 ethno medicinal plant species distributed in 16 families have been documented. Medicinal plants used by Malayali tribes have been listed along with plant parts used with its medicinal significance. For most of the ailments fresh plant materials were invariably used. Further, it could be inferred that plants were most commonly used to cure skin diseases, poison bites, stomachache and nervous disorders. Collected information depicts that Malayali tribes largely depend on medicinal plants to meet their primary health care needs.