Ethno-botanico-medicine for common human ailments in Nalgonda and Warangal districts of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

The paper deals with 249 taxa which are used as ethno-botanico-medicine for common human ailments including injuries, bites, stings, etc. by the local people in Nalgonda and Warangal districts of Andhra Pradesh. The sources of plant medicine comprise four ferns and 245 angiosperms (220 Magnoliopsida and 25 Liliopsida) representing 199 genera of 89 families. Majority (87.5%) of these are from the wild, native forest species and arboreal. The plant parts used are leaf (32.9%) stem bark (20.9%), root (11.4%), whole plant (8.4%), fruit (7.5%), tuber/bulb/rhizome (6.8%), flower (5.5%), seed (3.3%) and stem (3.3%). The species used for treating human ailments (66) are grouped into 15 categories. The plant medicines used are mostly one species against a disease (142 species), or two (45), three (44), four (13), and to a maximum of five (5). As many as 29 species are used for a single health problem, i.e. boils while there is only one (not the same) plant species is used for 11 diseases. Of the two districts, Warangal is not only rich in area under forest cover, plant diversity and the ethnic people but also has more in reserve as traditional botanical knowledge over Nalgonda.