DOCUMENTATION OF ETHNOVETERINARY MEDICINAL FLORA OF BALAGHAT DISTRICT, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA

Abstract

This paper documented the ethno-veterinary studies carried out during 2013-2015 in the two forest divisions of Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. It is rich in ethnic and biological diversity. A large number of ethnic groups such as Baiga, Gond and Korku inhabit in this district and utilize wide variety of plant resources for food, fodder, fiber, and medicine. Therapeutic application of 46 plant species has been belonging 37 genera and 33 families. The result of this study show that tree species contributed the maximum having 43% followed by herbs 26%, shrub 24% and climber 7% of the total medicinal plants. These plants are used for a wide range of ailments such as fever, diarrhea, and bone fracture, treat infections with parasitic worms, and enhance the milk, snake bite. Most of the plant parts are harvested from the wild and majority of the preparation are paste. Leaves represent the most usable part. It has been observed that the species that are scarce locally in the forest due to various developmental activities, deforestation, over-exploitation are abundant in the ethnoveterinary information on medical claims was collected from the elderly people residing in the villages of forest area and also from the traditional healers called Vaidhya, Baigas etc. The study describes details of botanical identity, family, local name, parts of the plant used, therapeutic uses, and mode of application of the drug.