Ethnobotanical studies of the genus Crotalaria L. (Crotalarieae, Fabaceae) in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Ethnobotanical study was conducted to document the ethnobotanical information of some of the members of the genus Crotalaria in Katsina. Field work was conducted to collect the data using semi structured questionnaire and oral interview. Seven species of the genus were found to have medicinal value and are used in treatment of various ailments. Among the species are Crotalaria pallida, Crotalaria senegalensis and Crotalaria retusa. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was employed to get the most used species. Crotalaria pallida was found to be the most used plant RFC 0.41 followed by Crotalaria retusa RFC 0.29. The results of the ethnobotanical data obtained showed that the species have good medicinal value in the treatment of various common ailments such as skin infection, fever and ulcer. The result of the study showed that members of the genus Crotalaria in the study area are widely used in treatment of various ailments