Ethno-Botanical Wealth of Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary in Karnataka
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Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 3(1), January 2004, pp. 37-50 Ethno-botanical wealth of Bhadra wild life sanctuary in Karnataka M Parinitha, G U Harish, N C Vivek, T Mahesh and M B Shivanna* Department of Studies and Research in Applied Botany, Kuvempu University Jnana Sahyadri, Shankaraghatta 577451, Shimoga District, Karnataka Received 18 February 2003; revised 17 October 2003 Ethno-botanical surveys were conducted during 1998 and 99 in villages of Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary area, situated in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka. Results of the study indicated that 60 plant species belonging to 50 genera and 35 families were used for preparing at least 78 herbal drugs by the medicine men. Among the plant species, the utilization of leaves of Centella asiatica, roots of Ichnocarpus frutescens and decoction of leaves of Bambusa arundinacea in the treatment of jaundice, diabetes and for expulsion of placenta in human’s and animals, respectively, are note worthy. Apart from the above, a few drugs formulated by the local people are not known to literature. According to a CAMP survey, Tylophora indica and Artocarpus hirsutus are vulnerable while, Dipterocarpus indicus and Rauwolfia serpentina are endangered and Spondias pinnata is a lower risk category plant. The information collected from these ‘local specialists’ enriches the countrywide database on the availability of biodiversity resources and gives full credit to the origin of information at different levels. Keywords: Ethno-botanical survey, Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary, Western Ghats, Karnataka. Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary situated in very conservative in nature and have a the Malnad region of the Western Ghats, great faith in their own traditional system Karnataka, is very unique in its formation of medicine. and bestowed with lofty hill ranges of It has been pointed out that in most Mullainagiri, Hebbegiri, Gangegiri and underdeveloped and developing also Bhadra river. The sanctuary is countries, the flora remain virtually composed of dry-evergreen to dry- unexplored from the point of view of deciduous type of vegetation and their practical utilization. In recent years, harbours many endemic, rare and however, efforts to record the knowledge endangered species as well as scores of of ethno-medicinal plants being used by economically important plant species. natives of various countries have drawn There are 35 villages in the sanctuary close attention of scientists. The area. The local medicine men of different information on medicinal plants and folk communities residing in these villages are drugs is being handled with renewed ___________ vigour to investigate new biodynamic *Correspondent author compounds of potential therapeutic value. 38 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 3, No. 1, JANUARY 2004 There are reports of intensive ethno- The sanctuary area was divided into 11 botanical surveys conducted in different study regions: 1) Aldera, 2) parts of India, viz. Bihar1, Orissa2, Thammadihalli, 3) Kakanahosudi, 4) Arunachal Pradesh3, Assam4 and Madhya Lakkavalli, 5) Singanamane, 6) Pradesh5. Most ethno-botanical Madhuguni, 7) Muthodi, 8) Madla, 9) information in Karnataka is restricted to Kagemanegiri, 10) Hebbegiri, and 11) Ayurvedic6,7 and ancient medicinal Gangegiri (Table 1 and Fig. 1). formulations8,9. However, a few reports are also available on the ethno-botanical These divisions were made in exploration. Bhandary et al10,11 and Gopal accordance with the jurisdiction ranges et al12 have surveyed Uttara Kannada and being followed by the State Forest Biligirirangana hills in Mysore districts, Department, Karnataka. The villages in Karnataka, respectively and reported this region are inhabited by Adikarnataka, ethno-medicine being practiced by tribal Banjara, Kumbarasetty, Maratinayaka, people. However, there is no Reddy, Tamilian and Vokkaliga documentary evidence of ethno-botanical communities (Table 1). There are no survey of Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary tribal communities in this area13. Ethno- area. Although a few studies on the flora botanical information was collected from and vegetation of this area have been the people of these communities who made, ethno-botanical aspects were practice herbal medicine. A almost neglected. The present study was questionnaire, prepared based on WHO undertaken to fill this gap and present format, was circulated among the little known native uses of plants for medicine men. The questionnaire wider circulation and to explore consisted of information highlighting the possibilities of utilization of the ethno- social status, educational qualification, botanical knowledge of communities occupation and financial position, their residing in the sanctuary area. expertise to cure disease, plant products recommended as medicine, adjuvant in a Materials and Methods recipe, mode of application, dosage and Ethno-botanical explorations were duration, precaution and the local names undertaken during 1998 and 1999 in of plants. Three visits were made to these different areas of Bhadra Wild Life regions and medicine men were Sanctuary. The sanctuary covering an interviewed and the information was area of 492.46 sq km is situated between documented following consistent reveals. 13° 21' and 13° 50' northern latitude and The resident people of the study area who 75° 15' and 75° 50' eastern longitude. The were treated with herbal medicine for sanctuary is located in the Western Ghats their diseases were also interviewed and regions of Chikkamagalore, Narasimha- information documented. The medicine rajapura and Tarikere taluks of Chik- men were persuaded to reveal the local or kamagalore district and Bhadravathi taluk vernacular names of medicinal plants and of Shimoga district. their habitat in and around their villages. PARINITHA et al: ETHNO-BOTANICAL WEALTH OF BHADRA WILD LIFE SANCTUARY 39 Fig. 1 ─ Regions of Bhadra Wild Life sanctuary for ethnobotanical study 1. Aldera, 2. Tammadihalli, 3. Kakana Hosudi, 4. Lakkavalli, 5. Singanamane, 6. Maduguni, 7. Muttodi, 8. Madla, 9. Kagemane Giri, 10. Hebbegiri, 11.Gange Giri The medicinal plants were identified, Results and Discussion photographed and collected for preparing Survey of the study area indicated the herbarium. Plants were characterized ethno-botanical information of 60 plant based on the identification keys given in taxa belonging to 50 genera and 35 standard identification manuals like Flora families; of these 20 are edible and 3 of Madras Presidency14, Hassan15 and spices (Tables 2 and 3). Among them, Chikkamagalore16 districts. The some are cultivated. Communities living information that is obtained from the in and around forests in the sanctuary survey was compared with the already area have been practicing herbal medicine existing literature on ethno-botany. to cure diseases of local communities 40 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 3, No. 1, JANUARY 2004 Table 1 ─ Medicine men of different communities residing in different villages of study areas in Bhadra Wild Life Sanctuary Study areas Villages Communities practicing medicine 1. Aldera Junction Vokkaliga-1* (1.34 Sq km) Hunasekatte Reddy-3 2. Kakana Hosudi Umblebylu Muslim-1 (2.2 Sq km) Kakanahosudi Nil Siddammajihosur Nil 3. Thammadihalli Thammadihalli Ediga-2, Tamilian-1 (11.95 Sq km) Gonibeedu Vokkaliga-4 Malligenahalli Nil 4. Singanamane Shanthinagar Tamilian-1 (1.29 Sq km) Singanamane Adikarnataka-1 B.R. Project Nil 5. Madhuguni Balegadde Uninhabited (10.42 Sq km) Karegadde Uninhabited Ambuguli Achari-1 Maduguni Nil 6. Muthodi Muthodi Kumbarasetty-1 (97.07 Sq km) Karvani Nil 7. Madla Kurkulmane Adikarnataka-1 (10.04 Sq km) Madla Adikarnataka-1 Hipla Kumbarasetty-1 Vaddarashatti Vokkaliga-1 Dabgaru Vokkaliga-1 8. Kagemanegiri Kesave Nil (33.54 Sq km) 9. Hebbegiri Hebbe Maratinayaka-1 (21.15 Sq km) (Bhavasara kshatriya) 10. Gangegiri Kodi Kumbarasetty-1 (43.39 Sq km) Shiragola Banajara-1 Gundihambala Nil Hoggaru Nil Mattuvani Nil Hirebella Nil Karugadde Nil Trasmata Nil Paradeshappanamata Nil 11. Lakkavalli Doddakundur Vokkaliga-1 (260.07 Sq km) Channayyanakere Kumbarasetty-2 * Number following community represents the number of persons practicing herbal medicine. ‘Nil’ There are no medicine men in the particular hamlet. PARINITHA et al: ETHNO-BOTANICAL WEALTH OF BHADRA WILD LIFE SANCTUARY 41 since long time. Many medicinal plants of Some of the noteworthy observations the sanctuary are endemic to the Western of the survey work, not reported Ghats (Tables 2 and 3) and are being anywhere, are the utilization of certain exploited commercially. Some of the taxa plant species in curing specific diseases identified in the sanctuary have been and disorders. For example, roots of listed in the IUCN Red Data Book17. Ichnocarpus frutescens and Solanum They include ─ Tylophora indica and xanthocarpum for treatment of diabetes Artocarpus hirsutus reported vulnerable and breast cancer, respectively; leaves of from Northern, Northeastern and Central Centella asiatica and Gymnosporia India; Dipterocarpus indicus and montana for curing jaundice; bark of Rauvolfia serpentina reported endangered Cassia fistula and Holoptelea integrifolia from Southern, Northeastern and Central for treating herpes and Bambusa India and Spondias pinnata listed under arundinacea for expulsion of placenta of lower risk category18. humans and animals. The medicine men belonging to Certain medicinal plants that different age groups and communities had commonly grow in the sanctuary also regulation of knowledge of traditional grow in other regions and