Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 5(2), April 2006, pp. 212-216 Commercial Non-timber forest products collected by the tribals in the Palni hills S M John Kennedy St Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai 627 002, Tamil Nadu E-mail:
[email protected] Received 29 November 2004; revised 28 March 2005 This study documents the commercial Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), collected and marketed by the tribals in the Palni hills. Commercial non-timber forest products are those that are leased out by the Forest Department and the tribals are involved in the collection and sale of these products. The tribals in the Palni hills are collecting a total of 30 products as commercial non-timber forest products. Key words: Non timber forest products, Palni hills, Palliyans tribe, Pulayans tribe, Tamil Nadu IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A01f25/00 Evolution of human life and culture has directly or Non-timber forest products refer to all biological indirectly been associated and influenced by the materials other than timber, which are collected from surrounding environment. The primitive people natural forests for human use. Ethnobotanical acquired the knowledge of economic and medicinal researchers have so far brought on record over 500 properties of many plants by trial and error methods. plants as significantly used by the tribals as food, Consequently, they became the storehouse of dyes, tanins, drugs, narcotics, drinks, housing knowledge of many useful plants. This knowledge instruments, weapons, fibres and medicine4. was accumulated and enriched, and passed on from Commercial NTFPs are those products that are leased one generation to another without any written out by the Forest Department and the tribals are document.