Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 5(5), 2006, pp.382-388 Explorer: Research Article Some medicinal plants used by Irular, the tribal people of Marudhamalai hills, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu M Senthilkumar*, P Gurumoorthi and K Janardhanan Ethnopharmacology Unit, Department of Botany, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore -641 046, Tamil Nadu, India *Correspondent author, E-mail:
[email protected] Address: M Senthilkumar S/O K Mariappan, Curzon Estate, Kotagiri (P.O), The Nilgiris- 643 217 Received 2 August 2005; Accepted 10 August 2006 Abstract dominated areas of Marudhamali hills at The present paper deals with ethnobotanical study on 75 plant species used for several Coimbatore. The study technique common diseases like scabies, skin allergies, diabetes, headache, jaundice, scorpion bite, diarrhoea, suggested by Jain9, 11 was followed during leucoderma, rheumatism, earache, wounds, leprosy, asthma, dysentery, etc. by the Irulars (tribal) the survey. Plants were identified and people of Marudhamalai Hills, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. The botanical, vernacular and family confirmed with the authentic herbarium names, mode of preparations and uses have been provided for further pharmacological and clinical of Botanical Survey of India (Southern evaluations. Circle), Coimbatore. The voucher Keywords: Ethnobotany, Medicinal plants, Irulars, Tribals, Marudhamalai hills, Coimbatore, Tamil specimens were deposited in the Nadu. Department of Botany, Bharathiar 8 IPC code; Int. cl — A61K 36/00 University, Coimbatore, India. Introduction hills related to medicinal uses of In India, exhaustive 75 plants. Enumeration ethnobotanical studies are being carried For each species, botanical, out in various ethnic communities because Materials and Methods family and local name (LN), mode of the floral diversity and rich endemic taxa Marudhamalai hills are situated preparation and uses are being provided of our country are of significance for at a distance of 15 km from Coimbatore.