Traditional Uses of Plant Biodiversity from Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan
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Indi an Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vo l. 2( 1), January 2003. pp. 27-39 Traditional uses of plant biodiversity from Aravalli hills of Rajasthan *S S Katewa, B L Chaudhary, Anita Jain and Praveen Galav Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Agrosto logy, Department of Botany. College of Science. M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur 313 001, India Received 11 Jcmuwy 2002: revised 29 May 2002 A large number of tribals living in remote thick forest areas of the Aravalli hill s of Mewar region depend on nature for th eir basic necessities of life. These people, especially belonging to primiti ve o r aboriginal culture possess a good deal of information about properties and uses of plants. In th e present paper an attempt has been made to document the precious traditional knowledge about the uses and properties of wi ld plants, which the aboriginals of Aravalli hills of Mewar region possess. The paper also di scusses th e current role of pl ants in the manufacture of traditio nal goods, and outlines some of the speciali st skill, which is involved in the produc ti on of such ite ms. Keywords: Tribals, Traditional Botanical knowledge. Aravalli hills. Folk medicine. Ethnofood plants. The primitive man, through a process of dom on plant resource utilization to the trial and error, screened in hi s own way posterity. Moreover, the knowledge of the wild growing plants for edible, me indigenous people is invaluable in th e dicinal and other material purposes. In present day context of biological diversity di genous communities living in biodiver conservation and its sustainable utiliza sity rich areas possess a wealth of knowl tion. The Mewar hills of Rajasthan har edge on the utilization and conservation bour vast diversity of vegetation. It in of food and medicinal plants. This tradi cludes subtropical evergreen forests of tional knowledge developed over years of Boswellia serrata, Dendrocala111us stric observation, trial and error, inference and tus and Tectona grandis. These forests inheritance has largely remained with the are inhabited by the major tribes of the state, viz. Bhils, Garasias, Damors, and indigenous people. The knowledge of Kathodias. These tribes are the custodians tribes on the value of plants has helped of local indigenous knowledge. The sur th em to have a sense of responsibility in rounding plants form an integral part o r judiciously utilizing the plant resources their culture and the information about and also to conserve and pass on the wis- plants gets passed on from generation to generation only through oral folk-lore *Correspondent author although many times kept secret. 28 INDIAN J TRADIT IONAL KNOWLEDGE. VOL 2. No. I. JANUARY 2003 Deforestation , semi-modernization, vegetation before them the tribals were transmigration, colonization, industriali prompted to remark on the utility of spe zation and other developmental activities cies especiall y when accompanied by a have threatened not only the biological group. Interviews yielding good res ults resources, but also the traditional culture could also be obtained at the Headman's and ethnobotan ical knowledge. There abode or a common place perhaps out of a fore, an urgent need is felt to undertake sense of security in group with their Chief ethnobotanical studies before extinction present. of th e tribal life and culture through ag In smal ler groups women folk were gressive modern civilization. lesser in number, but both the sexes were Et hnobotanical studies on Mewar region represented in larger groups and resulted in of Rajasthan have been carried out by heterogeneity of information. The persons 1 Josh i , Singh and Pandey", Karewa and mos tly above the age of 60 ha ve accurate Arora' . Katewa and Guria~, Karewa and information regarding th eir old traditions. 5 Sharma • Katewa and Choudhar/', Karewa Participation in th eir feasts. festivals, other et ot 8 A peru sal of the literature revea ls social events, etc. was of great use in col that though a lot of ethnobotanical work lecting information on pl ants and observi ng has been done on Aravalli hills of Mewar how th ey are used. The plants were identi region, some ethnobotanical gaps exist in fied according to the Ben tham and thi s region as reported in the present paper. Hooker's system of classification using local floristic works i. e. Bhandari'1 ;.mel 10 Methods of survt'Y Shetty and Singh • The doubtful speci Eth nobotanical survey of the Aravalli mens were confirmed in the Herbarium at hi lis was carried out during 1998 to 200 I. the Forest Research In stitute, Dehra Dun. On reaching a village or locality, rapport Voucher speci mens were deposited at the was established with one or two persons Depm·tment of Botany, College of Science, preferably tk Chief, and contact was then M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur. es tabli shed with other tribals of the local ity. Enquiries were made on th e plant mate Observations rial used in different artifacts. which were seen. and notes taken. l. Wild ethnomedicinal plants Generally two types of interviews were The traditional healers of Rajasthan taken, firstly of indi viduals and secondly of have a commendable knowledge or the groups. or individuals, persons were se medicinal properties of plants that grow lected at random on the way or enteri11g a around them (Table I and Pl ates I & 2). hut finding out knowledgeable individuals The traditional usc of plants as herbal from the village or al so the Bhopa (vi llage remedies has further declined due to scar pric-.t) or the Headman. In group inter city of such plants, which is caused by ' iew'> more than one individual were ap multifarious human act ivity coupled with proached, our purpose explain ed and intcr natural calamities like drought~ and over vielv-, taken . In forests wi th the ambient grazing by sheep. goats and other domestic Table I - Traditi onal clilnom.:dic.: inal plam' used by the tr ibal ~ of Arm'alli hills of Mcw;u· region Botanical name and family Local name Locality Et iln omedicinal uses Abrus precatorius Linn. (Fabaceae) Chirmi Mehcnduriya (i) Leaves are chewed for 2-3 days to cure white and red bli ster in I he mouth. ;:»; )> -l (ii) Seeds are used as an antifertility drug both by male as we ll as rn female. )>< Leaves are ground with milk and given orally to cure dysentery. Ahutilon indicum (Linn.) Sw. Talakuchi Railrnagra ~ Decocti on of leaves is given in urinary troubles. (Malvaceae) ~ Alne barbadensis Mill (Liliaccac) Gawarpatha Dariba Pulp of leaves is used in li ver di seases and for reducing unwanted -l ;N deposition of fat in the body. )> 0 Anethum graveolens Linn. Suwa Devar Seed extract is given orally thrice a day for three days to di ssolve =i (Apiaceae) kidney stone. 0 z Aresaema torluosum (Wall.) Schott Kotukand Mehenduriya 25 gram underground bulb of thi s plant is cmshed and given orall y in )> (Araccae) snake-bite. Bulb is fri ed in ghee and given to the patient for cure of r c bone fj·aciUrc. C/l rn Aristolochia hracteolata Lam. Kalipad Rajpura Leaf extract is given orall y in snake-bite. C/l (Aristolochiaceae) .,0 "'0 Bombax ceiba Linn. (Bombacaceae) Ham Ia Dudhalia Sugar is mixed in the infusion of flowers and given orally in acidity r )> and urinary problems. Root bark mixed with honey and given as tonic. z Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) R. Rr. SafedAkro Railmagra Powder of white flowers is mixed with honey and taken orally to cure -l o::l (Asclepiadaceae) mental di sorders. 0 Cassia fora Linn. (Caesalpiniaccac) Puwadia Gorumghat Seed paste is used on ringworm. Tea is prepared from seed and given 0 < to patients of asthma. Leaf ex tract is used to reduce fat. rn ;N Celastrus paniculatus Willd. Malkangni Kumbhalgarh Seed oi l is employed in rheumatic pains. The powdered seeds are used C/l =i (Celastraceac) as a brain tonic and to increase memory. -< Celosia argentea Linn. Kukldi 13 etumbi 20 gram crushed seeds are taken orally for three days against ovatian (Amaranthaccac) and ulcrine di se;t~es. Ceropegia tuherosa Roxb. Khadula Charana Rool. bulb and leaves are eaten by the 1ribals to cure kidney stone. (Asclepiadaccac) ( Comtl) r--.> \0 w 0 Table I - Traditional eth nomedicitn l plams used by the tribals o( A ravall i hil ls of Mcwar region-Cnmd z Botanical name and family Local name Locality Etlmomedicinal uses S2 )> z '- Cae.wlpinia bmrduc (Linn.) Roxb. CuntKamj Kamli ghat Leaves of Caesalpinia bonduc and A;:adirachta indica are roasted and ~ made into powder. This powder is given three times a day for th ree ;;v (Caesalpiniaccac) )> days to cure malarial fever. 0 ::j Chlorophytum borivilwnum Sant & Dh olimusli Gorum ghat Tubers are used in anaemic condition and in rheumatism. 0 Fernand. (Liliaceae) z )> Chrozophora rottleri (Geis.) A . .Juss. Subali PondofM ehcnduriy Crushed leaves arc applied on the face in sunburn and also in r ;:>:; ex Spreng. (Euphorbiaceae) a sunstroke. z Citrus medica Linn. (Rutaceae) Bijaura Kumbhalgarh Fruits are sour. refrigerant and digestive. Fruit powder is also used for 0 ~ di ssolving iron in the ani mal body. r rn De11drnphthoe falcata (L.f.) Etting. Salarbel Gorumghat The pl ant is parasitic on Boswel/ia serrara. Decoction of stem is give n 0 var.falcata (Lora nthaceae) for menstrual troubles. 0 f'1 Diplocyclos palmata (Linn.) .Jeffery Shivlingi Las ani Crushed seeds of D. palmata and ash of Striga orobanchioides are < 0 (Cucurbitaccae) mixed in jaggery and pallctes are prepru-cd. One pallet is taken thrice a r day by ladies for six weeks after pregnancy for binh of male child.