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Ethnobotanical Aspects of Trees of Palakkad District, Kerala, India

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Ethnobotanical Aspects of Trees of Palakkad District, Kerala, India Devagiri Journal of Science 2(1), 32-51 © 2016 St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Devagiri www.devagirijournals.com ISSN 2454-2091 Ethnobotanical aspects of trees of Palakkad District, Kerala, India Remesh M.1*, Manilal K.S.2 and Muktesh Kumar M.S.2 1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Jazan University,Jazan, P.O. Box: 2079, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2Centre for Research in Indigenous Knowledge Science and Culture,Jawahar Nagar, Calicut, Kerala, India, 673006. Received: 7. 07.2016 Abstract:Trees are one of the most important elements in the forests on which Revised and Accepted: the local and tribal people depend for their multifarious requirements. Apart 11.08.2016 from their use as food and medicine, majority of the people of the present generation are unaware of their several other potential and indigenous utilisation aspects. The paper puts light on the Ethnobotanical use of 158 species tree involved among the eight tribal groups namely, Eravallans, Irulars, Kadars, Kurumbars, Malamalasars, Malasars, Mudugars and Muthuvans of Palakkad District, Kerala. The information presented here is based on detailed Ethnobotanical studies conducted in the district. The different ethnobotanical Key Words: Ethnobotany, uses are classified under food, fodder, medicine and several miscellaneous Trees, Plakkad District, Kerala aspects. The most of the uses mentioned here is hither to unreported and recorded for the first time. The conservation status and utilisation potential of such tree species are also discussed. Introduction Ghats of Kerala region. The important vegetation occurring in Kerala consists of Man’s interest in plants began for his flowering plants, which have been estimated requirement for food and shelter. as 4465 taxa which include 812 trees Subsequently he sought among them remedies (Sasidharan, 2003). Among the flowering for injuries he received during his nomadic plants of Kerala, 20 per cent are trees and 30 life. Rig Veda says that man learned to per cent of them are Western Ghats endemics distinguish edible plants from the poisonous (Sasidharan, 2006). ones by observing the way animals used them (Manilal, 1989). Tribals are considered as the Trees are one of the most important elements torch bearers and custodians of the traditional in the forest in which the local and tribal information on thousands of plants from their people depend for their multifarious surrounding environment evolved in course of requirements. Apart from their use as food continuous observation, trial and error and medicine majority of the people of the methods and passed on to generations through present generation are unaware of their thousands of years. Anthropologists have several other potential and indigenous identified 43 tribal groups in Kerala. It has utilisation aspects. Among the fourteen district been observed that all the tribal groups in of the Kerala Idukki district is representing Kerala are food gathers or shifting cultivators, largest number of tree species (434) followed dwelling deep in the forest or in the fringes, by Palakkad district (359). The utilization including protected areas. aspects of many tree species are unknown due to the lack of detailed scientific Kerala, the land of cultural and biological documentation. The studies on the traditional diversity lies along the southwest corner of use of trees among the Kattunaikka tribe in peninsular India. Depending on the amount of Wayanad Wild life sanctuary by Narayanan et rainfall, soil type and altitude, different al. (2011) was one exclusive study in this vegetation types are formed in the Western regard. The Ethnobotanical aspects of many *Corresponding author © 2016 St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Devagiri E-mail: [email protected] 32 All rights Reserved Devagiri Journal of Science 2(1), 32-51 tree species are hitherto unknown or are Materials and methods poorly documented. Reconnaissance surveys were conducted Study area throughout the district for locating the tribal groups, their distribution, status and Palakkad, the largest administrative district in traditional way of life, the degree of traditional Kerala state, has an area of about 4480 sq. km knowledge practices, etc. The selected hamlets with a population of 26, 17,482 individuals and were visited regularly and data pertaining to is famous for paddy fields and Palmyras. The plants, in their life and culture was gathered district lies between 10015' to 11°15' latitude in periodically. Ethnobotanical information was the north and 76° and 770longitude in the east. gathered either by interviewing the informants It is surrounded by Coimbatore district of or from the direct observation from the field Tamil Nadu on the east; Malappuram and itself on the uses of plants. Each of the Thrissur districts on the west; on the north by information of a particular plant used among Malappuram and Nilgiri (state of Tamil Nadu) the tribal group was tested directly or districts and on the south by Thrissur district. indirectly. The reliability of the information of Palakkad forms a natural gap in the Western the plants used was assessed after repeated Ghats and thus connects the west coast with verification. the Deccan Plateau (Fig.1). The district has two Result and discussion major tribal zones, namely Attappady and The study revealed that there are 158 trees Parambikkulam among the seven zones, belonging 53 plant families have been identified for Kerala. Palakkad district, which documented which directly involved with the is the largest district in Kerala, is ranked as the life and culture of eight tribal groups third in the diversity and population of tribals. (Appendix I). Among the total trees There are eight tribal groups inhabiting documented with indigenous uses there are different parts of the district viz. Eravallans, 143 native trees and 15 cultivated trees. Irulars, Kadars, Kurumbars, Malamalasars, Among them 16 trees found to be endemic to Mudugars, Malasars, and Muthuvans. Among the Western Ghats. The most of the trees are them, Irulars, Kurumbars, Mudugars, found in Moist deciduous forest (115), Malasars, and Muthuvans are shifting followed by Semi evergreen (85), Dry cultivators and Non Timber Forest Produce deciduous forests(8), Evergreen (5), Shola collectors. The Eravallans were former forest (3) and planes(4). Some of the trees also nomadic cultivators and now have turned to adapted more than one habitat(134). There are mere agricultural labourers due to the various 65 species represented in both Moist threats and changing situations. deciduous forest and Semi evergreen forest; 14 PAlAKKAD DISTRICT species represented in both Semi evergreen and evergreen forests; four trees are found • AUAf>P."dY both Moist deciduous forest and Dry • Ma1<1l•r'lo•"4 deciduous forests and 2 species represented in both Moist deciduous forest and planes. The conservation status of 126 trees is under lower risk, 27 trees are conservation dependent and five trees are came under vulnerable category (IUCN, 2000). Ethnobotanical aspects The trees involved in the multifarious needs of Fig.1. Map of Palakkad District the tribal groups are categorised in to 27 useful 33 Devagiri Journal of Science 2(1), 32-51 aspects. Among the different aspects 104 trees Tamarindus indica are catogorised under vital are used in ethno medicines followed by 48 ethnic trees which have been playing an trees with edible parts and the remaining have important role for the survival of these vanishing several other aspects like beliefs, fish communities. stupefaction, hut making, fibres, religious, Conclusion tooth brush, cleaning agent, masticators, Trees are one of the important components of rituals and worships, repellents etc.(Appendix the forest where the tribes inhabit. Trees are 1I).Regarding the parts of the trees used for also providing economic, aesthetic and various Ethnobotanical aspects bark is most ecological value, which directly involve in the useful part (77 species) followed by fruits (61 life and culture of the tribal groups in their species), leaves (35 species), seeds (11 species), surrounding environment. Though there are wood (8species) etc.(Appendix III). some scattered reports on the ethno botanical The medicinal trees are used for curing 46 uses of few tree species, comprehensive human diseases (Appendix IV A) and 8 studies are lacking. It has been observed that veterinary diseases (Appendix IV B).The indigenous uses of the trees are mainly known number of trees used for different diseases are to few elder members of the tribal groups only also analysed and it has been observed that 21 and the younger generation withdrawing their trees are known to the tribal groups for curing traditions associated with plants due to stomach ache followed by wound healing (20 fascination for modern culture. The trees), diarrhoea (17 trees), scabies and itches knowledge potential is directly proportional to (15 trees) and body pain (10 trees). In majority the interaction with the surrounding of the medicinal preparations barks are used environment. The indigenous uses of the trees and the other useful parts include root, leaves, distributed in evergreen and semi evergreen latex, flowers, fruits and seeds. The present forests are poorly known from literature. The study has resulted documentation of the two utilization aspects of several endemic plants trees namely Terminaliatravancorica and are little known due to lack of documentation. Prunusceylanicus which have not been reported The present study attempts to document all the with
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