European Journal of Environmental Ecology ECOLOGICAL

European Journal of Environmental Ecology ECOLOGICAL

Jayakumar M and Karuppusamy S. / European Journal of Environmental Ecology. 2015;2(3):128-136. e - ISSN – 2393-9672 Print ISSN - XXXX-XXXX European Journal of Environmental Ecology Journal homepage: www.mcmed.us/journal/ejee ECOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANTS IN ALAGAR HILLS OF EASTERN GHATS, TAMILNADU M. Jayakumar1* and S. Karuppusamy2 1Department of Biology, PMT College, Usilampatti, Tamilnadu, India. 2Department of Botany, Botanical Research Centre, The Madura College, Madurai- 625 011, Tamilnadu, India. Corresponding Author Article Info S. Karuppusamy Received 13/05/2015; Revised 29/06/2015 Email:- [email protected] Accepted 11/07/2015 ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Alagar hills of Eastern Ghats with tropical dry India harbours a great diversity of medicinal deciduous and scrub forests landscape provides a suitable plants because of biodiversity rich hot spots of Eastern habitat for growth of number of medicinal plants. A total Himalaya and Western Ghats lying in Indian of 146 traditional medicinal species including 145 subcontinent. So far, about 8500 species of angiosperms and one gymnosperm were identified from Anagiosperms, 44 species of Gymnosperms, and 700 the study area representing 114 genera and 52 families. species of Pteridophytes have been reported as medicinal The habits of these 146 medicinal plants comprised of 53 species in India. There has been exploiting a variety of herbs, 23 shrubs, 33 trees and 37 climbers. Ecological herbals for effective treatment of various ailments since diversity index (IVI) indicates the quantitative distribution the time immemorial. The uses of plant medicines in India of medicinal plants in different forest types of the study is deep rooted on traditional knowledge and codified area whereas dominant IVI were noted for trees like medicinal systems like Siddha and Ayurveda was Lannea coromandelica, Phyllanthus emblica and prescribed more than 900 medicinal plants species which Syzygium cumini. Similarly less distributed medicinal are highly effective against human ailments (Akshay et plants in the area are Tylophora indica, Solena al., 2014). The recent discipline of scientific exploration amplexicaulis, Ophiorrhiza mungos, Gardenia of traditional medicinal plant study such as ethnobotany, gummifera, Cycas circinalis, Celastrus paniculata and also well documented in Indian regions which is added Adenia wightiana. Cycas circinalis is an endangered and increasing number of medicinal plants. But still endemic medicinal plant included in IUCN red list. availability of medicinal plants in regional wise or state Medicinal uses of plant species in Alagar hills categorized wise and their ecological status are not studied so far. The into folklore medicinal plants (140 species), present study aimed to enumerate the traditional ethnomedicine (142 species), Ayuvedic medicinal plants medicinal plants and their ecological diversity in Alagar (53 species) and Siddha medicinal plants (69). A total of hills of Eastern Ghats in Tamilandu. 146 medicinal plants covered all these categories and about 47 species are used in all the medicinal systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS This baseline data provides the effective implementation Study area of conservation strategies for potential medicinal plants. Alagar hills of Eastern Ghats is lying approximately between 77o30’ and 78o20’ longitude and Key words: Traditional medicinal plants, Ecodiversity, 10o05’ – 10o09’ latitude. The elevation of the area of endangered, conservation. investigation ranges from 650 to 3000 feet above sea level. Variations in the altitude and rainfall have a bearing 128 | P a g e Jayakumar M and Karuppusamy S. / European Journal of Environmental Ecology. 2015;2(3):128-136. on the vegetation in general. The floristic divisions of the growth of number of medicinal plants. A total of 146 area of investigation consist of sthorny scrub forest, dry medicinal species including 145 angiosperms and one deciduous forest, moist mixed deciduous forest and gymnosperm were identified from the study area savannah grasslands. representing 114 genera and 52 families (Table 1). The habits of these 146 medicinal plants comprised of 53 Data collection herbs, 23 shrubs, 33 trees and 37 climbers. Similar study Four plots (each 1 hectare) were established in was reported in Kolli hill of eastern Ghats (Anand et al., different forest types at different elevation within the 2006) and Vellingiri hills of Eastern Ghats (Samydurai et forest areas of Alagar hills of Eastern Ghats. Each of the al., 2012). The dominant medicinal plant families in the one hectare plot were divided into 100 of 10 x 10 m study area are Leguminosae (17 species), Euphorbiaceae subquadrats. Data were gathered from each quadrat and (12 species), Lamiaceae (9 species), Apocynaceae (8 herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees were enumerated species) and Rubiaceae (7 species). Whereas in the carefully from the each quadrat. Further all the species dominant medicinal plant genera are Cassia (5 species), were screened either medicinal or non-medicinal with Acalypha, Gymnema and Ziziphus (3 species each), pertinent literature and check in the google search engine. Abutilon, Andrographis, Cardiospermum, Capparis, Commiphora, Dioscorea, Embelia, Ficus, Jatropha, Specimen collection and identification Leucas, Mollugo, Ocimum and Phyllanthus (2 species All the plant species were collected from the each). quadrats carefully tagged and prepared herbarium voucher The forest types observed from the study area are specimens. The initial identification done with help of thorny scrub forest, dry deciduous forest, moist deciduous local Floras (Gamble and Fischer, 1957; Matthew, 1983; forest and savannah woodland forests. The forests are Henry et al., 1987) and confirmation of the identification serving habitat for the growth of medicinal plants with in Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle, Coimbatore specific climatic niche. Many number of medicinal plants with comparison of authentic specimens deposited in BSI. are distributed in scrub forest (53 species), dry deciduous forest (52) and also these forests shared about 26 species Data analysis are common distribution (Table 1). Moist deciduous Data collected from the quadrat study were used forest have a few number of medicinal plants about 6 to calculate frequency, density and basal area from which species and savannah grass lands also having about 5 each species in every plot inferred the quantitative species of medicinal plants. analysis through the calculation of Importance Value Diversity index (IVI) indicates the quantitative Index (IVI) by the sum of relative frequency, relative distribution of medicinal plants in different forest types of density and relative dominance (McIntosh, 1950). the study area whereas dominant IVI were noted for trees like Lannea coromandelica, Phyllanthus emblica and Ethnomedicinal inventory Syzygium cumini (Table 1) which are associated with dry Information on plants with ethnomedicinal uses deciduous forests. A potential climbing medicinal plant was collected from informants living in villages adjacent like Embelia basaal (5.11) also have high diversity index to the surrounding forest areas. The primary information in this forest area. Many number of medicinal plants have from the informants considered the folklore medicinal least diversity indices due to its rarity of distribution uses. The species enumerated from the quadrats were namely Tylophora indica, Solena amplexicaulis, Scilla compared with the check list of medicinal floras and hyacinthina, Portulaca oleracea, Phyllanthes debilis, pertinent literature (www.medicinalplants.in). The Ophiorrhiza mungos, Leucas hirta, Iphigenia indica, medicinal plants used in codified medicinal systems like Glinus lotoides, Gardenia gummifera, Cycas circinalis, Siddha and Ayurveda also checked carefully and listed Celastrus paniculata and Adenis wightiana (Table 1). those medicinal plants available in study plots. Among the 146 medicinal plants, only one medicinal species are identified endangered species in Diversity status IUCN category which is Cycas circinalis. This Diversity status of the medicinal plants were gymnosperm plant is frequently distributed in dry analysed with IUCN guide lines (version IUCN 2014) and deciduous to moist deciduous forests and valleys. the listed medicinal species were compared with the Underground part of rhizome is being cut off for distribution pattern with available literature (IUCN, medicinal market and leaves of the plant is collected 2014). regularly for decoration purposes that are the main threatening factor of Cycas circinalis. This plant species RESULTS AND DISCUSSION is noted an endemic and endangered in south India which Alagar hills with tropical dry deciduous and is used multi-purpose plant in Tamilnadu and Kerala [7]. scrub forests landscape provides a suitable habitat for 129 | P a g e Jayakumar M and Karuppusamy S. / European Journal of Environmental Ecology. 2015;2(3):128-136. Medicinal uses of plant species in Alagar hills vicinity of the hill area resulted the folklore medicinal categorized into folklore medicinal plants (140 species), plants about 140 species. Some of the medicinal ethnomedicine (142 species), Ayuvedic medicinal plants information and therapeutic values of the plants are new (53 species) and Siddha medicinal plants (69). A total of such as Furgraea foetida, Adenia wightiana, Consjera 146 medicinal plants covered all these categories and rheedii and Iphigenia indica. Number of medicinal

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