Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2014; 2 (6): 173-184 ISSN 2278-4136 ISS N 2349-8234 Ethnobotany of the Laleng (Patra) Community in JPP 2014; 2 (6): 173-184 Received: 17-01-2014 Bangladesh Accepted: 28-02-2014 Pavel Partha Pavel Partha Researcher of Ethnobiology and Ethnoecology, Barcik, HN- 50, RN-16 ABSTRACT (New), Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, The Laleng (Patra) is a historical indigenous community in Bangladesh. They called themselves as Bangladesh, Laleng but the name Patra/Pator has been given to them by others. 3,500 Lalengs are residing now Email: [email protected] only the hilly areas of Sylhet region in Bangladesh and a very few population are found in the Assam and Meghalayan parts of India. Laleng is renowned for the descendants of King Gaur-Govinda and later for charcoal maker. They are using surrounding plants wealth for their daily life and livelihood with conservational heritage. The present ethnobotanical investigation has been carried out the first time in the Laleng community among of the 15 different areas of 3 Upazillas of Greater Sylhet District. 112 plant species belonging to 57 plant families. 58 Plants are used in 42 human diseases and health problems, 52 as food, 11 rituals and sacred, 4 charcoal making, 13 traditional drink, 7 household materials, fish poison, needle and other purposes. Day by day Lalengs are lost their indigenous plant heritage and displaced from their origin. This paper is focusing the importance to save the local flora and to ensure the ethnobotanical wisdom of Laleng. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Laleng (Patra) community, Sylhet, Bangladesh 1. Introduction Plants and people are living together in a critical ecological womb. Ethnobotanical perspectives try to realize the relationship between people and their surrounding flora. Ethnobotany can be defined as the total natural and traditional relationship and the interactions between man and his surrounding plant wealth [1]. In the present world, traditional knowledge and ethnobotanical research are playing an important role in biological investigation, ecological analysis and livelihood security. Preliminary works of Hassan and Khan [2] in ethnobotanical research is regarded as pioneer endeavor in Bangladesh. Since then Mia and Huq [3], Alam and Alam et al. [4, 5], Uddin et al. [6], Khan et al. [7], Partha [8], Partha and Hossain [9, 10], Partha and Hossain [11], Rana et al. [12] have also made significant role the ethnobotanical studies in Bangladesh. Most of these studies, however, focused on indigenous peoples (but they mentioned the term `tribal’) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts with some surveys 1communities in the Sylhet and Dhaka region. But there is no ethnobotanical information of Laleng (Patra) community in Bangladesh. From the above ethnobotanical records it can be said that the present ethnobotanical investigation has been performed for the first time among Laleng indigenous community in Bangladesh. The Lalneg (patra) consider themselves as the descendants of Raja Gaur Govinda (an ancient king of Gaur kingdom, now it is Sylhet division of Bangladesh). These people are also known as Laleng in their language [13]. In the Laleng dialect, `Laleng’ means stone. They are a mongoloid group [14]. Once upon a time they were animist in religion but now they are practicing Hinduism. Now they are live on agriculture, day labor, charcoal making and gardening. They are going to extinction, but still now practicing Poinunu, Madhai-thakur, Akung-laram, Tilsongkranti, Correspondence: Pavel Partha Thibum, TaishiTakki festivals and rituals in their own traditional way. They are also fighting to Researcher of Ethnobiology and uphold their ethnobotanical wisdom in their daily life for survival. Ethnoecology, Barcik, HN- 50, RN- Present understanding of the enthnobotany of Laleng community of Bangladesh is very limited. 16 (New), Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, The present investigation, therefore, gives an opportunity to walk around the inter-relationships Bangladesh, between plants and Laleng society residing at 15 villages of Sylhet district in Bangladesh. Email: [email protected] ~ 173 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2. Study area 4.5 Aloe vera L. (A. barbadensis Mill), Family: Liliaceae, Local The present investigation was carried out between December 2001 name: Ghirtokanchan, Uses: Loc. Doloipara: Fresh leaf juice is and May 2002 and from February 2005 to April 2006 into the used in improvement of health and illness. Laleng communities of 15 different hilly villages (Doloipara, Goaindair, Lawgool, Kahaigarh, Thakurermati, Chiknagool, 4.6 Amaranthus spinosus L. Family: Amaranthaceae, Local name: Fatepur, Rajarbagicha, Paschimsuti, Noirgool, Kushirgool, Isukjaroi, katakailpha. Uses: Loc. Doloipara: Young leaves is used Kalichori, Malgaon, Ahmednagar T.E. and Boronagar) of 5 Unions as vegetable. (Chiknagool, Jaintapur, Khadimpara, Khadimnagar and Fatepur) of 3 Upazillas ( Goainghat, Sylhet sadar and Jaintapur) of Sylhet 4.7 Amomum aromaticum Roxb. Family: Zinziberaceae, Local district. And lastly all ethnobotanical records are cross-checked by Name: Dhewtara, Uses: Loc. Kahaigarh: Fresh leaf paste is used in the in-depth community-led ethnobotanical exercises on January the local yeast-cake "Muli" (one kind of fermenting medium of 2011. their traditonal liquor "Khor"). 3. Methods and Materials 4.8 Amorphophallus bulbifer (Roxb.) Bl. Family: Araceae, Local The ethnobotanical information was collected by ‘participant name: Loregochha. Uses: Loc. Doloipara: Used as vegetable. observations’, from focus group discussions, and interviewing local people and indigenous healers who prescribe their own herbal 4.9 Andrographis paniculata Nees Family: Acanthaceae, Local preparations. The healers of both woman and man were name: Chorotta. Uses: Loc. Thakurermati: Stems are cut into small interviewed individually in the forests and their homestead gardens pieces and soaked in water 12 hrs. The extract decanted and is used where they pointed out the herbs that they use to cure different for body pain. ailments. Information was also gathered from the aged people and from the small groups using two separate questionnaires. A large 4.10 Antidesma roxburghii Family: Euphorbiaceae, Local name: number of plant materials were collected during the present survey Khoipora, Uses: Loc. Chiknagool: Ripe fruits are edible. and were preserved as herbarium sheets. During plant collection and making herbarium specimens, unknown, little known and 4.11 Aphanamixis polystachya important plants were given more preference. Most of the (Wall.) R.N. Park. Family: Meliaceae, Local name: Bodraj, Uses: herbarium specimens are preserved in the Jahangirnagar University Loc. Thakurermati: Timber is used for making fine "Angra" Herbarium (JUH), Department of Botany, Jahangirnagar (charcoal). Making and selling charcoal is an ancient occupation of University, Savar, Dhaka-1342. The JUH allows anybody to use Laleng people. these specimens for academic and research purposes. 4.12 Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk. (Syn. A. agallocha Vahl) 4. Ethnobotanical findings Family: Thymelaeaceae, Local name: Agor, Uses: Loc. Fatepur: The present investigation in 16 areas of Sylhet district on the This plant is sacred in the Lalong society. Laleng (Patra) communities, recorded the following 112 plant species are used in their daily life. Those species are enumerated 4.13 Areca triandra Roxb., Family : Palmae, Local name : /Ban- below along with their botanical names, plant families, localities gua, Uses : Loc. Rajarbagicha : Tree used for house making as a (Loc.), local names in Laleng dialect and various ethnobotanical strong pillar. Leaves are also used for roof thatching. Ripe seeds uses. The medicinal uses of plants listed here are indicative and not are used as a chewing material. accompanied by doses, therefore the readers are not encouraged to follow them without verification. 4.14 Artemisia nilagirica (Cl.) Paup. (Syn. A. vulgaris L. var. nilagirica Cl., A. vulgaris auct. non L.) Family: Asteraceae, Local 4.1 Abroma augusta L. Family: Sterculiaceae, Local name: name: Nagdani, Nagdain. Uses: Loc. Paschimsuti: The decoction of Ulatkambal, Uses: Loc. Doloipara: Decoction of leaf stem used in leaves are used in cough and cold. Loc. Ahmednagar T.E.: Fresh liver problem and digestion. Loc. Lawgool: Root paste used for leaf of "Nagdani" and the tuber of "Titcorola" (Momordica women in their menstrual complexities. charantia L., Cucurbitaceae) are grounded and made into paste. This paste is used as a "Voron" (poultice) to relieve from headache. 4.2 Acorus calamus L. Family: Araceae, Local name: Baipata, Uses: Loc. Goandair: Leaf juice is used to prevent liver pain. Loc. 4.15 Artocarpus chaplasha Roxb. Family: Moraceae, Local name: Noirgool: Fresh leaf paste is used in the local yeast-cake “Muli" Cham-kattol, Uses: Loc. Noirgool: Ripe fruits are edible. (one kind of fermenting medium of their traditonal liquor "Khor"). 4.16 Artocarpus heterophyllus Lamk. {A. integra (Thunb) Merr}. 4.3 Adhatoda vasica Nees, Family: Acanthaceae, Local name: Family: Moraceae, Local name: Phong, Uses: Loc. Noirgool: Dhola-bashok, Uses: Loc. Lawgool: Fresh leaf juice is used for Green fruit used as vegetable and ripe fruit and seeds are edible. cough and cold. Leaves are delicious fodder for goats. Young leaf paste used for wounds. Stem bark, rock salt and fresh turmeric grounded and 4.4 Ageratum conyzoides L. Family: Compositae, Local name: mixed together and used for women in menstrual problem. Pechnagunii,