Anuradha Prakashan, New Delhi

Medicinal Plants of

Madhya Pradesh :An Ethrobotanical Survey

Dr. Parveen Garg

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Author

Dr. Parveen Garg

ISBN No.: 978-93-82339-78-6

First Impression, 2014

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Medicinal Plants of Madhya Pradesh :

An Ethrobotanical Survey

CONTENTS

SUMMARY 6

INTRODUCTION 9

CHAPTER-1 30

CHAPTER-2ANDEMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

CHAPTER-3ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PLANTS FOUNDTO BE IN USE OF THE TRIBALS OFMADHYA PRADESH 52

CHAPTER-4ENUMERATION 58

CHAPTER-5 89

IN FIELD WORKFIELD REPORT

DISCUSSION

REFERENCES

LIST OF TABLES1. List of Tribes and their population as per 1991 census

in Madhya Pradesh.2. Tribal population of Madhya Pradesh in 19913. Tribal population in Madhya Pradesh from 1951-

19914. District-wise tribal population of Madhya Pradesh as

in 1991

Plate 1 Plate of Bangraj( (L.) L.

Plate 2 Plate of CostusPlate 3 Plate of Ghoomi

( (Willd) SprengPlate 4 Tribal marketPlate 5 KhumraPlate 6 Tribal with KhumraPlate 7 Ute threadingPlate 8 Tribal woman and DhenkiPlate 9 Rice cultivationPlate 10 Fish netPlate 11 Rice basket from Paddy strawPlate 12 Bethri-IPlate 13 Bethri-IIPlate 14 Matriarchial familyPlate 15 Protection devicePlate 16 MedicinemanPlate 17 Tribal people returning from HaatPlate 18 Tribal familyPlate 19 Tribal person with his sonPlate 20 District medicinemanPlate 21 Persons waiting for medicinemanPlate 22 Tea shopPlate 23 GulbakawaliPlate 24 Tribal woman carring fuel woodPlate 25 Plant of Bryophyllum

1. Bangraj ( (L.) L.) : Sap of leaves andflower is used as antiseptic. Burning with coconutfibre.

2. Costus : Plant is used to initiate lactation in womenmilky extrusion of stem is taken with Gur (Molases).

3. Ghoomi ( (Wild) Spreng) : Flowers

LIST OF PLATES

LEGENDS

Eclipta prostrate

Leucas aspera

Eclipta prostrate

Leucas aspera

and leaves are used to cure yellow fever.4. Kaccha sheds as modern market for tribals.5. Khumra (Umbrella) made from Mohline leaves.6. Tribals using Khumra.7. Jute threading, Animal husbandry and means of

ploughing : with the help of GovernmentalAgencies.8. Dhenki: Tribal woman crushing paddy with

indigenous equipment.9. Tribal youth cultivating rice. Helping hand by the

Department of Horticulture.10. Tribals having fish net and fish (in bag). Helping hand

by the Department ofAgriculture.11. Person carrying rice basket: made from Paddy straw,

for carrying rice.12. Bethri device for sitting on floor.13. Bethri: For commercial market.14. A Matriarchial family: Male cooking food, sewing

machine kept aside.15. Protection from stray animals: Wheat straw/Paddy

straw is stored in this, also used for incubating rawwine (Table 5).

16. Medicineman: Ploucking Gandhila grass: havingnicotine as active constituent.

17. Tribal people, returning from haat (market) quitehappy, sold everything.

18. Tribal enjoying with their children.19. Tribal entertaining his son, wearing string of

rudaraksh. Bike of forest ranger is also shown.20. Medicineman: Wearing distinct dress, living in

relatively Pucca house.21. Persons waiting for medicineman to get some

prescription.22. A man has started tea shop near the house of

medicineman.23. Pandit ji selling Gulbakawali ark, plant of Gulbakawall

SUMMARY

The term ethnobotany is generally considered tobe synonymous with either economic botany or withtraditional medicine. This is not correct. While the twoform a sub set of enthnobotany, the contest ofethnobotany as a descipline is broader and deeper andincludes the entire culture-plant interactional complexunder it. The direct, indirect or otherwise value addeduse of plants and their products by man primarilyconstitutes the domain of economic botany.Ethnobotany is not only just that. It has larger scope.

Ethnobotany is also not synonymous withtraditional medicine. Early origins of traditional medicinemust have had its root in ethnobotanical folklore.However, today traditional medicine incorporatesseveral well organised and distinct systems of diagnosisand cure.

Plants have profoundly influenced the cultureand civilisation of man. In India traditional lore,mythological stories, and events in the epics, as also,enumerable religious practices of worship in thehousehold and in the temples, in festivals, births anddeaths are all replete with references to the plants.Tribal people also have learnt from their ancestors,certain socio-religious ceremonies and are preservingthese practices for generation.

Madhya Pradesh has a tribal population of 153,99, 034 persons as per census of 1991, which comes to23 percent of the total population of the state. As it is,17.5 percent tribal population of the country lives in

Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh possesses thelargest tribal population to total population, it rankssecond, coming after Orissa which possesses 24.07percent tribal population.

In this contest 220 species belonging to 178genera and 69 families have been mentioned. Theinformation regarding the folk use of these plants havebeen furnished by the tribal herbal doctors known asMunda and many other knowledgeable personsincluding government employees during investigationsin the field. No plants or voucher specimen has beencollected. In this book, all the informations regarding theplants has been gathered on the basis of contact withthe concerned persons.

Enumerated plants have been arranged family-wise and the families part alphabetically. The generaand species are also arranged in alphabetical orderunder the families. Hindi or local name follows thescientific name. Immediately thereafter the informationabout the role of plant in tribal life is given.

Man Plant Interaction

Various aspects of man plant interaction thatresult in conservation of resources side by side withtheir social views have been discussed under followingheads:

Plants as offeringsTaboos related to plantsTotems based on trees and flowersPlants in folk talesPlants of divine statusPlants usage other than food, feed andmedicine:(i). Hunting, (ii). Antidotes, (iii). Bark for clothing,(iv). Dyes, (v). Protection of stored grains, (vi)Seeds as decorations, (vii) Plants used forwashing and bathing etc.Transition from plant product gathering to plantdomesticationClassical Indian medical system and its tribalbasis: ethnobotanical studies of some importantplants

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between the native people of theregion and the vegetation is of dual natureadvantageous to the people as well as detrimental to theplant wealth if utilization crosses certain limits. Theimpact of man on the vegetation for the developmentand maintenance of plant wealth is of commonknowledge. For ages man has been growing andimproving plants for his own benefit. Man, during hiscultural development has also disturbed the forestecosystem through selective felling for agriculturalexpansion or collection of certain species for otherspecific uses. This relationship between man and plantsforms the subject of ethnobotany.

The term Ethnobotany was first used byHarshberger (1895). Introduction to Ethnobotany byFaulles (1958) was perhaps the first book specificallywritten on the subject. However, the another enlargedthe scope of the book to cover almost the entire gamut ofeconomic botany. This view is not generally acceptednow.

The term Ethnobotany is generally considered tobe synonymous with either economic botany or withtraditional medicine. This is not correct. While the twoform a sub set of Ethnobotany, the content ofEthnobotany as a discipline is broader and deeper andincludes the entire culture-plant interactional complexunder it. The direct, indirect or otherwise value-addeduse of plants and their products by man primarilyconstitutes the domain of economic botany.

Medicinal Plants of M.P.......9

Ethnobotany is not only just that. It has larger scope.Ethnobotany is also not synonymus with

traditional medicine. Early origins of traditionalmedicine must have had its roots in ethnobotanicalfolklore. However, today traditional medicineincorporates several well organised and distinctsystems of diagnosis and cure.

In India alone three traditional systems ofmedicine, namely, Ayurveda, Sidda, and Unani, aredistinguished. They have their own individual concepts;structure and organisation. Use of plants as primarysource material in indigenous medical systems doesnot make it coincidental with other. Further,Ethnobotany includes study of foods, fibres, dyes, tansand other useful and harmful uses of plants; taboos;avoidances and even magico religious beliefs aboutplants (Jain 1963a, Ford 1978).

Studies and publications on ethnobotany duringlast three decades have stimulated work on manysubdisciplines, eg. Ethnotaxonomy, ethnomycology,ethnobryology, ethnopeteridology, ethnolichenology,ethnoecology, paleoethnobotany, ethnoclimatology,ethnomedicobotany, etc.

Ethnotaxonomy deals with folk concepts ofclassification of plants according to habit-habitat, usageor some other parameters. Interesting observationshave been made on use of prefixes or suffixes in localnames for distinction in habit, e.g., trees, climbers,bushes, etc.

Ethnobotanical studies confined to specialgroups of plants like pteridophytes, lichens andbryophytes are subdisciplines of ethnobotany.

Ethnoecology deals with primitive concepts,relationship and care of environment. The impact ofworship of certain trees or mythological associations

Medicinal Plants of M.P.......10

and taboos with certain specifies contribute toconservation, and fall within the scope of ethnoecology.

Plants have profoundly influenced the cultureand civilisation of man. In India traditional lore,mythological stories, and events in the epics, as alsoinnumerable religious practices of worship in thehousehold and in the temples, in festivals, births anddeaths are all replete with references to plants. Tribalpeople also have learnt from their ancestors certainsocio-religious ceremonies and are preserving thesepractices for generations.

One very interesting and practical aspect ofethnobotany has been the study of the various uses ofplants made by existing tribal populations. This littleknown and at present obscure use now confined to alimited group could be commercially exploited for thebenefit of the whole society. There are numerousexample, i.e. Sarpgandha that have been in use of thetribals earlier and today are being used by all as amedicine for various diseases as blood pressure,insanity, insomnia, labour, malaria, nervous disorder,snake-bite and stomach trouble.

From prehistoric time human culture has beeninfluenced directly or indirectly by the plant kingdom. Itis an accepted fact that modern civilisation developedonly due to this influence throughout the ages. It is hightime to exploit the empiric knowledge about the plantwealth that the aboriginal people are yet retaining astradition by oral means only. The study of the influenceof the vegetation on their culture, and vise versa, is themain aim of ethnobotanical studies that can bring intolight either totally new or additional information aboutthe plant wealth.

Even today in many parts of the world there are anumber of tribes who yet predominantly live in stone

Medicinal Plants of M.P.......11

age or early metal age culture settings. Their lifegenerally depends upon plants and primary plantproducts. These tribes still gather their food from wildplants. These aboriginal societies, display continuity ofcultural traditions of their remote ancestors. Due torelative isolation from civilised people they have beenable to preserve their distinct ethnic identity and culturalpatterns. Plant have been used by them as a source offood, medicine, arrow and fish poison, dyestuff etc.beside fulfijlling ceremonial, religious and aestheticneeds. This unique knowledge acquired andaccumulated by the aboriginal people over anunspecifiable span of time concerning multiple andmultisided use of the local flora has been gathered bythe thorough and long pains taking process. It is naturalto assume, that in absence of any kind ofsupplementary aides, trial and error only could havebeen the primary method for evaluating thecharacteristics of the given plants. Most of thisknowledge is unknown to civilised world. Thisknowledge among the aborigines has been passed onfrom generation to generation through various culturetradition as oral folklore, mores, magico-religiousbeliefs, legends etc. Chief objective of present dayethnobotanical studies is to gather informationregarding plant usage that these societies haveaccumulated and to study the interaction betweenplants and the cultural backdrop of these people and,after ascertaining the correct mode of this usage, bringit to record and help through this information to servethe growing needs of the civilised society.

Classical literature is another important sourceof information about culture based usages of plants.Hundreds of plants are mentioned in Hindu religiousliterature viz. Vedas, Epics, Purans, and other such

Medicinal Plants of M.P.......12

sources. In India the earliest mention of medicinal plantsis found in Rigveda. Classical literature viz. poetry,drama, dictiolnaries etc. from the part are anotherimportant source throwing light on cultural use ofvarious plants in various ancient and medieval Indiasocieties.

There are a decline in the use of plants inmedicine till 1940 due to emphasis in chemical industryproducts. But an analysis of pharmacopoeia ofdeveloped country like USA has shown that many newvegetable drugs have been added to U.S.Pharmacopoeia since 1940 onwards. In 1965 at least55 out of 200 most frequently prescribed products inU.S.A. have one or more plant constituents (Joshi et al,1978).

Indian civilisation has an esoteric dimension.Even after the discovery the knowledgeable people donot reveal it to others. Many of these uses are often keptas closely guarded secrets that are only passed on fromfather to son. Sometime previous knowledgedisappeared with the dying of the person having it. Notmany of the plants, mentioned in herbal materialmedica, has so far been identified.

Some of the plants such asetc. mentioned in

traditional material media, have strong curativeproperties. It is to discover these little known traditionaluses of the flora of our land, that ethnobotany hasbecome an important part of present day investigations(Janaki 1978).

Dr. Y.C. Kong (1979) makes a strong plea to havea multidisciplinary approach while investigating ontraditional medicines, “which are often based on

Problems in Information Gathering

Terminalia arjuna,Terminalia chebula, Sussurea lappa

Medicinal Plants of M.P.......13

centuries of empiricism and are often laced withsuperstition and mysticism”.

Apart from esoteric habit, remote geographicallocations and lack of communication with remoteregions where the tribals are now confined and culturalas well as linguistic barriers have kept the tribes, inisolation not only from other tribes but also from moderncivilisation keeping their cultural identity unique andunaltered. There is a wealth of information about plants,specially medicinal plants, hidden among these groups.India unquestionably occupies a premier position in theuse of herbal drugs, utilising nearly 540 plant species indifferent formulations (Kapoor and Mitra, 1979). In factIndia was one of the pioneers in the development andpractices of well documented indigenous systems ofmedicine, the most notable being Ayurveda, Yoga,Siddha and the Unani systems. The material medica ofthese systems contains a rich heritage of indigenousherbal and other natural practices that have helpedmost rural people of India to sustain their health. Todayabout 75% of the population mainly consult traditionalphysicians and the sales turnover of indigenousmedicines is about one and a half times more that ofmodern drugs (Rustogi, 1980).

India being a vast country not only has veryvaried type of flora, but she also has innumerable sectsof people having different beliefs, customs, traditionsand mode of interaction with nature. The type of plants,the way in which they are used for various purposesnaturally varies from tribe to tribe, group to group andfrom place to place. Hence, there is a great scope forethnobotanical studies on the subcontinent.

Traditionally the vast majority of the Indian

Traditional Mode of Experience Transfer

Medicinal Plants of M.P.......14

Medicinal Plants Of Madhya PradeshEthnobotanical Survey

Publisher : Anuradha Prakashan ISBN : 9789382339786 Author : Dr. Parveen Garg

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