Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. Volume 1, Issue 12 December

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1 ISSN International, Peer reviewed, Open access, Monthly Online Journal Research article PLANTS USED FOR NON-MEDICINAL PURPOSES BY MALAYALI TRIBALS IN JAWADHU HILLS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA Subbaiah Muruganandam 1, Singaram Rathinakumar 2, Arunachalam Selvaraju 3* 1, 2 Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology, Presidency College, Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India 3 Post Graduate and Research Department of Botany, Pachaiyappa s College, Chennai , Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author: valarselva84@gmail.com ABSTRACT Received: 02/11/2012; Revised: 29/11/2012; Accepted: 30/11/2012 An ethno-botanical survey, particularly the plants used other than medicinal purposes was carried out among the Malayali tribals in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, India during June to December With the help of standardized questionnaires, a number of informants were interviewed on the non-medicinal use of the local flora. A total of 24 plant species belonging to 20 genera were recorded as non-medicinal and food plants in the present study. These plants were used for food, religious purposes, rituals, decorative purposes, as insect repellents, biofertilizers, construction purposes, making household implements and hedge and fuel. The study showed a high degree of ethno-botanical novelty and the use of plants among the Malayali tribals. KEYWORDS: Ethno-botany, Malayali tribals, Non-medicinal uses, Tamil Nadu To Cite this article: Subbaiah M, Singaram R, Arunachalam S (2012), PLANTS USED FOR NON-MEDICINAL PURPOSES BY MALAYALI TRIBALS IN JAWADHU HILLS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA, Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med., Volume 1(12),

2 INTRODUCTION India is one of the twelve mega-biodiversity countries of the World having rich vegetation with a wide variety of plants with medicinal value. The tribal population of the country, as per the 2001 census, is 8.43 crore, constituting 8.2% of the total population (Ministry of Tribal affairs). With enormously diversified living ethnic groups and rich biological resources, India represents one of the great emporia of ethno-botanical wealth (Pal, 2000). During the last few decades there has been an increasing interest in the study of medicinal plants and their traditional use in different parts of India. Primarily, Janaki Ammal (1956) conceptualized the importance of ethnobotanical studies in India and initiated such studies. After that from the year 1963, Jain extended these studies to the forefront through his pioneering research and publications. It is estimated that tribal people of Tamil Nadu occupy 1.05% of the total state population and 0.77% of the total tribal population of the country. Ministry of Tribal affairs presented a list of tribal communities in India for each state and Tamil Nadu contains 36 types of tribal communities and they are distributed in different districts in the forests and adjoining areas. Several studies have revealed that tribal population, not only depend on plant based resources for medicines, food, forage and fuel, but also play a vital role in natural resource management that forms the core aspect of conservation biology (Ministry of Tribal affairs). In the recent years, number of reports on the use of plants in traditional uses by either tribal people or indigenous communities of India is increasing (Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu, 2010, Ayyanar et.al., 2010; Samant and Dhar, 1997; Samant et.al., 1998). The main objective of this study was to assess the diversity of plants used by Malayali tribals in Jawadhu hills of Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu, India and to document their traditional knowledge. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study area The study area Kovilur (situated in Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu), the Panchayath union of Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu consists of 52 villages, out of which 10 villages (Kovilur, Thombaretti, Thanchankollai, Athippatti, Perungattur, Mamathoor, Aattaiyanur, Mullippattu, Jamuna marathur and Motlapattu) were selected in the present study for the documentation of ethno-medicine. Most of the hamlets in the villages are occupied by the Malayali tribals. Malayali tribal s simple food includes Dioscorea tubers. Each village is administrated by a leader (or) headmen called Nattamai and he is considered as leader of the village and even during marriages and festivals, he only initiates functions and ceremonies. Occupation being cultivation, other jobs like hunting, honey gathering, fruits gathering and selling also observed in these villages. Ethno-botanical survey Frequent field surveys were carried out in Kovilur Panchayath union in Eastern Ghats of Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu in different seasons during June to December The data were collected through general conversations and questionnaires with the elder people (eight informants between the ages of years). The information was gathered from them was recorded in field notebooks. The collected plants were identified by their vernacular names through consultations with the local people, photographed and sample specimens were collected for the preparation of herbarium. The Flora of Presidency of Madras (Gamble, 1935) and The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic (Matthew, 1983) were used to ascertain the nomenclature. The voucher specimens were deposited in the herbarium at Department of Botany, Presidency College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The present study focused mainly on the plant species used by the Malayali tribals for various non-medicinal uses. The reported plants were arranged according to their

3 scientific name and family, vernacular (local) names as recorded during the field work, habit and uses. During the study period, 24 species of plants belonging to 20 genera and 20 families were identified as non-medicinal and food plants which are used by the Malayali tribals in Eastern Ghats (Thiruvannamalai district) of Tamil Nadu (Table 1). The plants listed mainly belong to Rutaceae (4) followed by Caesalpinaceae (2) and the remaining with one species each (Fig.1). From the study, it was observed that ten taxa are trees (42%), six are herbs (25%), four are shrubs (12%), three are climbers (13%) and two taxa are small trees (8%) (Fig.2) Table 1. List of plant species used by Malayali tribal people for non-medicinal purposes in Thiruvannamalai district (Eastern Ghats) of Tamil Nadu Name of the plant Family Local name Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex. Schult. Albizia amara (Roxb.) Boivin. Annona squamosa L. Habit Rutaceae Vilva maram Tree Amaranthaceae Poolachedi Herb Mimosaceae Thurinji Tree Annonaceae Seethamarm Tree Asclepias curassavica L. Asclepiadaceae Sivapupoo chedi Herb Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Meliaceae Veppamaram Tree Cardiospermum halicacabum L. Sapindaceae Mudakkaruthan kodi Climber Chloroxylon swietenia DC. Rutaceae Purusu Tree Clausena dentata (Willd.) Roem. Rutaceae Chavatai Small tree Non-Medicinal uses Leaf paste is mixed with goat s milk for the persons of alcohol addiction. Used during festivals as an ornamental plant The leaves are used as a fuel. Ripe fruits are taken to keep the body cool. The mature stem is used as stick for musical instruments. The plant is also used as an ornamental plant. Twigs are used as tooth brush. The leaves are used as green manure The leaves are used to make chutney. Wood is recommended as a valuable timber and also used to make agricultural implements. Leaves are used as cattle feed. Whole plant parts are used as bio-pesticide and also used as green manure. Combretum albidum G. Don. Combretaceae Karlan kodi Climber Stem is used as cordage. Croton bonplandianum Baillon. Euphorbiaceae Yerpoolan poondu Herb Leaves are used as manure.

4 Name of the plant Family Local name Habit Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. Fabaceae Rose wood Tree Dendrocalamus strictus (Roxb.) Ness. Grewia orientalis L. Poaceae Moongil Tree Tiliaceae Poonaikokukkan chedi Small tree Non-Medicinal uses Wood is used to make furniture. Stem is used for storing honey; as spatula for stirring, and also as building and roofing material. Leaves are used as manure. The leaves are used as cattle feed Guizotia abyssinica (L. f.) Cass. Lantana camara L. Asteraceae Thattellu Herb Flower heads are used to prepare pickles. Verbenaceae Randanachedi Shrub Fruits are edible. Limonia acidissima L. Rutaceae Vilamaram Tree Manilkara hexandra (Roxb.) Dubard. Memecylon grande Retz. Sapotaceae Paala maram Tree Melastomataceae Sanjeevi sakalathi Climber Nephrolephis sps. Nephrolepidaceae (Fern) Vesanaai chedi Herb Oxalis corniculata L. Oxalidaceae Chootu chedi Herb Pterolobium hexapetalum (Roth.) Sant.& Wagh Senna montana B. Heyne. ex. Roth. Tarenna asiatica (L.) Kuntze. ex. K. Caesalpiniaceae Peenjha Shrub Caesalpiniaceae Karungonna maram Tree Rubiaceae Tharanicheddy Shrub Leaves are used to make pickles. Leaves are used as cattle feed. Smoke of dry leaves are released inside the cattle and chicken shed to control mites. Leaf juice is used as a biopesticide in paddy fields. Leaves are used as a bleaching agent for floor. The plant is used for making fence. The young branches are used as cattle feed. Leaves of this plant are used as fodder. Mites in cattle shed can be controlled by smoking the leaves. Of the plants parts used as food by the Malayali tribals leaves, fruits, seeds and underground parts such as tuber, rhizome, root and corm are mostly used as food. Leafy vegetables are grown as wild weeds. Kani tribals in Thirunelveli hills eat tubers like Manihot esculenta and Dioscorea oppositifolia (Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu, 2005). Most of the leafy vegetables such as Acacia pennata,

5 Commelina ensifolia, Diplocyclos palmatus, Jasminum angustifolium, Premna obtusifolia and Cissus quadrangularis used by the Paliyar tribals of Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu have also been used to treat various ailments (Arinathan et.al., 2003). Besides the medicinal and food value, plants also play an important role in the socioeconomic life of Malayalis. Malayali tribals have grown some of the plants as sacred plants in the vicinity of their houses and temples. Malayali tribals also use a number of plants for various economic uses viz., construction purposes and for hedge; some of the plants for, biofertilizers, fodders, fire wood, construction of household implements etc (Fig.3). Paliyar tribals in Palani hills of Tamil Nadu are using more than 30 plants as commercial non-timber forest products (John Kennedy, 2006). Irulas, Mudugas and Kurumba tribals inhabiting the Attapadi hills of Western Ghats (Nadanakunjidam) use 51 species of plants as timber, fibre, fence, thatching grass, wild food, fodder, manure, insecticide, pesticide, tooth brush, soap, hair and body wash, ornamental, ritual and agricultural implements. Figure 1. Family wise classification of collected plant species in the study area Figure 2. Habit wise classification of collected plant species in the study area Climber 13% Small tree 8% Tree 42% Shrub 12% Herb 25%

6 Figure 3. Different non-medicinal uses reported in the present study CONCLUSION Traditional plant use and knowledge thereof is still essential to the Malayali tribals living in the forest areas of Eastern Ghats in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. With changes in lifestyle and associated decline of the use of plants, the ethno-botanical knowledge might continue to decline. The preservation of some rituals especially concerning economically important plants is noteworthy in the area and the study revealed that the Malayali tribals are using many forest resources for their day-to-day life. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to the Malayali tribals in the study area for revealing their traditional botanical knowledge. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. M. Ayyanar, Department of Botany, Pachaiyappa s College, Chennai for his help in identification of plant species and suggestions on crafting the article. REFERENCES Arinathan, V., Mohan, V.R., John De Britto, A. and Chelladurai, V. (2003). Studies on food and medicinal plants of Western Ghats. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 27: Ayyanar, M. and Ignacimuthu, S., (2010). Plants used for non-medicinal purposes by the tribal people in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Southern India. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 9, Ayyanar, M. and Ignacimuthu, S., (2005). Traditional Knowledge of Kani tribals in Kouthalai of Tirunelveli hills, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 102: Ayyanar, M., Sankarasivaraman, K., Ignacimuthu, S. and Sekar, T., (2010). Plants used for non-medicinal purposes by Paliyar tribals in Theni district, Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Asian Journal of Experimental Biological Sciences 1(4):

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