Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Herbs Used by the Naga Tribes of Eastern Himalayas

Abstract

An ethnobotanical exploration was made to study the medicinal herbs of Nagaland as it plays a major role in the culture and traditions of Naga tribes. In total, 161 medicinal herbs used by the indigenous people were documented. The botanical and vernacular names including plant parts and their applications are recorded systematically. The family Asteraceae was the most dominant followed by Lamiaceae and Poaceae. Leaf, roots and rhizome were the chief plant parts prescribed for treating diverse ailments. Endangered species like Cucurligo orchiodes, Panax ginseng and Paris polyphylla were also known to possess various nutritional and therapeutic properties. Kalanchoe pinnata, Ocimum tenuiflorum, O. sanctum, P. ginseng and P. polyphylla are also called as “miracle plant” by the locals due to their manifold purposes in treating various illness and infections. The majority of the therapeutic herbs used are processed in some ways, such as macerating, squeezing, grinding, blending, rubbing, steamed, burnt, paste, soaking or boiling in honey, water, milk, sorghum oil or cooked with local aromatic rice, and pond salt. Since time immemorial, the native inhabitants in and around Eastern Himalayas have used these herbs as bioresources. They believe in the multipurpose of plants, be it in medicinal or cultural ethos and the indigenous knowledge is orally passed down from one generation to the next. The present study fairly represents the Naga tribes insight expertise on using plant-based materials for their malady and depicts a well sustainable community relying on the natural resources to meet their end needs.