Ethnomedicinal plants in the sacred groves of Manipur

Ethnobotanical studies carried out in the four sacred groves of Manipur revealed therapeutic applications of 120 plant species representing 106 genera and 57 families. Tree species contributed the maximum having 42% while herbs recorded 33% of the total medicinal plants. These plants are used for a wide range of common ailments like skin disorders, ulcer, rheumatism, bronchitis, etc. Majority of the preparations are taken orally in the form of juice extracted from the freshly collected plant parts. Leaves are the major plant parts used for the preparation of medicine by the medicine-men (Maibas). Most of the plant parts are harvested from the wild. It has been observed that the species that are scarce locally in the forest due to various developmental activities, deforestation, over-exploitation, etc. are abundant in the ‘sacred groves’. Information on medical claims was collected from the elderly people residing in the vicinity of sacred groves and also from the traditional healers called ‘Maibas’. The study describes details of botanical identity, family, local name, parts of the plant used, therapeutic uses, and mode of application of the drug.