I APPING INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL PlANT RESOURCES FROM MAHADEOKOLI TRIBES IN WESTERN GHATS, MAHARASHTRA

Abstract

Rural population and the tribal commUnities residing in the hilly areas utilize the natural plant
wealth to cure number of ailments in their traditional health care system since ancient times.
However, the natural forest cover is getting depleted continuously due to various developmental
programmes resulting into the depletion of natural plant wealth including the medicinal plants.
Countryside population, especially the tribal communities, overcome. these circumstances by establishing
small kitchen gardens near their place of residence. These kitchen gardens embody number of
medicinal plants brought from the surrounding forests and grown for re:;ady utilization. The whole
plant or different plants parts have been used to cure number of ailments. The present communication
documents 256 medicinal plant species from forest resources as well as kitchen gardens or courtyards
of tribal pockets in western Maharashtra