Studies on the medicinal plants utilized by Indigenous people of Mandu Block, Ramgarh, Jharkhand (India)

Ranjeet Kumar Ranjan^a, Ishwari Prasad Gupta^b, H.P. Sharma^c & Santosh Kr. Sinha^d
aResearch Scholar
^bDepartment of Botany, Ranchi College, Ranchi
^cUniversity Department of Botany, Ranchi University, Ranchi
^d Research Scholar

Received 15 July, 2008; Revised 5th September, 2008

Abstract : The people of Mandu block of Ramgarh district of Jharkhand have been using different kinds of forages, herbs, shrubs, vegetables, cereals and fruits as medicine since time immemorial. This particular area is a natural abode of large number of valuable medicinal plants. The tribals who are mostly dependent on the forests, apply their traditional knowledge of use of medicinal plants for the cure of various diseases, It is still unfortunate that their traditional knowledge has not been properly identified, standardized and documented for the better use by modern society. Due to indiscriminate and rapid devastation of our forest wealth, a sizeable number of plants are on the verge of becoming rare or extinct. No systematic study and documentation of this area has been done, therefore present article aims for identification and documentation of about 35 top medicinal plant species.