An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used by Ethnic People in Gingee Hills, Villupuram District, Tamilnadu, India

This study was carried out in five geographically isolated hillocks of the Gingee hills, Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, India, in a region inhabited by farmers and tribal groups called the Kuravas and Irulas. The authors found that a total of 163 plant species belonging to 138 genera and 62 families were used by the natives of the study area for the treatment of such ailments as diabetes, rheumatism, jaundice, fever, cold, cough, bone fracture and snake bite. The full results of this study are organized in table form and include the species botanical name, parts used, method of administration, dosage, and the local or vernacular names of the species. This present study analyzed the data collected from the study area by applying the quantitative ethnobotanical devices such as, use-value (UV), factor informant consensus (Fic) and fidelity level (Fl%)