Abstract:
Medicinal plants are widely utilized in both the developing and
developed countries. In the developing countries herbal medicines form the
backbone of the traditional therapeutic armoury. The objective of the study
is to determine the presence of potential medicinal plants grown in Mattuvil
that are used in traditional medicine. The Mattuvil area map was used to
locate and count the medicinal plants and to group them based on
morphological characters and nature of plant parts used in traditional
medicine. The pH of the soil at Mattuvil was 8.4, which was found suitable
for different medicinal plants. A total of 145 species of medicinal plants were
recorded. This comprises perennials (75%), annual (23%) and biennials
(2%). Eight percent poisonous plants were also recorded at Mattuvil. Out of
145 plants, 19 used for diabetic mellitus, 8 in vatha diseases and 10 in treating
skin diseases, and 12 for respiratory disorders. Further, grouping based on
morphology revealed herbs (39%), trees (32%), shrubs (14%), climbers
(11%), lianas (1%), creepers (1%), cacti (1%) and holo parasites (1%). Based
on the usage of plant parts the plant species were grouped as whole plants
(30), leaves (64), seeds (23), flowers (19), young pods (12), fruits (19), roots
(33), root barks (28), stems (4), barks (6), rhizomes (3), gums (3) and galls
(3). Out of 145 plant species, 10% were spinaches. In addition, medicinal
plants recommended in Pararaja Sekaram (1929), a Jaffna Siddha text, for
traditional medicine, namely Erythroxylum monogynum, Mallotus philippensis,
Plecospermum spinosum, Azima tetracantha, Canavalia ensiformis, Hugonia mystax,
Scutia indica and Pisonia aculeata were also found growing at Mattuvil. These
results revealed grouping of the valuable and potential medicinal plants used
in indigenous medicine into different categories and this information will
help to conserve and promote cultivation of medicinal plants at Mattuvil and
dissemination of knowledge on the existence of medicinal plants among
indigenous practioners and the residents of Mattuvil. These results will
proclaim Mattuvil as a protective zone for valuable medicinal plants.
