An Ethnobotanical Study to Document the Indigenous Knowledge of Buksa Tribe of Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

The present paper aimed at reporting the traditional indigenous knowledge related to the preparation of medicines by a primitive tribe of Uttarakhand i.e., the Buksa tribe. In this study 109 plant species were recorded which belongs to 53 families. The Buksa tribe uses the plant to prepare the medicines in order to cure many diseases. Herbs are most used plant type. It has been noticed that leaves are most used part of the plant for the preparation of medicines by the tribe. The Family Fabaceae (18%) followed by Malvaceae and Moraceae (13% each) and Apocynaceae (11%) were the dominant family of plants used by the tribe. It has been noticed that the knowledge related to the ethnobotany is only bound to the old agers. The young generation is lacking this knowledge. Buksas are used to be the best medical healers but passing of knowledge from one generation to other generation is decreasing. Their indigenous knowledge of preparing the medicine is also not documented earlier by them. The traditional knowledge which passes from one generation to another verbally is now in a disappearing state. Thus, it is the need of the hour to document the precious knowledge which can be used by the future generations.