An Ethnobotanical Study on Common Plants with Medicinal Properties and ITK Used by the Tea Garden Tribes of Eastern Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone (UBVZ) of Assam

Abstract

In Assam, ninety-six numbers of different tea and ex-tea garden tribes are residing mainly in the “Labour Lines” within the Tea Estates (TE) and neighbouring villages of TEs. Like other communities of Assam, raising plants as bio fencing as well as in the backyard garden is a traditional practice among tea garden tribes (TGT). A significantly large section of TGT relies on age old traditional system of healing by collecting herbs from their backyard and nearby forest. An ethnobotanical study was carried out through personal and group interviews with the tribal practioners in order to document the indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) about these plants. Fifty-five (55) numbers of plant species distributed over 32 families have been documented that included almost all types of plants from trees to herbs. Highest number of plant species were found under the family Leguminaceae followed by Euphorbiaceae which were utilized for preparation of the medicine. Among all, leaves were the most frequently used plant part followed by bark and flower belonging to perennial, annual, bi perennial and semi-annual type. The study also underlines the potentials need for the documentation of traditional ecological knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind.