Ethnobotanical Leaflets 12: 164-170. 2008. Ethnomedicinal
Use of Plant Species in J. Kayode1, L. Aleshinloye1
and O. E. Ige2 1Department
of Plant Science, University of Ado-Ekiti, 2Department
of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Issued 15 March 2008
ABSTRACT
A combination of social survey and direct field
observation was used to identify the medicinal plant species used in Ijesa A total of 45 plant species belonging to 30 families were identified. Our survey indicated they were used in the control of 22 diseases. Tribal information of these species is passed from one generation to another. These species were found to have multiple uses in the study area. Only 29% of the species were cultivated in the study area. A considerable proportion of these plant species were extracted predatorily and collections were done indiscriminately without consideration for size and age. At present, only 47% of the medicinal plants fall in the ‘abundant’ category for this study area. Most of these abundant species were cultivated for their fruits, seeds, leaves or vegetables. Finally, strategies that would enhance the conservation of the species in the study area were proposed. INTRODUCTION The Ijesa are a distinct
ethnic Yoruba indigenous group in A great many ethnomedicinal
studies have been conducted in Thus, the study being reported here is part of an on
going project aimed at the evaluation and conservation of useful plant
species in MATERIALS
|
Species |
Local Name |
Family |
Part(s) Used |
Albizia coriaria |
Ayinre |
Mimosaceae |
Stem bark |
Afromomum melegueta |
Ata-ire |
Zingerberaceae |
Leaves |
Allium sativum |
Ayo |
Alliaceae |
Bulb, root |
Alstonia congensis |
Ahun |
Apocynaceae |
Bark |
Aristolochia ringens |
Ako-igba |
Aristolochiaceae |
Stem |
Bambusa vulgaris |
Oparun |
Poaceae |
Leaves |
Basella alba |
Amunututu |
Basellaceae |
Shoot, leaves |
Bridelia micrantha |
Ira |
Euphorbiaceae |
Bark |
Croton lobatus |
Eru |
Euphorbiaceae |
Seed |
Caesalpinia bonduc |
Ayo |
Caesalpinaceae |
Leaves |
Cassia tora |
Epa-ikun |
Caesalpinaceae |
Rhizome |
Carica papaya |
Ibepe |
Caricaceae |
Leaves |
Chenopodium ambrosioides |
Arunpale |
Chenopodiaceae |
Leaves |
Colocynthis citrullus |
Baara |
Cucurbitaceae |
Fruits |
Costus afer |
Tete regun |
Coataceae |
Stems, roots, fruits |
Cyperus articulatus |
Eni-oore |
Cyperaceae |
Whole plant |
Chrysophyllum albidum |
Baaka |
Sapotaceae |
Bulb |
Cylicodiscus gabunensis |
Aja-igi |
Mimosaceae |
Seeds |
Drypetes gossiweileri |
Agawo |
Euphorbiaceae |
Stem bark |
Euginia caryophyllus |
Kanofuru |
Myrtaceae |
Seeds |
Euphorbia convolvuloides |
Ege-ile |
Euphorbiaceae |
Stem, root |
Gossypium arboretum |
Owu |
Malvaceae |
Seeds |
Mangifera indica |
Mangoro |
Anacardiaceae |
Leaves, stem, fruits |
Nauclea latifolia |
Egbesi |
Rubiaceae |
Stem |
Nicotiana tobacum |
Taba |
Solanaceae |
Leaves |
Nymphaea lotus |
Osibata |
Nymphaeaceae |
Stem |
Ocimum basilicum |
Efirin-aja |
Lamiaceae |
Leaves |
Ocimum gratissimum |
Efirin |
Lamiaceae |
Leaves |
Olax subscorpiodea |
Ifon |
Oleaceae |
Roots, stem |
Parinari capensis |
Awewe |
Chysobalanaceae |
Seeds |
Phaseolus lunatus |
Awuje |
Papilionaceae |
Leaves |
Phyllantus muellerianus |
Eegun-eja |
Euphorbiaceae |
Leaves |
Piper guinensis |
Ata-iyere |
Piperaceae |
Fruits |
Pistia stratiotes |
Ojuoro |
Araceae |
Roots, stem, leaves |
Psidium guajava |
Gurofa |
Myrtaceae |
Leaves |
Securidaca longipedunculata |
Ipeta |
Polygalaceae |
Stem |
Sorgum bicolor |
Oka-baba |
Poaceae |
Leaves |
Telfairia occidentalis |
Aworoko |
Cucurbitaceae |
Leaves |
Tetrapleura tetraptera |
Aidan |
Mimosaceae |
Fruits |
Trema orientalis |
Ayinyin |
Ulmaceae |
Leaves, stem barks |
Vernonia amygdalina |
Ewuro |
Asteraceae |
Leaves |
Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides |
Ata |
Rutaceae |
Root, stem bark |
Zea mays |
Igbado |
Poaceae |
Tassel |
Zingiber officinale |
Ata-ile |
Zingerberaceae |
Stem |
Table 2. Diseases cured by the
identified medicinal plant species in Ijesa land,
S/N |
Diseases |
Botanical Used |
1 |
Anemia |
T. occidentalis |
2 |
Boils |
B. alba, V. unguiculata |
3 |
Catarrh |
E. grandis, N. tabacum |
4 |
Cancer |
C. afer, E. convolvunoides, N. latifolia,
N. lotus, O. gratissimum, O. subscorpioidea, P. stratiotes,
S. longepeduculata, T. tetraptera |
5 |
Coated tongue |
A. coriaria, B. micrantha |
6 |
Cough |
B. Africana, T. orientalis |
7 |
Convulsion |
T. Africana |
8 |
Cholera |
C. papaya |
9 |
Diarrhea |
C. articulatus, M. charanta, O. gratissimum, V. amygdalina |
10 |
Dysentery |
M. charanta, O. gratissimum, V. amygdalina |
11 |
Fever, Malaria and Typhoid |
A. congensis, A. melegueta, B. vulgaris, C.
bonduc, D. gossweileri, G. arboretum, M. indica, O. gratissimum, P.
guajava, P. lunatus |
12 |
Generalized Oedema |
C. ambrosioides |
13 |
Hot flushes (internal heat) |
B. alba |
14 |
Measles |
B. vulgaris, C. convolvuloides,
C. lobatus, G. arboretum, O. gratissimum, Z. mays |
15 |
Pharyngitis (sore throat) |
Z. zanthoxyloides, P. guinensis |
16 |
Piles |
A. repens, C. prortoricensis, O.
basilicum, P. capensis,
Z. officinale |
17 |
Pneumonia |
A. sativum |
18 |
Septicaemia |
S. bicolor, T. occidentalis, V. amygdalina |
19 |
Skin diseases (Eczema, Scabies, Ringworm) |
D. gossweileri, G. arboretum, N. latifolia,
T. tetraptera |
20 |
Sexually Transmitted Diseases |
C. albidium, C. citrullus, C. tora, E.
sauvelens, H. madagascarensis, S. longepeduculata |
21 |
Upper/Lower Respiratory Track Infection |
E. grandis, N. tobacum |
22 |
Worm infection |
C. aurantifolia, T. tetraptera |
Table 3. Ecological attributes of the
medicinal plant species in Ijesa land,
Attributes |
Medicinal Plant
Species |
Cultivated species |
B. alba, C. articulatus, C. citrullus,
C. papaya, C. tora,
G. arboreum M. indica,
N. tobacum, P. guajava, P. guineensis, S.bicolor, V. amygdalina, Z. mays |
Species extracted predatorily |
A. coriaria, A. sativum,
A. congensis, A. ringens,
B. alba, B.micrantha, C. tora,
C, afer, C. articulatus,
D. gossweileri, E. convovuloides,
Z. zanthoxyloides, N. lotus, N. tobaculum, O. subscorpioidea,
S. longipedunculat, T. orientalis,
T. tetraptera, Z. officinale |
Species occurring abundantly in the study area |
A.sativum, B. alba, C. papaya, C. E.convolvuloides,
E. hirta, M. indica, N.
lotus, N. tobacum, O. basillicum,
O. gratissimum, O. subscorpioide,
P. guajava, P.guineensis,
P. stratiotes,P. muellerianus,
S. bicolor, Z. mays |
Species occurring as "frequent" in the study area |
A. coriaria, B.
vulgaris, B. micrantha, C. tora, G. arboretum, S. longipedunculata, V.
amygdalina, Z. officinale |
Identified 'rare' species in the study area |
A. melegueta, A.
congensis, A. ringens, C. lobatus, C. bonduc, C.ambrosiodes, C. albidum, C.
gabonensis, D. gossweileri, N. latifolia, P. capensis, P. lunatus, T.
ocidentalis, T. tetraptera, T. orientalis, Z. zanthoxyloides
|