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Introduction Chhindwara District is situated on Satpura
plateau at 1550-3820 feet above the sea level. The District lies between 18
8'- 20 9' E. The arrangements of the plateau varies in altitude from
760-1030 mts. Kukrakhapa is situated at Chhindwara- Nagpur road about 32 km
away from Chhindwara. Gonds are the main inhabitants of the village. These
villagers still practice herbal medicines. The knowledge of these medicines
is age old. For them, use of herbs is the cheapest way for cure of various
health disorders. So far, there is no Government clinic in the village. A
review of literature reveals that much work has been done on ethnomedicinal
plants in India (Jain and Tarafdar, 1970; Sahu, 1982; Maheshwari et al.,
1986; Rai 1987, 89; Jain, 1991; Negi et al., 1993; Singh et al., 1997). But
still there are some tribal pockets which could be surveyed for the search
of new traditional medicines. We report the ethnomedicinal plants of village
Kukrakhapa for the first time. Methodology Periodical surveys were made for
search of new traditional herbal medicines in village Kukrakhapa. The help
of volunteers of Friends Nature club and ECO- CAMPUS was also taken for
conduction of interview and collection of medicinal plants used in different
diseases. The village chief was interviewed and the local uses of enigmatic
specimens were confirmed by more than two senior people having knowledge of
local herbs. The plants were identified and the voucher specimens were
deposited in Botany Department Danielson College, Chhindwara. Herbal
Medicines 1. Acorus calamus Linn. Local name: Bach Family: Araceae Use: The
rhizome is used to cure stammering of children. 2. Argemone mexicana Linn.
Local name: Pili Kateri Family: Papaveraceae Use: The root-powder is mixed
with sugar and taken orally with water when affected with skin diseases. 3.
Asparagus racemosus Willd. Local name: Naarbod Family: Liliaceae Use:
root-powder is used to increase vigour and strength. 4. Azadirachta indica
Juss. syn. Melia azadirachta L. Local name: Neem Family: Meliaceae Use:
Seeds are used in skin diseases, and in rheumatism. Bark is useful in
malarial fever. Dry fruits are used as tonic and stomachic. Tender twigs are
used as tooth-brush. 5. Berberis aristata Linn. DC. Local name: Daru Haridra
Family: Berberidaceae Use: used in inflammation. Root-bark extract is used
to heal the ulcer. 6. Butea frondosa Roxb. Local name: Palaas Family:
Papilionaceae Use: Seeds are used to cure ringworm. Petioles are chewed
during heat in urination. 7. Caesalpinia bonducella (L.) Roxb. Local name:
Gatran Family: Caesalpiniaceae Use: For the preparation of the powder for
digestion. 8. Calotropis procera R. Br. Local name: Madaar Family:
Asclepiadaceae Use: Used in boils, and also to remove the thorn from the
body. 9. Cassia tora Linn. Local name: Titi Family: Fabaceae Use: Powder of
the the dry seeds is used in Asthma. The powder is mixed with Gud (2-3-year
old) and about 7 small balls are prepared. One ball is taken every day with
water upto 7 days. 10. Cissampelos pariera L. Local name: Karu Pahad Family:
Menispermaceae Use: The root of the plant is used in snake bite. 11.
Citrullus aromatica Salisb. Local name: Kachariya Family: Cucurbitaceae Use:
The fruits are used in stomach troubles. 12. Costus speciosus (Koenig) Smith
Local name: Keokanda Family: Zingiberaceae Use: Used in skin and respiratory
diseases 13. Cocculus hirsutus Diels. Syn. C. Villosus. DC. Local name: Jal
Jamani Family: Menispermaceae Use: The leaves are useful to cure leucorrhea.
14. Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Local name: Amarbel Family: Convolvulaceae Use:
The extract of the plant is applied to get rid of dandruff. 15. Emblica
officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica L. Local name: Aonla Family:
Euphorbiaceae Use: To cure dandruff. 16. Mangifera indica Linn. Local name:
Aam Family: Anacardiaceae Use: The leaves are used in erruptions of the
tongue. 17. Moringa oleifera Lam. Local name: Sahjan Family: Moringaceae
Use: The juice of the leaves is used in the eye diseases. 18. Mucuna prurita
Hook. Syn. M. pruriens (L.) DC. Local name: Kimaach Family: Papilionaceae
Use: Seeds are used as aphrodisiac. 19. Ocimum sanctum Linn. Local name:
Tulsi Family: Labiateae Use: The leaves are used against skin diseases. 20.
Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Local name: Chitawar Family: Plumbaginaceae Use:
The seeds are powdered and applied on boils and carbuncles. 21. Pterocarpus
marsupium Roxb. Local name: Beeja Family: Fabaceae Use: The wood of the
plant is used in diabetes. 22. Ruta graveolens L. Local name: Shitab Family:
Rutaceae Use: The juice of leaves is used as carminative. 23. Semecarpus
anacardium Linn. Local name: Bhilwa Family: Anacardiaceae Use: The oil of
seeds is applied on the painful spot. 24. Solanum anguivi Lam. Local name:
Family: Solanaceae Use: Used in skin diseases. 25. Solanum melongena Linn.
var. incanum Local name: Jungli Baigan Family: Solanaceae Use: The
root-powder is used in stomach pain. 26. Syzygium cumini L. (Skeils.) syn.
Eugenia jambolana Lamk. Local name: Jamun Family: Myrtaceae Use: Seed-powder
is useful in diarrhoea, dysentry and diabetes. Bark is used for mouth
washes. 27. Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) W. & A. Syn. Terminalia glabra W. & A.
Local name: Arjun, Kahuaa Family: Combretaceae Use: The decoction of the
bark is used as tea in heart troubles. The bark gives strength to the heart.
Good stomachic. 28. Terminalia bellerica Roxb. Local name: Beheda Family:
Combritaceae Use: Epicarp of fruit mixed with Harra is useful in digestion.
Seeds mixed with Buchammia seeds are taken in eruption of mouth. 29.
Terminalia chebula Retz. Local name: Harra Family: Combritaceae Use: Used
for the preparation of digestive powder. 30. Thymus serphyllum Linn. Local
name: Jungli ajwayan Family: Labiateae Use: In skin diseases 31. Tinospora
cordifolia (Lour.) Miers. Local name: Gurvail Family: Menispermaceae Use:
Juice with sugar is good after malarial and typhoid fever. 32. Verbascum
thapsus Linn. Local name: Gidad Tambakhu Family: Scropularaceae Use: Skin
diseases. Results and discussion The survey provides an evidence that the
Gond tribe of Kukrakhapa uses about 32 plants in various ailments. The
tribal people depend totally on herbally medicines of the suburbs as there
is no clinic in the village. The plants are generally used as stomach
disorders, skin diseases, aphrodisiacs, fever, tonic, ulcer, asthma,
snake-bite, respiratory diseases, leucorrhoea, dandruff, eye-diseases and
diabetes. There is need of training on cultivation and conservation of
medicinal plants. Only plants growing in sandy soils and require less water
can be selected for cultivation since the local soil is sandy and there is
scarcity of water in the village. There is a greater need to develop a
garden of medicinal plants of the area. The tribal people can also be
encouraged to take up this job as an income generation activity.
Acknowledgement I am thankful to Dr S A Brown, Principal, Danielson College,
Chhindwara, M.P., India and Dr M K Rai, Head, Department of Biotechnology,
Amarawati University for their support and encouragement. Thanks are due to
all the members of ECO- CAMPUS and Friends Nature Club, Danielson College,
Chhindwara M.P. India. references Jain, S.K. (1991). Dictionary of Indian
Folkmedicine and Ethnobotany, 1-311. Jain, S.K. and Tarafdar, C.R. (1970).
Medicinal plant lore of Santals. A revival of P.O. Buddings' work. Econ. Bot.
19:236-250. Maheshwari, J.K., Singh, K.K. and Saha, S. (1986). Ethnobotany
of tribals of Mirzapur District, Uttar pradesh, Economic Botany Information
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