An ethnobotanical study of important medicinal plants in Hisar District of Haryana, India

Abstract

India is one of the world's largest mega-biodiversity hotspots, with a wide range of ethno-medicinal vegetation, which are being used in treatment of minor to major health problems by local people. In the present ethnobotanical study, in the district of Hisar, Haryana, data were recorded in the form of botanical names, local names, families, and plant parts used with their medicinal characteristics of 41 medicinally important indigenous plant species belonging to 27 families. For it, nine villages were selected randomly of district Hisar and documentation of ethno-medicinal plant species was done through direct and indirect approach. In direct approach; Ayurvedic Doctors, Vaidyas, Hakims, Herbal Healers, Ojhas and related Ethnic Groups of the selected rural areas of the region were interviewed to get reliable knowledge regarding medicinal uses of indigenous plants. Ethno-medicinal information were correlated with available ancient literature and published research articles. The majority of medicinal plants, according to reports, belong to Cucurbitaceae, Liliaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Solanaceae and Lamiaceae families. Leaves in most of the plants have got the maximum ethno-medicinal values. Information generally transmits from one generation to next generation in oral manner in rural ethnic groups and several valuable information are lost without proper documentation.