Abstract
Aim: Medicinal plants are widely used as alternative treatment methods for the curing of a wide range of diseases. The current study focuses on the usage of various medicinal plants by the Mising tribe in Gohpur sub-division of Biswanath district, Assam.
Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted from April 2021 to August 2021, and data was collected from 25 villages, which are predominantly inhabited by the mising population. A total of 47 informants were interviewed in a face-to-face manner with the help of a readymade questionnaire.
Results: A total of 113 medicinal plant species were documented from the study area. which are divided into 102 genera and 56 families. Malvaceae and Poaceae has the most medicinal plants (6 species each), followed by Asteraceae with 5 species, Lamiaceae; Solanaceae; Moraceae; Euphorbiaceae and Zingiberaceae with 4 species each, Fabaceae; Liliaceae; Aracaceae; Apocynaceae; Piperaceae; Combretaceae; Cucurbitaceae; Lauraceae and Caesalpiniaceae with 3 species each. The remaining 10 families have 2 species each, and the remaining 29 families have 1 species each. Most of the reported species were herbs (52%), followed by trees (21%), shrubs (14%), and climbers (10%). Juice preparation (40.70%) and leaves (44%) were the most common methods of preparation of drugs and the most commonly used parts of medicinal plants, respectively.
Conclusion: A diverse range of medicinal plants were found in the study area and these plants play a key role in mising people's healthcare system. Some medicinal plants are declining rapidly due to various developmental activities and other environmental effects.