LAUSR

Abstract Aim of the study The present study aimed to identify plants used by tribal people in the Pachamalai hills located in Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu, India and to document the local names, medicinal uses, methods of preparation and other applications of the collected plants. This is the first report from this area from an ethnobotanical perspective in which statistical calculation is carried out by cultural index (CI) for the reported plants. Materials and methods Data was collected using a questionnaire through interviews with Malayali ethnic people in the study area. The data collected was analyzed through use reports (UR) informant consensus factor (Fic) and relative frequency citation (RFC). Plant samples were collected identified and then processed as voucher specimens following standard ethnobotanical practice. Results A total of 103 plant species were recorded, divided into 92 genera and 57 families. These plants were mainly used as leaves (41 %), fruit (12 %), seed (11 %), root (7%), stem (7 %), bark (7 %), rhizome (4 %), flower (4 %), whole plant (3 %), latex, shoot, bulb and tuber (each 1%). Most of the 16 ailment categories recorded a high level of informant agreement (mean Fic = 0.78) and besides being used as medicinal plants, they also had other uses such as food and fuel (wood for fire). Conclusion The semi-arid climate of Pachamalai hills has rich vegetation with many medicinal and economically important plants available in the area. The most commonly cited plants Nigella sativa, Cinnamomum verum and Santalum album need further phytochemical and associated pharmacological studies to establish their clinical efficacy.