Cross-Cultural Ethno-medico-botany of the Kanikkars in Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu with Various Tribal communities in Other States of India

Abstract

This paper reports an ethno-medicinal survey that focused on the traditional medicinal plants used by the Kanikkars living in 26 villages of Petchiparai Panchayat (forest area) in Kalkulam Taluk of Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India which allows for interesting cross-cultural ethnobotanical studies. The ethno-medicinal data were collected using semi-structured interviews and group discussions in which 252 (146 men and 106 women) informants in the age group between 20 and 60 participated. A total of 215 medicinal plant species distributed in 179 genera and 75 families were collected together with their medicinal uses. The ethno-medicinal uses disclosed by the Kanikkars were compared with the earlier studies on 5 tribal communities, namely the Bhillas in Maharastra, the Korkus in Madhya Pradesh, the Kuknas in Gujrat, the Madiyas in chattisgarh and the Meenas in Rajasthan.