Online ISSN: 2577-5669

Indigenous use of medicinal plants by the Pnar community in East Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya

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Fedalia Bamon*, Lalnundanga
ยป doi: 10.5455/jcmr.2022.13.04.11

Abstract

The Pnar, commonly known as Jaintia, is a sub-tribe of the Khasi community in Meghalaya. They are indigenous to the West and East Jaintia Hills Districts of Meghalaya. In this study, indigenous use of medicinal plants by the Pnar community has been reported. The field survey was conducted from December 2019 to July 2020 and data was obtained using open-ended semi-structured questionnaires and field observation with traditional healers and local inhabitants of the community. A total of 40 medicinal plants belonging to 24 families were collected and documented. These plant species are widely used by the local communities in ten villages of the East Jaintia Hills District for the treatment of different ailments. As observed from the results, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Zingiberaceae are the most prominent families among the identified species. Chromolaena odorata (L) R. M King & H.Rob is the most often cited medicinal plant with a Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) of 0.97 followed by Allium cepa L (0.93), and Zingiber officinale Rosc (0.90). Moreover, the report incorporates the mode of administration and dosage of these herbal medications.

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