FLORISTIC SURVEY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS ALONG THE COASTAL REGIONS OF KANNIYAKUMARI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA.

Abstract

The coastal plant species of Kanniyakumari district bears high medicinal and ecological values. Now,due to the indiscriminate development of coastal tourism infrastructure and unscientific coastal protection are posing a serious threat to the biodiversity in the coastal areas. Present Study was conducted in the coastal Villages of Kanniyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India to document the Medicinal plant wealth. Taxonomically, a total of 95 plant species belonging to 81 genera and 43 families were recorded. Of these 45 (47%) were herbs, 23 (24%) were shrubs, 16 (17%) were trees and 11 (12%) were climbers/creepers. The plant parts used for the preparation of medicine, whole plants were found to be most frequently used for the preparation of remedies. The mode of preparations is paste, juice, decoction and powder. The medicinal plants of the study area have been used to treat 53 illnesses. The 76 various ailments against which ethnomedicinal treatments have been recorded in the study area can be grouped into 12 major categories of symptomatically and organ-system related diseases/problems.