Traditional Medicine and Ethnomedicine World Conference 2026

Abstract

This ethnobotanical study documented the wild medicinal weeds (WMW) used by ethnic people as forest dwellers in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) India. These inhabitants of the PTR belong to Tharu and Van Gujjar communities. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out from April 2023 to Feb 2025, nearly covering about 2 years span. A questionnaire was prepared to enumerate the findings in a structured way. The respondents were selected among the experienced elderly local people, tribal herbalists, local vendors and forest field workers. The ethnobotanical information was gathered from the target respondents through one to one interviews or group discussions. The data was collected on parameters such as vernacular or local name(s), botanical name, family, life forms or habit, information on flowering or fruiting, the plant part used, mode of consumption, medicinal use, marketability. The voucher specimens of the wild medicinal weeds were collected and identified with the help of available literature.

In the present study 53 taxon belonging to 47 genera and 31 families of WMWs were enumerated. Herbs were most dominant followed by shrubs. The forest dwellers depend on the WMWs for their food, medicine, ceremonies, and as a source of income also.  Some interesting species of WMWs could be propagated for conservation and sustainable consumption.