OBSERVATIONS ON THE MEDICINAL PLANT DIVERSITY OF MALAPPURAM DISTRICT OF KERALA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FOLK AND INDIAN SYSTEMS OF MEDICINES

Intensive field exploration and literature survey on the medicinal plants of Malappuram district resulted in the documentation of 869 taxa including 70 endemics used in folk and various Indian systems of medicines. Among the 869 taxa, 772 species belonging to 144 families are used in folk system. Ayurveda with 484 taxa belonging to 107 families and Siddha with 393 taxa in 103 families are other major systems. Among the 869 species, deciduous forests lodges 399 species followed by semi-evergreen forest with 207 species and evergreen forest with 169 species. 499 species includes exotics were recorded from non-forest areas. Leaves of 300 species and root of 251 and whole plant of 217 species are used in various systems. Useful parts with respect to number of taxa are fruits of 179, bark of 176, seeds of 118, Rhizome/tubers of 65, flowers of 63, stem of 31, exudates of 31 and wood of 21 species respectively. A total of 168 commercially high demanding species and 49 medicinal plants under various threat categories were also recorded.