Ethno-Medico-Botany of Chakmas in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh is one of the largest reservoirs of plant biodiversity in the North-East India. A large number of medicinal plants, rare and endemic taxa occur here in the wild. The Chakma community inhabiting the North-western periphery of the park has been utilizing a large number of medicinal plants from the park area for their day-to-day life. This paper documents the medicinal use of 63 plant species belonging to 38 families in different ailments by the Chakma community in Arunachal Pradesh. It is suggested that the traditional ecological knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization needs further exploration and warrants recognition of an incentive based community conservation of medicinal plants.