FLORISTIC AND MEDICINAL PLANT SURVEY AT KARAIVETTI BIRD SANCTUARY, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Spatula DD. 2015; 5(1): 27-34 doi: 10.5455/spatula.20150629015132 Floristic and medicinal plant survey at Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, India Rajkumar Pradeepkumar, Natarajan Sisubalan, Mohamed Hussain Ghouse Basha, Ismailkhan Anwardeen. Abstract Aim: The present study was conducted to explore the flora and the medicinal plants in the Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary located in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The local medicinal practitioners in and around the area of bird sanctuary have the ability to identify the medicinal uses of plants. Methods: The field work was conducted in the Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and documented the floral diversity and their medicinal uses. Results: The investigation revealed that there are about 160 plant species affiliated to 49 families including Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons. Among 160 plants 48 medicinal plants are routinely used by the local people for various ailments. Conclusion: The study concluded that the Bird sanctuary has much number of medicinal plants ritually used by local peoples in their medicinal system. This type of documentation may help the pharmacological researchers in future. Key words: Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary, Medicinal plants, Ariyalur, Survey, India