~ 24 ~ Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2016; 4(2): 24-47 ISSN 2320-3862 JMPS 2016; 4(2): 24-47 © 2016 JMPS Received: 18-01-2016 Accepted: 20-02-2016 Zewdie Kassa Mizan-Tepi University, Natural Sciences College, Department of Biology P.O. Box: 260 Tepi, Ethiopia Zemede Asfaw (Prof) Addis Ababa University, Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, the National Herbarium, P.O. Box: 3434 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sebsebe Demissew (Prof) Addis Ababa University, Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, The National Herbarium, P.O. Box: 3434 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Correspondence Zewdie Kassa Mizan-Tepi University, Natural Sciences College, Department of Biology P.O. Box: 260 Tepi, Ethiopia Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the local people in Tulu Korma and its Surrounding Areas of Ejere District, Western Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia Zewdie Kassa, Zemede Asfaw, Sebsebe Demissew Abstract Background: An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was conducted between October 2013 and September 2014 in Tulu Korma and its surrounding areas of Ejere District, West Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to document medicinal plant species of the area and associated ethnobotanical knowledge. Methods: Common ethnobotanical methodologies and techniques were applied. About 156 informants were interviewed. The informants were selected from five visually established sites for sampling. Results: About 138 medicinal plant species belonging to 107 genera and 56 families were recorded. About 76(55.07%) of the medicinal plants were used to treat human aliments, 9(6.52%) animal aliments and 53(38.44%) for both. Conclusion: The study area is very rich in medicinal plant species and indigenous traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. There are also potential threats that need priority for conservation. Potentially significant plant species need screening, verifying and approval for setting conservation priorities. Keywords: Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, Tulu Korma, Ejere, Indigenous species 1. Introduction Background Ethno botany is the scientific study of the relationships between plants and people [28, 6] . It was stated that Ethno botany appears to be a promising discipline that can play a key role as a mediator of dialogue between different academic disciplines and traditional knowledge, a union essential to enable contextualized and sustainable alternatives to explosive practices and biodiversity management [1] . Hence, ethnobotanical studies play significant roles in contributing techniques of community based resource management and conservation. This is because the science of ethnobotany is an endeavor which attracts people from various academic disciplines. Ethnobotanists and local people face the challenging task of not only recording knowledge of the plant world but also applying the results of their studies tobiodiversity conservation, community development and primary healthcare services involving medicinal plants. Ethno botany It was noted that much of the controversy surrounding the definition of ethnobotany has begun from differences in the interests of workers involved in its study [6] . A good justification is that for several years, ethnobotany has included students from several disciplines. It is from this multidisciplinary approach involving various fields of botany, chemistry, pharmacology and anthropology that ethno-scientists can derive information for different applications. Moreover, it was believed that the changing attitudes towards traditional peoples are the key reasons for the growing interests in ethnobotany. Hence, ethnobotany attained potential applications since the early ethnobotanical studies in aboriginal plant use. The scope of ethnobotany currently has expanded enormously, encompassing the botanical aspects of a number of ethno-scientific studies including ethnomedicine. The practical applications of ethnobotanical data in areas such as biodiversity prospecting and conservation biology are also seen as within the current scope of the subject [4, 6] . It is worth noting the concept of [27] who depicted ethnobotany as the renaissance of traditional herbal medicine when one envisages it from the medicinal plants point of view.