BULL. BOT. SURV. INDIA Vol. 47, NOS. 1-4 : pp. 121-130, 2005 SOME UNREPORTED MEDICINAL USES OF PLANTS FROM THE TRIBAL AREA OF SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN S.S. &?~~ZWA, *h~ Jm, B. L. ~UDHARY AND hWEN GAW Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Agrostology, Department of Botany College of Science, M. L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur-313001 ABSTRACT Hitherto unreported folk medicinal uses of 41 species of plants belonging to 29 families used by the tribals of Southern Rajasthan have been dealt in this paper. Some plants with important ethnomedicinal new uses are Aegle marmelos, Leucas aspera and Pongamia pinnata in mipine; Acacia leucophloea as contraceptive; Borassus jkbelifec Gmia orientalis and Ziziphus xylopyra in developing complete sterility in female while Cocculus villosus in male; Citrus medica in kidney stone; Crinum asiaticum in breast cancer; Cryptolepis buchanani in piles; Gardenia turgida and Luffa acutangula as antidote in animal bite; lchmcarpus fnrtescens in swollen gums; hnnea ~oromandelica in earache; Nyctanthes arbor- tn'stis in obesity; Euphorbia acadis, Grewia dumine, Xeromphis spinosa in skin diseases and Clitoris ternatea in colic. The plant part used and mode of administration in also given. The of herbal healing has very deep root in Indian culture and folklore. Even today in most of the nd areas, people are depending on local traditional healing system for their primary health care. The tribds of remote areas of Southern Rajasthan are totally dependent on herbs for their health care as it is difficult for them to get modem medical facilities for their day-to-day health problems since the government dispensaries are far away from their abodies. Rajasthan is the largest State of the India located in the North Western part of India. Geographically it lies between 23" 3' to 30" 12' longitude and 69" 30' to 78" 17' latitude. The tribal dominated Southern part of Rajasthan harbour vast diversity of vegetation. It includes subtropical evergreen forest of Boswellia serrata, Diospyros melanoxylon, Dendrocalamus strictus, Bombax ceiba, Madhuca indica, Tectona grandis, Anogeissus latvolia and Balanites aegyptiaca. These forests are inhabited by the major tribes of the State viz. Bhil, Meena, Garasia, Damor and K a t h d a . The surrounding plants for these people form an integral part of their culture and the information about plants get passed on from generation to generation only though oral folklore although many times kept secret. Date of receipt : 10.12.2003. Date of acceptance : 19.04.2005.