Use and Conservation of Traditional Medicinal Plants by Indigenous People in Gimbi Woreda, Western Wellega, Ethiopia
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Date
2007-03
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to document and analyze information on the use, conservation and threat of
medicinal plants in Gimbi Woreda, west Wellega Zone. Data collection was accomplished through
active participation of healers and knowledgeable elders who practice traditional medicine locally.
Various ethnobotanical techniques were used to collect the data: semi-structured interview, field
observation, group discussion, market survey, preference ranking and paired comparison, use diversity
matrix and priority ranking. A total of 211 plant species (168 from the wild, 52 from home gardens,
and 9 species occurring in both the wild and home gardens) distributed in 181 genera and 96 families
were collected from the study area and identified. From these, 187 plant species were found in all 24
quadrats (12 for wild vegetations and 12 for home gardens) while 33 were out side the quadrats.
Of the 211 species, a total of 85 medicinal plants were reported as being used for the treatment of 68
different ailments (49 for humans and 19 for livestock) in the study area. The majority of the medicinal
plants, 62 (72.94%) were collected from the wild and 23 (27.06%) from home gardens. The major life
forms of the medicinal plants were shrubs followed by herbs with a proportion of 40% and 27.1%,
respectively. The highest informant consensus was documented to the plants Plantago lanceolata and
Warburgia ugandensis each scoring, 78%. The most frequently harvested plant parts were leaves and
roots with a proportion of 48.2% and 28.2%, respectively, followed by stems, 8.74% and bark, 7.5%.
Most of the remedies were prepared from single plants with highest proportion of crushing, pounding
and mixing in water, 27.13%. The widely used method of application was found to be internal scoring
61.94% in which oral application is the main route of administration, 85.55%. In the Woreda the trend
of medicinal plant trade is low and the sources for the majority of the marketed medicinal plants were
from other Zones (Jima, Hararge) and Regional States (Benishangul, Addis Ababa and Amhara). Some
cultural believes and traditional practices associated with traditional medicines were found to
contribute much to the conservation of medicinal plants in the area.
Key words / phrase: - Medicinal plants, local people, ethnobotany, infusion, concoction,
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Keywords
Medicinal plants, local people, ethnobotany, infusion, concoction, Gimbi