Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in selale mountain ridges, North Shoa, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia the majority of rural populations traditionally use many plants as sources of medicine for different human and livestock aliments Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is however fragile and easily forgettable as most of indigenous knowledge transfer in Ethiopia is based on oral transmission This study was therefore designed to assess medicinal plants used as traditional medicine by local communities in Selale mountain ridge North Shoa Ethiopia One hundred informants were selected from kebeles in two districts of North Shoa by using snow ball sampling method Semi structured interview questions and guided field work were used for ethnobotanical data collection nbsp Totally medicinal plants belonging to families were recorded The most frequently used plant part for remedial preparation was leaves followed by root The highest informant consensus factor ICF was associated with gastro intestinal disorders and parasitic infections followed by dermatological problems The fidelity level FL of Rhamnus prinoides and Verbena officialis were calculated for tonsillitis while the FL of Hagenia abyssinica and Datura stramonium were also found for abdominal and dermal diseases respectively This study generally recognizes a rich heritage of indigenous medicinal plant use and knowledge in the study area Efforts are needed to enhance in situ and ex situ conservation of these valuable medicinal plants in the area