Quantitative ethnobotany of Paliyar tribe in Sathuragiri hills, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu, India

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Sathuragiri hills in the Virudhunagar district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 139 species belonging to 124 genera under 52 families was recorded as medicinally useful; they were mainly used by the local people to treat various diseases. The families like Fabaceae (18 species), Euphorbiaceae (9 Species) and Apocynaceae (7 Species) contained many important medicinal plants. Some of the important illnesses treated by these species were dermatological ailments, gastrointestinal problems, joint pain, fever and poisonous bites. The data are quantified and important species are highlighted. Conservation of these medicinal plants and local knowledge is the need of the hour.