Vol. 12, Issue 1 (2023)

Author(s):
NK Rathore, VK Yadav and SP Mehra

Abstract:
The world is trying to overcome the impact of pandemics, and expected continuous increase in the intensity with the pace of the time. The synthetic medicines also had the side-effects on the physiology of the humans. In this context it was deemed necessary for the ecologists to carry out research and explore the natural remedies through floral world. The present ethnobotanical investigation was carried out in the south-eastern parts of Rajasthan. The investigation sites fell in the districts of Baran (one site) and Jhalawar (three sites) of the Hadoti Region. Four sites, viz., Rata Devi (I), Bagher Area (II), Jhirniya (III), Shahbad (IV), were undertaken as key sites along with other associated green spaces. The distributional patterns of dominant species and the Importance Value Index (IVI) were assessed for all the four sites. Two types of distribution patterns were observed, sites I, III and IV followed lognormal pattern whereas site II followed broken stic pattern. Site II was the most disturbed site. The maximum species diversity 2.62 was observed in the Rata Devi (Site I) and minimum species diversity 2.02 was observed in the Jhirniya (Site III). It could be concluded that low difference in species diversity (2.62 to 2.02) denoted the similarity in the habitat types of all the four key sites, i.e., tropical dry deciduous forest. The key floral species of medicinal values included Anogeissus pendula, Anogeissus latifolia, Diospyros melanoxylon, Madhuca indica, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Lannea coromandelica, Tamarindus indica, Flacourtia indica, Cassia fistula, Butea monosperma, Aegle marmelos, Bombax ceiba, Terminalia tomentosa, Terminalia bellirica, Mitragyna parvifolia, Buchanania lanzan, Acacia catechu, Sterculia urens, Miliusa tomentosa, Nyctanthes arbortristis, Helicteres isora, Carissa carandas, etc.