Documentation of medicinal plants in niramkaithakotta hills, kerala

Abstract

The present study has been carried out in Niramkaitha kotta Hills, Vallikkunnu, Malappuram District, Kerala, India to document the current floristic composition, conservation status of the study area and medicinal properties of plants .An extensive and intensive floristic survey were undertaken during December 2020 - Feb 2021 in Niramkaitha kotta hills. The area was surveyed at every visit and periodical collection of plants made from each locality. Taxonomically a total number of 91 medicinal plant species of Angiosperms distributed belonging to 45 families and 4 species of pteridophytes has been recorded from the study area of Niramkaitha kotta Hills and listed in the. Out of this 91 species 87 families belongs to Dicotyledons and 4families belongs to Monocotyledons and four species were Pteridophytes. In the life form category of the enumerated plants the majority of the species were herbs (46 species) followed by shrubs (26 species), climber (9 species) and tree (10species). Tridax procumbens L. was the most abundant species when compared to other species in the study area. In the present study out of 91 species recorded two species namely Gloriosa superba L. and Pterocarpus santalina L. f are endangered, 24 species are least concern.