J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 Aug; 76(3): 293-7.

Ethnomedicinal and obnoxious grasses of Rajasthan, India.

Katewa SS, Guria BD, Jain A.

Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Agrostology, Department of Botany, College of Science, M.L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur-313 001, Rajasthan, India.

The present communication is an account of 24 ethnomedicinal and 10 obnoxious grasses of Rajasthan. The ethnomedicinal grasses are used by forest dwellers for various ailments in their daily life. In spite of the fact that certain grasses are of high medicinal value, some grasses are also alleged to be obnoxious. These obnoxious grasses hamper the economic balance of tribal as well as rural communities. The necessity to popularise the identity and utility of grasses and the need to build up a database on local knowledge/information held by tribes is stressed. Local name, Botanical name, plant parts used, causing injuries and methods of application or administration are given.