Fitoterapia. 2002 Jul; 73(4): 281-7.

Ethnomedical knowledge of plants used by Kunabi Tribe of Karnataka in India.

Harsha VH, Hebbar SS, Hegde GR, Shripathi V.

P.G. Department of Botany, Karnataka University, Dharwad-580 003, Karnataka, India.

Therapeutic effects and medicinal efficacy of the wild herbs were identified and administered by the tribal people to cure various ailments. Recently, the practice of herbal medicine has been diminishing, which may lead to the loss of valuable information about healing herbs. The Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka in India is one of the rich biodiversity centers of Western Ghats. Many tribes like Gowlis, Siddis, Halakki Okkaligas and Kunabis inhabit the semi-evergreen forests of the District. The mixed marathi speaking Kunabis have migrated from Goa and settled here a long time back and are even today without modern facilities. Thus, in the way of revitalization of traditional herbal medicines, it is an effort to record the valuable ethnomedical knowledge of the tribe Kunabis of Uttara Kannada District in Karnataka. A total of 45 species of plants used by Kunabi community people are described here based on an ethnomedical field survey. These plants belong to 26 families and are used to treat a wide range of discomforts like fever, cough, skin diseases, rheumatism, snakebite, jaundice, dysentery, etc.