Indigenous knowledge on use of medicinal plants by indigenous people of Lemo District, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Traditional medicine is used throughout the world as it is dependent on locally available plants, which are easily accessible, simple to use and affordable. These medical systems are heavily dependent on various plant species and plant based products. Hence, the aim of this study is to documented different types of traditional medicinal plants used by the indigenous peoples in Lemo Woreda, Hadiya Zone southern Ethiopia. Sixty healers were used to collect data on use of medicinal plants using semi-structured questionnaires, group discussion, and field observation. The study was focused on identifying medicinal plants, disease treated, part of the plant used, methods of preparation, route of administration, ingredients added and preference ranking. In the current study, it was reported that 54 plant species belonging to 38 genera and 29 families were commonly used to treat various human and livestock ailments. Out of these 23 were cultivated where as 20 of them were wild and 11were wild and cultivated plants. The most dominant plant part was leaf 22 (40.74%) followed by barks 7 (12.96%). The most common method of preparation is crushing about 27(43.55%) and the route of administration was oral administration about 39 (72.22%). The principal threatening factors reported were removal of medicinal plants for different purposes (e.g. firewood and charcoal production, building and construction, fencing materials, etc.), overgrazing/over browsing, human settlement, agricultural expansion, over harvesting and burning forests. Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of traditional medicinal plants in the area.