Abstract

ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS AT VENGILI, AMBUR TALUK, VELLORE DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA.

M. Poongani* and S. Karpagam

ABSTRACT

Survey and documentation of medicinal plants has been carried out in the Gooliamman hill, Vengili, Ambur taluk, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. The hill is an outcrop of Javadhu hill along the range of Eastern Ghats belongs to Sanakuppam Reserve forest with a length of boundary of approx. 52.8 miles and surface area of approx. 13, 843.2 acres landscape. It is enriched with dry evergreen type of forest, so the plants look green in all the seasons. The collective number of plants observed during the field study at different seasons constitutes 118 genus, 125 species which are distributed among 54 families. Along with angiospermic plants Polytrichum (bryophyte), Adiantum, Actinopteris (Pteridophytes), fructicose lichens were also noticed. Ficus sp. (Kalallam), Curcuma speudomontana, Abrus precatorious Emblica officinalis (Kattu neli) and Commelina paleata are some rare species of plants found in the hill.

Keywords: Gooliamman Hill, Sanakuppam Reserve forest, Javadhu hill, Dry evergreen vegetation.