Ethnomedicinal Treatment of Cough and Asthma in the Rural Area of Wardha District (M.S.)

The present study is based on the field investigation of various plants used by tribals of Wardha district for the treatment of cough and asthma. In the present study 55 Plant species belonging to 30 families of dicotyledons and monocotyledons are documented. The family Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae are dominant families with four species each followed by Family Acanthaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Liliaceae and Lamiaceae with three species each, family Asteraceae, Asclepiadaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Poaceae, Rutaceae, Solanaceae, Verbenaceae, and Zingiberaceae represented by two species each and family Brassicaceae, Cactaceae, Cyperaceae, Mimosaceae, Moringaceae, Moraceae, Musaceae, Oleaceae, Papaveraceae, Punicaceae, Pedaliaceae, Plantaginaceae, Rhamnaceae, and Sapotaceae represented by one species each. The analysis of plant parts used for treatment of cough and asthma reveals that leaves of 28 Plants are used followed by roots, seeds and fruits of 8 plants each, stem of 7 plants, entire plant and bark of 4 plants, flowers of 3 plants, gum and rhizome each with 1 plant are employed by tribals of Wardha district. Key words: Cough, asthma, families, ethnomedicinal, tribals.