Ethnobotany of the Konda Reddis

A detailed investigation on plants associated with the primitive tribal group Konda Reddis is taken up with the objectives of an extensive and intensive exploration. The study area lies between 17 - 30 to 18 N latitudes and 80 – 47 to 82 – 30 E longitudes with a total population of 27,124. The study has brought to light the ethnology as well as medicinal practices of Konda Reddis. 310 plant species included 245 genera and 78 families are exploited by them in curing different ailments and also for other purposes. The dominant families are Leguminosae (45 species), Poaceae (17), Euphorbiaceae (14), Asteraceae (12), Rutaceae (11), Asclepiadaceae and Malvaceae (10 each) etc. The treatment is of different types like magical, sacrifices, spiritual and with medicinal herbs. The indigenous knowledge of the Konda Reddis must be properly documented and preserved so that their knowledge could be passed on to the future generations. Such studies and documents provide important and vital clues for understanding the complex heritage of tribal communities and their association with environment and nature.