Abstract:
Ethnobotanical study is used to document, describe and explain complex relationships
between human and plants, focusing primarily on how plants are used, managed and
often important for the discovery of crude drugs. Thus, an ethnobotanical study was
conducted in Godere district, Gambella region form September 2013 - June 2014 to
compile and document indigenous knowledge of local community on medicinal plants. A
total of 84 informants were selected randomly from four villages and out of these 20 key
informants were selected with the help of local administers, elders and other community
members. Semi-structured interview, group discussion and field observation were used
for ethnobotanical data collection. Descriptive statistics, informant consensus factor,
preference ranking, fidelity level index and direct matrix ranking were used for
ethnobotanical data analysis. In this study, 81 medicinal plant species were collected,
identified and documented. The plants were distributed among 47 families and 69 genera.
Asteraceae and Solanaceae were the highest families in terms of species composition.
Most of them were collected from wild and tree was the most habit of the medicinal
plants. Leaf was the most frequently utilized plants part. The most popular modes of
preparation and route of administration was squeezing and oral route, respectively. Heart
failure and liver disease category scored the highest informant consensus factor of 0.88.
Achyrospermum schimperi was the most favored over the other plant species cited in
treating diarrhea. Cordia africana was the multipurpose plant. Mostly Indigenous
knowledge on traditional medicinal plants was transferred from family to child orally.
Significant correlation was observed between the numbers of species reported and the age
of informants but insignificant with gender and educational status. Agricultural
expansion, timber production, need for fire wood and construction were the most
common factors for diminishing the number of the medicinal plants. Training and
supporting of the traditional healers increase their potential and educating the local
people about conservation help them to conserve the medicinal plants.
Key words: Ethnobotany, Indigenous knowledge, Medicinal plant, Godere, Gambella