DIMAPUR — The department of Botany, in collaboration with the Institute’s Innovation Council (IIC) at St. Joseph University (SJU) in Chümoukedima, organised a one-day special lecture on the ‘Role of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacological effects in native plants of Nagaland’ on August 21.
The event saw participation from botany students, faculty from various departments, and online attendees. The programme featured two sessions—offline and online—according to an update.
Speaking on the occasion, Nikhil Krishna, research assistant at the Regional Ayurveda Research Centre (RARC) in Dimapur, provided an overview of the history of medicinal plants and Ayurveda during the offline session.
He emphasised the various branches of ethnobotany and highlighted the role of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) in ethnobotanical research. He encouraged students to share information about their villages and local healers, which would allow the team to reach out and document ethnomedicinal plants.
He also discussed several native plants used for treating ailments and concluded by showcasing RARC's contributions to ethnobotany, including ongoing projects, plant species collections, folk claims, and publications.
Dr. S Anbazhakan, associate professor at H H Rajah’s College, Tamil Nadu, delivered an overview of ethnobotany during the online session. He introduced key ethnobotanists and described ethnobotany as a multidisciplinary science that explores the relationship between people and plants.
He also focused on tribal communities in India, particularly in north-eastern India, discussing their occupations, diets, festivals, and the preservation of their botanical knowledge. He detailed the methodologies for conducting ethnobotanical studies, including fieldwork, herbarium preparation, and quantitative analysis.
He provided examples of plants used by Indian tribes and ethnoveterinary practices in Nagaland, emphasising the importance of ethnobotany and referencing key journals, books, and societies in the field.