Rural population and the tribal communities residing in the hilly areas utilize the natural plant wealth to cure number of ailments in their traditional health care system since ancient times. However, the natural forest cover is getting depleted continuously due to various developmental programmes resulting into the depletion of natural plant wealth including the medicinal plants. Countryside population, especially the tribal communities, overcome. these circumstances by establishing small kitchen gardens near their place of residence. These kitchen gardens embody number of medicinal plants brought from the surrounding forests and grown for ready utilization. The whole plant or different plants parts have been used to cure number of ailments. The present communication documents 256 medicinal plant species from forest resources as well as kitchen gardens or courtyards of tribal pockets in western Maharashtra.
Germplasm, medicinal planes, Mahadeokoli tribe, ethnobotany
