Folk medicinal plants of the Nagas in India

Nagaland is a transborder state in India. It borders Myanmar and is inhabited by fourteen indigenous tribes, collectively known as the "Nagas". The aboriginal Naga tribes have a rich knowledge, based on their natural resources, of indigenous folk medicine. After centuries of trial, often at the risk of the loss of human life, they have learned to utilize local plants to cure different ailments. Their beliefs and folk practices are based on past experience with various diseases and their cures. Presented here is an account of 109 plant species that have medicinal uses among the tribes. As none of these have been recorded earlier, the local and scientific names as well as the uses of the plants are provided.