More than 2000 species of vascular plants play a vital role directly or indirectly in the economy and subsistence of about 42 lakhs population of tribals of the State of Rajasthan. In this book 610 species have been dealt with which are used by the tribals for food, fodder, timber, fire-wood, tannin, dye, oil, fibre, medicine, alcohol, gum and resin etc. Besides the plants which find place in totems and taboos, the plants used in magico-religious beliefs, magico-medicines, rites and rituals and several ceremonies and household uses related to the life of tribals from birth to death have also been discussed under the species arranged alphabetically. The correct botanical name of each species is followed by the prevalent local names, short diagnostic characters, habitat and distribution in the state and flowering and fruiting period before dealing with the above mentioned uses. The plants which find place in folk songs, proverbs, musical instruments and considered auspicious or inauspicious or landmark for routes etc have been discussed under separate heads in the end of the book. The untroductory chapters include detailed information about land and environment of the state, the tribal populations their culture and customs, previous ethnobotanical works and methodology of present study. Besides 67 figures of individual plants, 56 coloured photographs reflecting landscape, vegetation types, individual plants, culture and customs of tribals and plant-based household and agricultural implements have been included.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR R P Pandey
Dr. R.P. Pandey is a lecturer in the School of Studies Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology, Jiwaji University Gwalior (M.P.). He bagged his M.A. from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and Ph.D. from the Deccan College Research Institute Pune, a well known center for archaeology. Dr. Pandey is deeply involve in the Prehistoric research for the last ten years or so in the Mahanadi, the Narmada, the Godavari, river valleys as a Junior Research Fellow and Research Associate of the University Grants Commission. Apart from being a teacher, he has keen interest in field archaeological research and has participated in several excavations of different cultural periods covering right from the Prehistoric to the Historical periods. He has also published several papers in various journals of national and international repute, on Prehistory, Quaternary Geology, Palaeontology, Geomorphology and Statistics.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR V Singh
V. Singh, born on 15th August, 1947 obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Botany from the University of Meerut (U.P.) during the year 1967 and 1974 respectively, with specialization in Taxonomy. He is devoted to the study of Indian biodiversity right from the date of completion of post graduation and in thirty nine years of his research career he has published books like : 3-volumed Flora of Rajasthan, Flora of Banswara district, Ethnobotany of Rajasthan, Asteraceae of Sikkim, Ethnobotany and Medicinal Plants of India and Nepal (ed.) Indian Folk medicines and other products (ed.) which have got worldwide recognition. He is also recognized for the monographs on Indian Zygophyllaceae, Lamiaceae (the genus Leucas R.Br.), Caesalpiniaceae (subtribe Cassiinae) and Ebenaceae (the genus Diospyros L.). He has worked on different aspects of Indian flora viz. taxonomy, ecology, phytosociology, ethnobotany, medicinal botany, conservation etc. and has about 100 research papers in his credit. His recent contribution on the Biodiversity of Desert National Park hasfound wide recognition in the field of conservation and management of protected areas.
There are no reviews yet.