Plants used for non-medicinal purposes by the tribal people in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Southern India

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the Kani tribals in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Southern Western Ghats. The study mainly focused on the wild plants used by the Kani tribals in the reserve for various non-medicinal purposes (mat, net and rope making, construction, hedge, religious, decorative, to ward off evil spirits, fish poison and leech repellents) through structured questionnaires and consultations with very old and knowledgeable tribals. Of the collected plants, a total of 30 plant species were identified as economically important plants and a good number of plants are used for religious purposes. The investigation underlines the potential of ethnobotanical research and needs to document the traditional knowledge pertaining to the use of plants for greater benefit of mankind.