Ethnomedicinal value of traditional food plants used by the <i>Zeliang</i> tribe of Nagaland

Abstract

The <i>Naga</i> tribes of Nagaland have a unique tradition of selection and utilization of plant resources. Many food plants both from cultivation and wild are being used as ethnomedicinal plants by the herbal healer in <i>Naga</i> society. The <i>Zeliang</i> is one of the dominant tribe of Nagaland with rich indigenous knowledge systems and have minimum impact of present day modernization. The tribe has aged old unique food habits for their nutritional support and health cares. The present paper highlights the ethnomedicinal uses of 35 food plants belonging to 26 families used by the <i>Zeliang</i> tribe of Nagaland. These food plants include mostly the species used for vegetables, condiments and fruits.