Medicinal plants viz a viz indigenous knowledge among the tribals of Pachamalai Hills

209-215An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Pachamalai Hills to document Indigenous Knowledge (IK) Management at Pachamalai, rich in both cultural and biodiversity rich area. The tribal women and men of this hill are well known for their knowledge of the medicinal properties of the endemic flora. They have been using specific medicinal plants to cure specific ailments over centuries. The knowledge of the tribal people associated with the treatment of various animal diseases, crop pest management and human cure using medicinal plants is fast disappearing due to urbanization and modernization and tendency to gradual migration to the mainstream. There is an urgent need to study and document the existing knowledge for posterity. This paper presents information on indigenous knowledge associated with the use of plant species to cure animal, human and crop pest and disease management practice followed by Malayali tribals