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7/25/2019 Ethnobotanical Important Plants Among Th
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ETHNOBOTANICAL PRACTICES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF OKA-
AKOKO, NIGERIA
O. O. Obata* and E. I. Aigbokhan1
College of Life Sciences, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom.1Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin, P.M.B. 1154, Benin City, Nigeria.
Abstract
The use of plants by indigenous peoples all over the world has been underreported and this prevents the scientific community
from benefiting from traditional knowledge which has taken centuries to develop in the form we know them today. This paper
reports on the knowledge and useful application of various plant species by the people of Oka Akoko, in Ondo State, Nigeria.
A survey obtained from random interviews and consultations from local herbalist and others knowledgeable on the general
use of plants in the area revealed a total of 85 plant species belonging to 43 families. Members of Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae,and Moraceae were the most represented plants with (5), (5) and (4) species respectively. The plants were utilized for diverse
uses including; medicine, talisman, security, goodwill and romance and other miscellaneous uses in religious and cultural
ceremonies. This inventory of ethnobotanical plants of Oka Akoko, is hoped would extend the knowledge base of the
economic importance and medical potentials of some of plants reported here.
Key words :Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, Oka Akoko, Ondo state.
Plant ArchivesVol. 12 No. 2, 2012 pp. 627-638 ISSN 0972-5210
Introduction
Background
Since orthodox medicine diverged from herbalism in
the early 15thcentury as a prelude to modern civilizationand technological advancement, a sizeable proportion up
to 75% to 90% of the rural population worldwide still
continues to rely on herbal medicine as an alternative or
only health care of choice (Levetin and McMahon, 1999).
According to Alves and Rosa (2005), 80% of the world
general population relies on traditional medicine as their
source of primary healthcare.
In traditional herbal medicine, plants and their extracts
play an important role in the treatment of various illnesses.
Many of the wild plants also have multiple uses: for
example providing nutrients, adding to dietary variety,feeding livestock or providing medication for human and
livestock (Ogle et al., 2003). According to Olapade
(2002), there is no doubt in the fact that plants are very
effective in the treatment of diseases.
Traditional medicine as defined by the World Health
Organization is the total combination of knowledge and
practices, whether explicable or not used in diagnosing,
preventing or eliminating physical, mental and social
causes of social causes of diseases and disabilities
(Adodo, 2005). In Nigeria, herbal healing is still widely
practiced in rural as well as urban areas due to shortages
of drugs and insufficient means to visit established medical
centers (Adodo, 2005). Herbalism remains a common
occupation in most suburban parts of Nigeria and the
rest of Africa till date (Idu et al., 2007) just as it is still
popular in China, India (Adodo, 2003). According to
Marco et al. (2003) and Lewis (2003), research on
medicinal and other useful plants used in indigenous society
has been driven by two complementary interests: the use
of such information for research in the field of natural
sciences, especially with regards to new bioactive
natural products derived from plants and the use of plant
extracts in primary health care.Oka Akoko is located in Ondo State, Nigeria and
populated by predominantly people of the Yorubas
extraction. From anecdotal evidences, the Oka Akoko
people believe that all diseases have natural cures and as
such use plants for medicine, which may sometimes be
accompanied by rituals and sacrifices.
The practitioners of herbal medicine in Oka Akoko
that were interviewed included full-time herbalists*Author for correspondence:[email protected]
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628 O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan
popularly called Babalawo most of who are revered
for their believed ability to communicate with the spirit
world and could for-tell the future. Others are district
heads, family heads, old men and women who by long
time exposure to the use of plants have become familiar
with most of their effectiveness and uses. A few young
men also learnt the practice from their grand parents.
Market women who sell some of the remedies were also
interviewed.
Some of the reported contributions on traditional
medicinal plants in Nigeria in literature include: among
the Yoruba (western Nigeria ) Sofowora (1993), Adekunle
(2001), Gill (1990), reports on northern Nigeria include,
Idu et al.(2003 ), Idu and Olorunfemi (2000), Idu and
Omoruyi, (2003), Idu et al.(2008) and Nwosu (1998)
reported the use of medicinal plants in Eastern Nigeria.
However, no specific record of the ethnobotanical
practices of the people of Oka Akoko in Ondo State has
been reported. Although situated in Yoruba land, it is alsocommon knowledge that even with similar linguistic
groups, the way and manner plants are used in each
community is known to differ from place to place. The
aim of this study therefore is to present the first specific
records on the ethnobotanical practices of the people of
Oka Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Materials and Methods
Description of the study area
Oka Akoko is sub-urban town and the current
administrative headquarter of Akoko South West local
government area of Ondo State, Nigeria. It is made up
of five parts namely; Oke Oka (the biggest part), Iwaro
Oka, Ayegunle Oka, Simerin Oka, and Uba Oka. It is
located on the latitude 7.220N and longitude 5.480E of
the map (fig. 1). Oka Akoko is an agricultural trade center
for the region; its chief products are cassava, cocoa, palm
oil and kola nuts. The city is accessible by highways linking
to Ibadan and Lagos as well as Abuja. Notable geological
features of Oka Akoko region are the steep-sided, dome-
shaped mountains that dominate the landscape. In the
past, these rock outcroppings served as outposts to defend
the town from enemies.Collection and identification of plants
Oral surveys were conducted on the general use of
plants in the area and most of the target contacts were
herbalists, traditional healers, district heads, market
women and some elderly people and a few others vast in
the oral history and traditions of the area. Notes were
taken and plant samples were collected, labeled and kept
in polythene bags.
Field trips to the surrounding bushes and forest
locations were conducted in search of specific examples
of plants mentioned. Visits to farms, villages and forests,
where discussions were held with men and women who
were known to be especially knowledgeable on the
general use of plants in their areas. The selection of sites
was geographically widespread to obtain a good sampling
of the entire population. Photographs of most of the plants
were taken to assist with identification. The offer of
financial incentives and gifts greatly facilitated the ease
with which some of the informants divulged their
knowledge of ethnomedicinal practices. The study was
carried out during both dry and rainy season.
Plant species were first identified using the local
Yoruba names and later matched with their respective
scientific classifications. Plants whose identity were in
doubt were collected, preserved in plant press and later
identified using the weed identification manual (Akobundu
and Agyakwa, 1998) and other literatures include;Blackwell (1990), Dipe (2004), Duprjez and De Leener
(1992), Idu and Omoigui (1999), Gill (1990), Nakasone
and Paul (1999), Osagie and Eka (1998) and Soladoye et
al. (2005). Plant inventory were organized under three
categories (medicine, myth and magic and miscellaneous
including cultural ceremonies) and arranged in alphabetical
order beginning with family, scientific and local names,
occurrence, plant part used and preparation and uses.
Results
Eighty five (85) plants belonging to forty three (43)
families were listed from the study. Plants used for medicalpurposed are shown in table 1, those employed in folklore
and magic (table 3) and plants formiscellaneouspurposes
(table 4). Table 2 contains different plant(s) used for the
same ailments. Most of the plants are being used in
medicine with majority of the remedies prepared from
single plant sources. A few remedies were prepared from
a combination of more than one plants. Fig. 2 also showed
the proportions of plant types used in the communities
where over 50% of the plants were herbs. The survey
also included the local names, common names, Botanical
description, habitat and uses.
Discussion and Conclusion
This study provides a detailed inventory of plants used
for food, medicine and magic by the Oka-Akoko people
of Ondo State, Nigeria. No known documentation of the
ethnobotanical plants for this people has been previously
reported in the literature. This report on use of plants by
the Oka-Akoko people therefore helps to bridge the gap
of lack of documentation of folk knowledge of indigenous
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peoples earlier highlighted by Zent et al.(2004) andIdu
et al.(2006).
This paper is relevant in historical as well as in the
present day context because some plants found in Oka
Akoko have now been discovered to be useful especiallyin the area of medicine for example, of the 85 plants
encountered during this compilation, 84 were found to be
medicinal, of which the Euphobiaceae and Astereceae
are the most prominent.
The list of plants use by the Oka-Akoko people are
in consonant with earlier reports (Adekunle, 2001; Dipe,
2004 and Olapade, 2002), who have reported extensively
of the use of plants by the Yorubas as a group. The only
of the preparation. In some cases, different parts of plants
may be used to cure different ailments and in others,
different plants may be employed by different herbal
practitioners in the treatment of the same ailments. For
instance;Lannea acida, Aspilia africana, Heliotropium
indicum, Phyllanthus amarus Gossypium hirsutum,
Ficus sycamore, Paulinia pinnata are used partly or
wholly in the treatment of dysentery.
For religious worship, plants play a very important
role in the lives of Oka people and as such are celebrated
and even worshipped. A notable example is the white
yam (Dioscorea rotundata) which is usually celebrated
annually as Yam Festival on the first Saturday of August.
This festival has grown to become one of the most
important events that bring the Oka people together
Fig. 1 :Maps showing the study area in Ondo State (Inset Nigeria and State location).
Fig. 2 : Proportion of plant use in the study area.
difference being the use of Phyllanthus amarus,
Corchorus olitorius, Adansonia digitata for
medicine and Ficus thonningii, Miliciaexcelsa
andAdansonia digitatain myth and magic, which
appear to be unique for the Oka-Akoko people
and based on reports in the literature, not widely
practiced elsewhere in other Yoruba areas.
Edeoga et al.(2005), reported that plants of the
genusEuphorbiaare used for cough, asthma and
hay fever contrary to their use as anti-microbialagent in the treatment of wound in the community.
Most times, two or more plants may be
combined for enhanced effectiveness contrary to
the views of Adodo (2003) that combination of
two or more plants may lessen the effectiveness
Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria 629
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Table1:
Scientificname
Habit
Localname
Occurrence
Partused
Preparation
Uses
Amarantheceae
AmaranthusspinosusL.
H
Efoelegun
Wild
Shoot
Boilinwater
Snakebiteandgonorrhea
Pupalialappacea(L)Juss
H
Imaagbo
Wild
Fruit&Leaves
Leafextract
Severeheadach
e
Anacardiaceae
AnacardiumoccidentaleL.
T
Kasu
Cultivated
Nut
Liquidextrac
t
Freshseverewounds
Leaves
Boilinwater
Malariafever
LanneaacidaA.Juss
T
Agbelepota
Wild
Leaves
Cookinsoup
Stomachupset
MangiferaindicaL.
T
Mangoro
Cultivated/Wild
BarkandLeaves
Boilinwater
Typhoidfever
Pseudosporandias
T
Okikan
Wild
Leavesandbark
Cookwithsoup
Chestpain
microcarpa(A.Juss)Engl.
Annonaceae
AnnonasenegalensisPers.
T
Abo
Wild
Leaves
Squeezethe
leafandgetthejuice
Tocureskindiseases
Apocynaceae
AlstoniabooneiDeWilld.
S
Alatapara
Wild
Leaves
Cookwithsoup
Forhealthypregnancy
Roots
Cookwithsoup
Insomnia&mentalillnesses
RauvolfiavomitoriaAfzel.
T
Asofeyeje
Wild
Roots,leaves
Grindthetogetherandcook
Mentaldisordersandyellowfever
andbark
withoutoil
Araceae
Colocasiaesculenta(L.)Schott
H
Kokoposo
Wild
Leaves
Squeezeleaf
togetjuice
Tostrengthenp
rematurebabies
Arecaceae
ElaeisguineensisJacq.
T
Ope
Wild/cultivated
Bark
Boilinwater
withothermaterials
Tocureulceran
dmenstrualpains.
Asclepiadaceae
CalotropisproceraL.
S
Bomubomu
Wild
Leaves
Cookwithbeans
Insomnia
Asteraceae
BidenpilosaLinn.
H
Eweabere
Wild
Fruits
Grindintogin
Epilepsy
AspiliaAfricanaPers.
H
Yanyan
Wild
Shoot
Cookwithsoup
Dysentery
Chromolaenaodorata(L.)
H
Ominira
Wild
Shoot
Boilinwater
Malariafever
Leaves
Squeezethe
sapandapplyto
Totreatfreshw
ounds
affectedparts
AgeratumconyzoidesL.
H
Pakududu
Wild
Leaves
Squeezeleavestogetthejuice
Diarrhea
VernoniaamygdalinaDel.
S
Ewuro
Wild/cultivated
Leaves
Cookwithsoup
Feverandstom
achupsets
Bignoniaceae
KigeliaAfricana(Lam)
T
Pandoro
Wild
Bark
Boilinwater
Syphilisandgo
norrhea
Benth.
Leaves
Boilinwater
Chestpain
Table1continued....
630 O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan
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NewbouldialaevisSeem.
S
Akoko
Wild
Leaves
Squeezeinw
ater
Eyedefect
Bombaceae
Adansoniadigitata(L.)Gaertn.
T
Ose
Wild
Bark
Boilinwater
Tostrengthenp
rematurebabies
Leaves+fruits
Cookwithsoup
Totreatasthma
Ceibapetandra(L.)Gaertn
T
Araba
Wild
Leaves
Boilinwater
Headacheandf
ever
Bark(dry)
Grind
Wounds
Caesalpinaceae
Sennaalata(L.)Irwin&Berneby
H
Opako
Wild
Leaves
Boilinwater
Eyeproblems
Sennahirsuta(L.)Irwin&
H
Seseorisa
Wild
Leaves
Squeezeleavestogetjuiceand
Foreczemaand
otherskindiseases
Berneby
applytoaffe
ctedparts
Cookwithou
toil
Sennaoccidentalis(L.)Link.
H
Uyun
Wild
Leaves
Boilinwater
Typhoidfever
Caesalpiniapulcherrima
H
Ekoomode
Wild
Leaves&fruits
Boilinwater
Poisoningandm
alariafever
Caricaceae
CaricapapayaLinn.
T
Ibepe
Wild
Roots
Cookwithsoup
Gonorrhea
Combretaceae
CombretumhispidumLaws.
V
Ogan
Wild
Wholeplant
Boilinwater
Eyedefects
Crassulaceae
Bryophylumpinnatum
H
Abamoda
Wild
Leaves
Heattheleavesonhotstonetill
Tohealbabiesnavelandother
(Lam.)Oken.
soft,squeezeandapplytothe
wounds
navel
Cucurbitaceae
MomordicacharantiaL.
H
Ejirin
Wild
Wholeplants
Cookwithsoup
Totreatdiarrhea
TelfariaoccidentalisL.
H
Ugu
Cultivated
Leaves
Squeezeinw
atersieveanddrink
Asbloodsupplement
Convolvulaceae
IpomoeabatatasL.
H
Kukunduku
Oftencultivated
Leaves
Washandsq
ueezeinwaterand
Tocuresevereheadacheand
drink
hypertension
Dioscoreaceae
Dioscoreadumetorum
H
Esuru
Wild/cultivated
Leaves
Boilinwater
Relievepains
(Knuth)Pax.
Euphorbiaceae
CrotonzambesicusMuell.
S
Ajekobale
Wild
Leavesandfruits
Squeezeinb
athingwater
Forstrengthandagility
EuphorbiahirtaLinn.
H
Emile
Wild
Latex
Spreadonth
esurface
Toremovepainfulthorns(antibiotic)
Wholeplant
Cookwithsoup
Inducemilkflowinnursingmothers
Table1continued....
Table1continued....
Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria 631
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JatrophacurcasLinn.
S
Lapalapa
Wild
Latex
Applytothe
surface
Antidoteforsnakepoison
PhyllanthusamarusShum.
H
Atayinso
Wild
Wholeplant
Cookwithotherplantswithoil
Hypertension&dysentery
&Thorn.
PhylanthusfloribundusL.
H
Gbigban
Wild
Wholeplant
Usetocook
soup
Tocuredysentery
Fabaceae
Cajanuscajan(L.)Millsp.
H
Sese
Cultivated
Leaves
Boilinwatertobathanddrink
Tocureyellow
fever
BaphianitidaLodd.
H
Irosun
Wild
Leaves
Cookleaves
withsoup
Topreventmis
carriagesinpregnant
women
Irvingiaceae
Irvingiagabonensis
T
Iro
Wild,cultivated
Bark
Cookwithsoupwithoutoil
Fordiarrheaan
dstomachpains
(Rorke)Baill.
associatedwithmenstruation
Lamiaceae
HyptissuaveolensPoit.
H
Sanmurin
Wild
Leaves
Dryandpou
ronhotcoal
Tokillmosquito
OcimumbasilicumLinn.
H
Efirin
Cultivated
Leaves
Squeezeinw
ater,sieveanddrink
Forfever&cough
OcimumgratissimumLinn.
H
Arunbaba
Cultivated
Leaves
Cookinsoupwithothermaterials
Topreventmis
carriageinpregnant
withoutoil
women
Fabaceae
CassiasiameaLam.
T
Kasia
Wild
Bark,leaves&
Boilinwatertodrink&bath
Tocuremalaria
fever
fruits
DanielliaoliveriHutch&Dalz.
T
Uya
Wild
Bark
Soakinwate
randdrink
Tocureconvulsions
ParkiabiglobossaKaey
T
Iru
Wild
Bark&leaves
Boilinwaterandbath
Boilinwaterandusedtobath
variousskin
infectionsandburns
Tocure
Teterpleuratetraptera
T
Oridan
Wild
Fruits
Usetocook
soupanddrink
Tocurestomac
hproblems
(Schum&Thonn.)Taub
Malvaceae
GossypiumhirsutumLinn.
H
Owu
Wild,cultivated
Seeds
Grindtopasteandapplytothe
Tocuresevere
headache
forehead
Leaves
Decoctionis
madefromtheleaves
Totreatdysenteryandgonorrhea
Hibiscusrosas
inensisLinn.
H
Adodopupa
Cultivated
Leaves
Decoctionis
madefromtheleaves
Tocurestomachupsets
Flowerbud
Grindtopaste
Tosoftenboils
andtreatbumps.
SidaacutaBurm.F.
H
Isisanran
Wild
Leaves
Squeezethe
leavestogetthesap
Tocuretuberculosis
Meliaceae
AzadirachtaindicaA.Juss.
T
Dongoyaro
Wild
Barkandleaves
Boilinwater
Totreatmalaria
Table1continued....
Table1continued....
632 O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan
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Khayasenegalensis(Dest.)
T
Oganwo
Wild
Barkandleaves
Boilinwater
anddrink
Totreatyellowfever
A.Juss.
Mimosaceae
MimosapudicaLinn.
H
Patanmo
Wild
Shoot
Boilinwater
Totreatfibroidandremovewormin
women
Moraceae
BosqueiaangolensisFicalho.
T
Iwineran
Wild
Barkandleaves
Usetoprepa
redecoction
Totreatblackto
ngueanddiarrhoea
FicussycamoreLinn.
T
Sikamore
Wild
Barkandlatex
Usetoprepa
redecoction
Totreatdysente
ryandsorethroat
FicusthonningiiBlume.
T
Odan
Wild
Leavesandbark
Usethetocooksoup
Tocurbinfertilityinwomen
Miliciaexcelsa(Welw.)C.CBerg.
T
Iroko
Wild
Latex
Usetorubtheaffectedparts
Totreatleprosy
Musaceae
MusasapientumLinn.
H
Ogedewewe
Cultivated
Leaves
Tiearoundthechest
Forbreastenlargement
Myrtaceae
PsidiumguajavaLinn.
T
Goloba
Wild/Cultivated
Leavesandroots
Usetoprepa
resoup
Totreatbreastp
ain
Papavaraceae
ArgenomemexicanaLinn.
H
Mafowokan
Wild
Latex
Applytothe
affectedparts
Totreatfreshw
ounds.
omomi
Piperaceae
Peperomiapellucida(L.)
H
Renren
Wild
Leaves
Grindtopasteandapplytothe
Tosoftenboilandtreatbumps
H.B&K.
affectedparts
Portulacaceae
Talinumtriangulare
H
Gbure
Oftenwild
Leaves
Squeezeinw
aterandusetorub
Totreathighfev
er
(Jacq.)Willd.
thebody
Poaceae
EleusineindicaGaertn.
H
Gbagi
Wild
Wholeplant
Grindsomedryplantswiththe
Itstakenasanantidoteforpoison
seedsofalligatorpepperandother
andsnakebite.
materialsand
mixwithkerneloil
CymbopogoncitralisLinn.
H
Ewetii
Usuallycultiv
atedLeaves
Boiltheleav
esinwateranddrink
Tocuretyphoid
fever
Rubiaceae
Mitracarpusvillosus
H
Eweifo
Wild
Leaves
Squeezewithfingersandapply
Tocureeczema
andotherskin
(S.W.)D.C.
toaffectedareas
infections
Rutaceae
Citrusaurantifolia
T
Tanjarinni
Cultivated
Fruits
Heatandboreholeinandinsert
Totreatwhitlow
(Christm.)Swingle.
theaffectedfingerintothewhole
Table1continued....
Table1continued....
Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria 633
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CitruslimonLinn.
S
Osanwewe
Cultivated
Fruits
Extracttheju
iceandboil
Aspainreliever
andforabortion
CitrussinensisOsbek.
T
Orombo
Cultivated
Peelsfromfruits
Burnonhot
coal
Asmosquitorepellant
FagarazanthoxyloidesLam
T
Seyinra
Wild
Bark
Grindtopasteandapplyto
Totreatrheumatism
thejoints
Sapindaceae
BlighiasapidaKonig.
T
Isin
Wild
Barkandleaves
Usetocook
soup
Totreatfibroidandabnormal
pregnancy
PaulliniapinnataL.
H
Alalamodin
Wild
Shoot
Usetocook
soup
Totreatdysente
ryandstomachpains
Scrophulariaceae
ScoporiadulcisL.
S
Ipa
Wild
Leaves
Warmandsqueezetheleaves
Totreatbumps
andapplyto
affectedparts
Solanaceae
CapsicumfrutescensL.
H
Atawewe
Cultivated
Fruits
Grindtopasteandapplyto
Totreatasevereskin
affectedarea
s
infection(ata)
SolanumnigrumLinn.
H
Odu
Wild
Leaves
Squeezeand
applytotheeyes
Totreateyeproblems
NicotianatabacumL.
H
Taba
Wild
Leaves
Squeezeand
applytotheanus
Totreattyphoid
fever
Sterculiaceae
Colaacuminata(P.Beauv.)
T
Obiabata
Cultivated
Seeds
Grindtopow
derandapplyto
Totreatwounds
Shott&Endl.
affectedparts
TheobromacacaoLinn.
T
Koko
Cultivated
Bark
Boilinwater
Useasbloodsu
pplement
Tiliaceae
CorchorusolitoriusLinn.
H
Ewedu
Cultivated
Shoot
Boilinwaterandusethewater
Tocurbinfantskillerdiseases
tobaththechild
Glypheaebrevis(Spreng.)
S
Atori
Wild
Dryleaves
Grindtopow
derandpoured
Totreatgonorrh
ea
Monachino
intogin
TriumfetacordifoliaA.Rich
H
Etido
Wild
Leaves
Usetoprepa
redecoction
Forstomachup
sets
Ulmaceae
Tremaorientalis(L)Blume
S
Ofe
Wild
Leaves
Boilinwatertobaththebaby
Tomakebabieswalkontime
Verbernaceae
VitexdonianaSweet.
T
Oriri
Wild
Leavesandbark
Boilinwaterandtaken
Totreathighbloodpressure.
Zingiberaceae
Aframomummelegueta
H
Atare
Wild
Seeds
Eatenwithkolanut
Tocurecough,itisalsousedinthe
K.Schum
preparationofv
ariousdecoctions
HHerb,TTree,SShrub,V-Vine.
Table1continued....
634 O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan
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Table 2 :Plants used for different ailments.
Ailments Plant(s) used
Asthma Adansonia digitata
Babies umbilical cord Bryophylum pinnatum
Babies to walk Trema orientalis
Black tongue Bosqueia angolensis
Blood supplement Thoebroma cacaoBreast enlargement Kigelia africana
Breast pain Psidium guajava
Chest pain Pseudosporandias microcarpa, Kigelia africana
Convulsion Daniellia oliveri
Cough Ocimum basilium, Aframomum. Meleguata
Diabetes Aframomum meleguata, Ceiba petandra
Diarrhea Ageratum conyzoides, Irvingia gabonensis, Bosqueia angolensis
Dysentery Lannea acida, Aspilia africana, Heliotropium indicum, Phyllanthus amarus, Gossypiumhirsutum, Ficus sycamore, Paullinia pinnata
Eczema and skin diseases Annona senegalensis, Perkia clappertoniana, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Peperomia pellucida,Mitracarpus villosus, Capsicum frutescens
Epilepsy Biden pilosa
Eye problems Newbouldia laevis, Senna alata, Solanum nigrum
Fever (malaria, yellow, Mangifera indica, Nicotiana tabacum, Cymbopogons citralis, Chromolaena odorata, Ceibatyphoid) petandra, Ocimum basilium, Cassia siamea, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Azadirachta indica,
Glyphaea brevis.
Gonorrhea & syphilis Amaranthus spinosus, Kigelia africana, Gossypium hirsutum, Glyphaea brevis, Aframomummelegueta, Carica. papaya, Kola cuminata
Headache Pupalia lappacae, Ceiba petandra, Gossypium hirsutum, Ipomoea batatas.
Healthy pregnancy & Alstonia boonei, Ocimum gratissimum, Mimosa pudicamiscarriage prevention
Hypertension & high Phylanthus amarus, Vitex doniana, Ipomoea batatasblood pressure
Induce abortion Carica papaya, Citrus limonInfant killer diseases Corchorus olitorius
Infertility Ficus thonningii, Blighia sapida
Insomnia Alstonia boonei, Calotropis procera
Kill mosquito Hyptis suaveolens, Citrus sinensis
Leprosy Milicia excelsa
Menstrual pain Elaeis guineensis
Mental illness Alstonia boonei, Ravolfia vomitoria
Pain reliever Citrus limon
Poison Eleusine indica, Jatropha caucus, Caesalpinia pulcherima
Rheumatism Ficus zanthoxyloides, Aframomum melegueta
Ringworm Solanum nigrum
Snakebite Amarathus spinosus, Eleusine indica, Jatropha caucusSore throat Ficus sycamorus
Stomach ache Lannea acida, Eleusine indica, Irvingia gabonensis, Tetrapleura tetraptera Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Paullinia pinnata, Vernonia amygdalina, Triumfeta Cordifolia
Strengthen babies Colocasia esculenta, Adansonia digitata
Tuberculosis Sida acuta
Ulcer Elaeis guineensis
Whitlow Citrus aurantifolia
Wounds Chromolaena odorata, Anacardium occidentale, Ceiba petandra, Argenome mexicana, Colaacuminata
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annually. The Olubaka of Oka land is usually the Chief
Celebrant of the festival which takes place in his palace.
Other important plants that are worshipped in the
communities include: Adansoniadigitata and Milicia
excelsa. Kola nuts (Colaacuminata) is widely used for
prayers to the gods of the forest before plant materials
are collected. It is also used to pray for blessing during
wedding and naming ceremonies.
This, in addition to other spiritual beliefs and practices
of the people has made it relevant to their sustainability
in the community till this day, and has contributed towards
the enrichment of their unique cultural heritage. It was
observed that almost all the known diseases of the tropical
region which affect the people has natural cures, this has
led to the continuity of the practice among the people till
today. Nearly all the 38 known health problem in the
Table 3 :Some plants used in magic by the people of Oka Akoko.
Scientific name Local name Preparation and uses
Aframomun melegueta Atare Grind the dry seeds and pour in a bottle of dry gin. It is taken to stop the effect of
thunder bolt (magun)
Colocasia esculenta Koko poso The leaves are burnt with other materials and blow into the atmosphere to stop
rainfall
Cola acuminata Obi abata The seeds are chewed and spit on the ground to appease the gods of the forests
and request for the use of the plants to be used. It is believed that without the
consent of these gods, the plants species will not be effective
Croton zambesicus Ajekobale Its dry leaves and fruits are burnt with other materials to chase away witches and
evil spirits from the vicinity
Elaeis guineensis Ope Fresh leaves, the bark with clean roots are soaked in water for 2days and taken to
enhance immunity against demonic and spiritual attacks
Ficus thonningii Odan The dry leaves are ground with black soap to bath twice daily for goodwill,
success, promotion and seduction
Glyphaea brevis Atorin Grind the fruits and cook with soup to be eaten by a woman who desires a male
child
Kigelia africana Pandoro The fruits are used to rub the breast by ladies with smaller breast to increase the
size
Milicia excels Iroko The leaves and bark are boiled in water and use to bath twice daily to gain
immunity against demonic and spiritual attacks. It is highly revered and
worshipped for protection
Musa sapientum Ogede The dry leaves and latex are used with other materials to enhance resistance
against attacks madarikan.
Newbouldia laevis Akoko Dry leaves are ground and burnt with other materials to protect against the
influence of witches and evil spirits
Tetrepleura tetreptera Oridan Dry pods burnt with other materials to chase away witches, evil spirits and snakes
Trema orientalis Ofe The leaves and fruits are boiled in water with other materials to make peopledisappear and reappear at will
Uraria picta Alupayida The fresh leaves are chewed and swallowed, whatever one says that day before
noon will come to pass.
community have their solution traced partly or wholly to
the use of plants. The popularity of the practice therefore
attests to its efficacy among the people.
I agree with Adodo (2004) that the challenge for
todays scientific community is to sift out the fetish and
superstitious issues from our inherited deposits of
knowledge of traditional medicine without throwing awaythe truth which our people had developed over the
millennia.
Effects of forest depletion on plants availability for
medicinal purposes
Oka-Akoko located in a once flourishing tropical
rainforest is now under serious threat, due to uncontrolled
anthropogenic activities such as exploitation for lumber,
road and structural constructions and farmlands which
636 O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan
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Table 4 :Some plants used for other purposes on Oka Akoko.
Scientific name Local name Preparation and uses
Citrus sinensis Orombo Dry peels are burnt on hot coal to scare mosquito.
Newbouldia laevis Akoko It is a royal plant used as sign of blessing and honour during coronation of chiefs
and Kings.
Pseudosporandias Okikan The leaves are used as sign of blessing and honour during coronation of chiefs and
microcarpa Kings.
Theobroma cacao Koko Dry leaves are used to preserve kola nuts for very long periods.
has resulted in habitat fragmentation and loss of
biodiversity (Green et al.,2005). This catalogue therefore
provides a baseline data of plants of ethnobotanical
importance. However, it was observed during the study
that traditional healers now have to travel farther in the
forests to get plants which were previously available
nearby. This is as a result of deforestation for
developmental purposes such as building of schools, road
construction and agriculture (Butler et al., 2000).
Deforestation which is sometimes inevitable should
therefore be done carefully to reduce the loss of
biodiversity to the barest minimum (Akinnibosun and
Odiete, 2008). Few of the plants were however protected
by local taboos and myth, e.g. Milicia excelsa. But these
also are now threatened by the spread of Christianity
and Islam across the communities.
Since most of the plants encountered in this study
were found in the wild, conscious effort should be made
to prevent their loss, as they become rarer and rarer.
Conservation of our natural resources should therefore
be taken more seriously to prevent the loss of ourbiodiversity and some of these very important plants.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the village heads, men
and women who helped to obtain this information in Oka
Akoko.
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