An inventory of some medicinal plants used by abagusii traditional healers of South West Kenya
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Date
2020
Authors
Nyamwamu, Nyarang’o Charles
Nyamwamu, Lydia Bonareri
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
Abstract
An ethnomedical survey of plants used by Abagusii traditional healers of South West Kenya was carried
out and 72 plant species representing 68 genera and 48 families were botanically identified. From the
taxonomic consideration of the medicinal plant drugs, the Mimosaceae family had the highest number of
medicinal plant species (6) followed by Papilionaceae (5). Four families, namely the Graminae, the
Palmae, the Liliaceae and the Zingiberaceae represented the Monocotyledonae. The rest of the medicinal
plants came from the Dicotyledoneae. It was also found that in this ethnic group there were a great
variety of healing practices, for example, steam inhalation techniques, fumigations like incense,
bloodletting, hydrotherapy and many other beliefs. This study also revealed that there is rapid
disappearance of many indigenous herbal medicinal plants, hence the need for conservation measures to
be taken.
Description
A research article published in Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
Keywords
Decoction, Herbalists, Oedema, Maceration, Eczema, Gusii
Citation
Charles, N. N. O., & Bonareri, N. L. (2020). An inventory of some medicinal plants used by abagusii traditional healers of South West Kenya. Journal of Medicinal Plants, 8(3), 127-135.