ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS OF TULO WOREDA, WEST HARARGE ZONE, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Ethnobotanical studies are useful in documenting, analyzing and communicating knowledge and interaction between biodiversity and human society. The objective of this study was to conduct ethnobotanical study and document medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge in Tulo district. Ethnobotanical data was collected from December 2019 to January 2020 using semi-structured interview, focus group discussion and direct field observation with 80 randomly selected non traditional healers and 20 traditional healers. Descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequencies were used. The informant consensus factor, fidelity level and preference ranking were computed to analyze data. A total of 104 medicinal plant species distributed among 98 genera and 55 families were collected and documented from the study area as traditional medicine for the treatment of 63 different diseases of humans and live-stock. Of these, 77 plant species (74.04%) were reported as remedies for human, 11 plant species (10.58%) as live-stock remedies, and 16 plant species (15.38%) for both human and live- stock remedies. Family Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were with the largest number ( 9 )of specie; followed by Solonaceae with 6 species. Leaves were the most used plant part followed by root and seed. The most methods of preparation of remedies were crushing (34.50%) followed by pounding (19.88%) and boiling (15.79%). Oral application was the most commonly (66.08%) used route of application followed by dermal (23.98%). The highest informant consensus factor value was observed for swelling and homorrhoids, (0.90). The highest fidelity level index was (100%) for two species; Croton macrostachyus and Hagenia abyssinica for the treatment of ring worm and Intestinal parasite, respectively. In preference ranking, Guizotia abyssinica and Anthemis tigreensis were ranked first and second, to treat cough. The major factors threatening medicinal plants were agricultural expansion, fire wood collection and charcoal. Many natural and antropogenic factors have been reported as threats to medicinal plants in the study area. Therefore, awareness of the local people should be raised to conserve medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge