Ethno Botanical and Cultural Importance of Sugali Tribe of Venkatampalli Thanda, Vajrakarur Mandal, Anantapuramu District, Andhra Pradesh State, India

The preliminary investigations of Ethnobotanical and Cultural Resources of Sugali tribes of Venkatampalli Thanda, Anantapuramu district, Andhra Pradesh with their recipes, preparation of drugs, administration, and usage from several centuries. Therapeutic uses of some of the species given in the table were cross checked with alternative ethno botanical systems viz. Ayurveda, Unani, Sidha and Homeopathy. 69 crude drugs (species) belonging to 63 genera and 30 families were collected based on folk-lore knowledge. The pattern of the plant use as per habitat (terrestrial, aquatic/epiphytes), habit (growth form), plant part (tissue) and taxonomic category (Systematically families), nativity and occurrence (wild/cultivated) were established. Of the 69 crude drugs wild and naturalized species, 10 are trees, 12 are shrubs, 33 are herbs and remaining 14 are climbers. Of the recorded 30 families, 18 are represented by one species: Aristolochiaceae, Boraginaceae, Cleomaceae, Combretaceae, Convolvulaceae, Crassulaceae, Cyperaceae, Gentianaceae, Lophiocarpaceae, Lythraceae, Myrtaceae, Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Sapindaceae, Verbenaceae, Vitaceae and Zygophyllaceae and The dominant families with respect to number of species are Leguminosae (11), Euphorbiaceae (5), Apocynaceae (5), Malvaceae (4), Cucurbitaceae (4), Amaranthaceae (4), Lamiaceae (4), Solanaceae (4), Acanthaceae (3), Asparagaceae (2), Menispermaceae (2), Asteraceae (2) and Rhamnaceae (2). Analysis of plants tissues followed tribes used leaves highly 50%, Roots 15%, Whole plants 14%, Small branches 8%, Flowers 7%, Fruits 4%, Bulb (Asparagus racemosus) 1% and remaining Bark (Anogeissus latifolia) 1%. Updated nomenclature, Brief description, phenology, distribution along with field GIS photographs are provided. Collected Ethno Botanical, Cultural Activities Data and Plants specimens collected flowering or fruiting Seasons. Specimens critically observed and identified, herbarium specimens deposited at The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences & Technology (TDU) Bangalore were done.