An Inventory of Medicinal Plants of some Sacred Groves of Purulia District, West Bengal

Sacred groves are small patches of forests protected by local communities on religious grounds. A repository of medicinal plants, these are a unique traditional Indian way of in-situ conservation of biodiversity. This paper deals with 18 sacred groves of Purulia District of West Bengal and also highlights the role played by these groves in medicinal plant conservation. The study for the first time records 56 species of medicinal plants growing in these groves. It also mentions the threats to the sacred groves.