Abstract

A survey was conducted on a piece of land at Idena village previously used as engineering site, but abandoned to fallow for the last 20 years at the outskirts of Ijebu-Ode Town in South-Western Nigeria, for medicinal plants diversity. The 2.4 hectares fallow plot was subdivided into compartments and transect sampling technique was used for data collection. Data collected included; plant taxa, habit, species frequency, diversity and ethnobotanical values. Altogether 48 different medicinal plants represented by 25 different families were encountered, shrubs being the most prominent (18 species), trees (14), herbs (13), climbers (2) and 1 each for ferns and palms. Compartment 2 had the highest number (21 different medicinal plants) while compartment 6 had the least (4 medicinal plant species). The first three compartments accounted for over 50% of all the medicinal plants found.  For taxonomic and frequency distribution, the family Euphorbiaceae had the highest (7), followed by Papilionaceae (4) and Rubiaceae (4), while seventeen other families had 1 species in each case. Relative density (RD) values ranged from 2.08 - 50% with the Euphorbiaceae accounting for the highest (50%), followed by Moraceae (22.9%), while seven other families had 2.08%. Computed Sørenson (Ss) coefficients of similarity between pair compartments ranged between 0.06 - 0.37 with highest value obtained between compartments 1 and 5 (0.37) and least between compartments 2 and 9 (0.06). Results also revealed that thirty three (33) different ailments could be managed with the different medicinal plants encountered. A large number of the medicinal plants encountered were indicated for the management of some prominent ailments including; Diabetes, Hypertension, Fever/Malaria and Fertility thus suggesting high medicinal potential for the fallow plot. The need to develop sustainable conservation management plan for the fallow plot for its multiple roles is highlighted from this study. 

Key words:  Fallow plot, medicinal plants, species diversity, ailments, conservation.