Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of “Ailments of Utmost Native Importance” in Cross River State, Nigeria

Regardless of the high value of medicinal plants to residents of Cross River State in health maintenance especially for the treatment of “ailments of utmost native importance”, the major constraint is the uncertainty of the availability of the herbs and knowledge of traditional medicine still being passed by word of mouth. For better reliance on the plant species as medicine, this research seeks to identify and infer on the population and distribution of the species used in their treatment and documents them. Data were collected using field work and oral interviews. The survey team comprised of Taxonomists, survey assistants, five trado-medical herbal practitioners and the Authors. The status and geographical distribution of the identified medicinal plant species was appalling, 59 percent of the medicinal plant species were distributed in 3 out of 15 sampled plots. Causal factors included over misuse of therapeutic plant species, habitats destruction and absence of proper conservation education of the masses. Recommendations are that Communities should set up therapeutic plants farms, enrichment planting be made in agricultural fields and sustainable harvesting methods used.