Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge

Vol. 7(4), October 2008, pp. 598-603

Utilisation of mangrove forests in Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, Orissa

Chiranjibi Pattanaik1*,

C S Reddy

1, N K Dhal

2 & Rashmita Das

3

1Forestry & Ecology Division, National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad 500 037, Andhra Pradesh

2Natural Products Department, Regional Research Laboratory, CSIR, Bhubaneswar 751 013, Orissa

3Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur 760 007, Orissa

E-mail: jilu2000@rediffmail.com

Received 19 September 2006; revised 15 October 2007

Fifty one mangrove plant species and its associates were collected from Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, Kendrapara

district, Orissa. Among those plants, Rhizophoraceae members were recorded maximum in number (9 species) followed by

Meliaceae (4), and Caesalpiniaceae (4). The inhabitants of the surrounding areas depend on the mangrove forests for their

daily needs like food, timber, fuelwood, medicine and other traditional products. The paper provides field information on

traditional products and medicinal uses of 51 taxa of mangrove plants recorded through interviews of local people of the

sanctuary areas. Species are arranged alphabetically providing plant name, family, local name, parts used, habitat and uses.

Keywords: Mangrove forests, Traditional knowledge, Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary, Orissa

IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A61P1/02, A61P1/08, A61P1/10, A61P5/00, A61P5/50, A61P11/00, A61P1/08, A61P21/00,

A61P39/02

Mangrove forest is a vegetation community formed

by a variety of salt tolerant species growing in the

inter-tidal areas and estuary mouths between land and

sea. Mangrove forests are one of the most productive

wetlands on the earth1. It can provide critical habitat

for a diverse marine and terrestrial flora and fauna.

Yet, these unique coastal tropical forests are among

the most threatened habitats in the world.

Traditionally, local communities in mangrove

ecosystems collect fuelwood, fodder, medicine from

plant parts, harvest fish and other natural resources2-3

.

However, in recent decades many mangrove areas

have been depleting, because of their extensive and

rapid deforestation, industrial development, fisheries,

aquaculture and human settlement. The paper

examines how the mangrove forests are utilized by

the local people, who make handicrafts, extract

locally important food and medicine, traditional

products and harvest

mangroves for timber, fuel wood, etc.

Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary (BWS) is located in

Kendrapara district of coastal state of Orissa along the

East coast of India (Fig. 1). It is situated between

20º30′N to 20º47′N latitude and 86º39′E to 87º04′E

longitude. It occupies an area of 672 sq km of which

mangrove forest is nearly 130 sq km4. It is surrounded

by the Bay of Bengal on the East, the villages of

Kendrapara district on the West, Baitarani and the

Dhamra rivers on the North and the Mahanadi estuary

on the South. The total mangrove area consists of 13

Fig. 1 — Location map of the study area

_________

*Corresponding author

PATTANAIK et al.: ETHNOBOTANY OF MANGROVE FORESTS

599

protected reserve forests (PRF), 12 protected forests

(PF) and one newly formed island5. Nearly 75

mangrove species and its associates are found in this

region. Among these, many plants have certain

medicinal properties and other socio-economic

values. The average annual rainfall is about 1,642 mm

and maximum rainfall is received between in the

month of June to October. The climate is tropical

warm and humid. The maximum temperature

recorded is 41ºC and the minimum is 9ºC in the

month of May and January, respectively. Mean

relative humidity ranges from 70-85% throughout the

year. The soil types are sandy on the fringes of the

coast and alluvial silty along the river mouth. This

congenial ecological factor provides ample scope for

an important mangal formation in this region.

More than 2.4 lakhs inhabitants of nearly 400

villages are living inside the sanctuary area6. A total

of 81 villages are adjacent to the mangrove forests.

The increased population is attributed as one of the

reason for decreasing mangrove of that area. They are

depending mainly on agriculture and fishing. In this

area, the majority of the population resides in remote

villages, where modern facilities are lacking. They

have been utilizing the forest resources for their

various needs such as for construction purpose, food,

medicine, etc. Their medicine is a form of folk

medicinal knowledge with special features in

diagnosing and curing diseases. Though, BWS has

received attention of botanists from time to time, but

the information on traditional uses of various

mangrove plants has not been so far collected4,5,7-16

.

The paper is an attempt to furnish the major research

results on some popular uses of mangrove plants and

its associates used by the local people.

Methodology

The exploration studies were conducted based on

the information gathered from the local inhabitants of

near by rural villages, which depend mostly on

mangrove forest for their daily basic needs. A survey

of these mangrove forests and its adjoining areas was

conducted in 2003 to 2004. Plant specimens were

collected for taxonomic identification from different

part of the regions. The literature on uses of mangrove

forest was studied extensively before conducting field

work2,10,17-21

. Information was collected through

general conversation with local people of adjacent

villages and local herbal healers (vaidyas) at the time

of each visit. The plant parts used to treat diseases,

medicinal properties and economic importance of

plants were recorded. The plant specimens collected

from the fields were identified and deposited in

herbarium of RRL13, 21

.

Results and discussion During survey of the mangrove area, it was found

that many of the mangrove plants and its associates

contributed medicinally as well as economically to the

human beings (Table 1). The local people use the

most common and accessible plants (Figs.2-11). A

large number of mangrove and its associated plants

are available in this region. A total of 51 plant species

were collected and identified during the field

investigation, which belong to 24 families, and 37

genera. Tree has the highest diversity (32 species)

followed by 9 herbs, 5 climbers and 5 shrubs. The

family with the most species was Rhizophoraceae (9

species), the second largest families were Meliaceae

and Caesalpiniaceae (4 species each), and the third

largest families were Avicenniaceae, Sonneratiaceae

and Poaceae (3 species each). The above 6 families

altogether represents nearly 60% of the total species.

It has been seen that people are dependent on

mangroves for timber to build houses, lattice,

furniture, rafters, studs for houses, fences, poles for

fish trap, paddles, rafts and boat construction. Stems

of Avicennia marina, Bruguiera cylindrica, Bruguiera

parviflora, Xylocarpus granatum and Sonneratia

apetala are used for constructing houses. Wood of

Heritiera fomes, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Aeigiceras

corniculatum, and Hibiscus tiliaceous are used for

making boats. Fuelwood and charcoal are used widely

as household energy sources in the surrounding

villages. Stems of Rhizophora, Bruguiera, Ceriops

and Sonneratia species are widely used as a source of

fuelwood for cooking purpose.

Some of the mangrove plant parts are used for food

purposes. Fruits of Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Phoenix

paludosa, Sonneratia alba, Sonneratia caseolaris and

Terminalia catappa are used as vegetables. Leaves of

Salvadora persica and Finalaysonia obovata are used

for making salads. Hypocotyls of Bruguiera

sexangula are consumed as vegetable. Fruits of

Terminalia catappa are eaten as raw after ripening.

The local people also collect honey from the

mangrove forest. The bulk of honey is produced from

the pollens of Ceriops decandra and Avicennia

marina. The best quality honey is produced from

Aegialitis rotundifolia2. Phragmites karka, Porteresia

coarctata and Myriostachya wightiana are used as

livestock fodder. Even in the time of scarcity of food,

people use grains of Porteresia coarctata as a

substitute of rice (Oryza sativa).

INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 7, No. 4, OCTOBER 2008

600

PATTANAIK et al.: ETHNOBOTANY OF MANGROVE FORESTS

601

Table 1 — Popular uses of some mangrove species in Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary

Plant name Family name Local name

(Oriya)

Uses

Acanthus ilicifolius L. Acanthaceae Harakancha Aphrodisiac, asthma, diabetes, rheumatism, snakebite

Acrostichum aureum L. Acrostichaceae Kharkhari Applied on wounds & boils, rheumatism, dried fronds

are used for thatching,

Aegialitis rotundifolia Roxb. Plumbaginaceae Banarua Timber, wood for construction, honey collection

Aegiceras corniculatum (L.)

Blanco

Myrsinaceae Kharsi Furniture making, asthma, diabetes, leaves are used as

fish poison, wood for fishing boats

Aglaia cucullata Pellegrin Meliaceae Ooanra Wood for construction

Avicennia alba Bl. Avicenniaceae Kala bani Antifertility, skin diseases, ulcers, contraceptive, fodder

and fuelwood

Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. Avicenniaceae Singala bani Astringent, small pox, fodder, fuelwood, timber, honey

collection

Avicennia officinalis L. Avicenniaceae Dhala bani Diuretic, leprosy, relieving ulcers, aphrodisiac

Bruguiera cylindrica (L.) Bl. Rhizophoraceae Kaliachua Timber, fuelwood, hepatitis, tannin

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lamk. Rhizophoraceae Bandari Hypocotyls eaten as vegetable, fodder, wood for fishing

boat, firewood

Bruguiera parviflora (Roxb.)

Wight & Arn.ex Griff.

Rhizophoraceae Dot Firewood, timber, wood for poles, fishing traps and

fishing stakes

Bruguiera sexangula (Lour.) Poir. Rhizophoraceae Bandari Timber, firewood, tannin, tender leaves and hypocotyls

are consumed as vegetables

Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. Caesalpiniaceae Gilo Rheumatism, leaf paste are applied on swollen testicles,

Jaundice

Caesalpinia crista L. Caesalpiniaceae Nentei Leaf paste are used against scabies, source of tannin

Cerbera odollam Gaertn. Apocynaceae Paniamba Charcoal making, haemorrhage, ulcer, rheumatism,

venereal infection

Ceriops decandra (Griff.) Ding

Hou.

Rhizophoraceae Garani Timber, malaria, fruit paste are used against ulcers,

fuelwood, honey collection

Ceriops tagal (Perr.) Robins. Rhizophoraceae Garani Purgative, stops haemorrhages, leprosy, charcoal, shoot

decoction for malaria, fuelwood

Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn. Verbenaceae Chiani Fiber from stem are used against stomach pains and also

as antiseptic

Cynometra iripa Kostel Caesalpiniaceae Singada Leaf decoction against ulcers

Derris scandens Benth. Papilionaceae Dhala katira

nai

Fish poison, fiber

Derris trifoliata Lour. Papilionaceae Kala katira nai Stimulant, anti-spasmodic

Excoecaria agallocha L. Euphorbiaceae Guan Milky latex is used against paralysis

Finlaysonia obovata Wall. Asclepiadaceae Khasai Lata Leaves are used in salad, asthma

Heritiera fomes Buch.-Ham. Sterculiaceae Bada sundari Making poles, boat building, timber, construction

purpose

Heritiera littoralis Dryand ex Ait. Sterculiaceae Dhala sundari Wood for boats, canoes and ships, furniture, diarrhoea,

firewood, timber

Hibiscus tiliaceous L. Malvaceae Bania Leaf decoction is used against dysentery & laxative,

firewood, wood for boat, cabinet & fancy works

Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze Caesalpiniaceae Maasitha Dye, timber, furniture making

Kandelia candel (L.) Druce Rhizophoraceae Sinduka Charcoal, diabetes, firewood, fodder, dye used to

enhance durability of fishing nets

Lumnitzera racemosa Willd. Combretaceae Churunda Asthma, antifertility, snakebite

Myriostachya wightiana (Nees ex

Steud.) Hook.f.

Poaceae Nalia ghasa Fodder

Nypa fruticans Wurmb. Arecaceae Nipa Beverage, diabetes, fruit as food, thatching material,

snakebite,

Pandanus fascicularis Lam. Pandanaceae Ketaki Kia Used in perfumes, making mats & baskets

Phoenix paludosa Roxb. Arecaceae Hentala Food, ropes, fencing, fruits edible, popularly used as

thatching material

Contd —

INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 7, No. 4, OCTOBER 2008

602

Table 1 — Popular uses of some mangrove species in Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary — Contd

Plant name Family name Local name

(Oriya)

Uses

Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin.ex

Steudl.

Poaceae Nala Fiber, fodder, making mat and fish baskets, thatching

material

Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre Papilionaceae Karanja Piles, ulcers, seed oil is used in skin diseases, fodder

Porteresia coarctata (Roxb.)

Tateoka

Poaceae Dhani dhana Fodder, sometimes as food grain

Rhizophora apiculata Bl. Rhizophoraceae Rai Astringent for diarrhoea, skin diseases, fodder, bark is

used for tanning, nausea, fuelwood

Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. Rhizophoraceae Rai Hepatitis, diabetes, firewood, tannin

Salicornia brachiata Roxb. Chenopodiaceae Batula Hepatitis, leaves and young shoots are eaten

Salvadora persica L. Salvadoraceae Miriga Leaves are used in salads, Leaf decoction for asthma,

cough, rheumatism

Sesuvium portulacastrum L. Aizoaceae Goda bani Young plants are edible after boiling to remove excess

salt from body

Sonneratia alba J. Smith Sonneratiaceae Orua Skin disorders, vegetable, fodder, timber, fuelwood

Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. Sonneratiaceae Keruan Fruits are edible, fodder, timber, fuelwood

Sonneratia caseolaris (L.) Engler Sonneratiaceae Orua Leaf decoction is used against diarrhoea, fuelwood,

vegetable

Suaeda maritima Dumort Chenopodiaceae Giria saga Hepatitis, eaten as leafy vegetable

Tamarix troupii Hole. Tamaricaceae Jagula Ulcer, sore throat, dysentery,

Terminalia catappa L. Combretaceae Katha Badam Rheumatism, scabies, cutaneous diseases, fruit edible,

gum

Thespesia populnea (L.) Soland ex

Correa

Malvaceae Habali Fodder, dermatitis, scabies, stomach aliments

Xylocarpus granatum Koenig Meliaceae Sisumar Malaria, timber, firewood, Insect bite

Xylocarpus mekongensis Pierre Meliaceae Pitamari Wood for furniture making, source of tannin

Xylocarpus moluccensis (Lamk.)

Roem.

Meliaceae Pitakorua Firewood, malaria fever, tannin extraction

Mangroves are also used by local people as a

pharmaceutical resource. The rural people fully or

partially depend upon the plants surrounded by them

for curing various diseases. The stems and leaves of

Sesuvium portulacastrum are eaten after boiling, to

remove excess of salt from the body. The decoction of

leaves and twigs of Tamarix troupii are used for

sloughing ulcers and their infusion as gargle for sore

throat. Leaf paste of Caesalpinia bonduc is used for

curing jaundice. Leaves of Sonneratia caseolaris,

Rhizophora apiculata and Heritiera littoralis are used

in dysentery. Roots of Acanthus ilicifolius, leaves of

Lumnitzera racemosa and fruits of Nypa fruticans are

useful for treating snake and insect bites. But, now-a-

days Nypa fruticans species is nowhere found in the

sanctuary area and almost placed in rare category due

to over-exploitation by local people. The latex of

Excoecaria agallocha is a strong irritant used for

paralysis. It is injurious to the human eyes when get

contacted, hence called blinding mangrove tree. Some

other species include Rhizophora apiculata (for

nausea and skin diseases), Lumnitzera racemosa (for

asthma), Rhizophora mucronata (for diabetes),

Pongamia pinnata (for piles and scabies), Ceriops

tagal (for malaria fever), Cerbera odollam (for

rheumatism), Avicennia officinalis (for ulcer) and

Acrostichum aureum (for application on wounds and

boils). The flower of Pandanus fascicularis is used in

perfumery industries for extraction of perfumes.

Terminalia catappa yields gum, called as Indian

almond gum. The wood of Xylocarpus mekongensis,

Intsia bijuga, and Aegiceras corniculatum is used for

making furniture. Several trees such as Rhizophora

mucronata, Xylocarpus molluccensis, Bruguiera

cylindrical, etc. are having tannins. Knowledge of

using plants as folk remedies is apparently the result

of transmission from the old to the new generation.

The tradition of using plants for the treatment of some

diseases still continues in this region.

Mangrove forests in this sanctuary area are getting

degraded due to high anthropogenic activities. People

are extracting plants for different medicinal and

economic values. So day-by-day, the mangrove

forests are disappearing. Conservation of the present

vegetation and natural regeneration of the species

having medicine and other socio-economic

importance should be done on top priority. Many

economic plants belonging to either mangroves or

PATTANAIK et al.: ETHNOBOTANY OF MANGROVE FORESTS

603

their associates have become threatened due to over-

exploitation and various human activities. Steps

should be taken for the in-situ and ex-situ

conservation of existing mangrove vegetation.

Acknowledgement Authors are grateful to Deputy Director (RS & GIS

Application Area) and Head, Forestry and Ecology

Division, National Remote Sensing Agency,

Hyderabad for his valuable suggestion and

encouragement. The help received from colleagues of

Forestry and Ecology Division, NRSA and Herbarium

section of RRL, Bhubaneswar are thankfully

acknowledged. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO),

Rajnagar and local people of the wildlife sanctuary is

duly acknowledged for their kind help and co-

operation during the field study.

References

1 Alongi DM, The dynamics of benthic nutrient pools and

fluxes in tropical mangrove forests, J Mar Res, 54 (1996)

123-148.

2 Bandarnayake WM, Traditional and medicinal uses of

mangroves, Mangroves and Salt Marshes, 2 (1998) 133-148.

3 Dahdouh-Guebas F, Mathenge C, Kairo JG & Koedam N,

Utilization of mangrove wood products around Mida Creek

(Kenya) amongst subsistence and commercial users, Econ

Bot, 54 (4) (2000) 513-527.

4 Mishra PK, Sahu JR & Upadilla V, Species diversity in

Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem in Orissa, India, Lyonia, 8

(1) (2005) 73-87.

5 Nayak AK, Pictorial Guide to Mangrove Flora of

Bhitarkanika, (MFD Publication, Bhubaneswar), 2004.

6 Anonymous, Census of India 1991, Series-19, (Directorate of

Census Operations, Bhubaneswar), 1991.

7 Banerjee LK, Vegetation of the Bhitarkanika sanctuary in

Cuttack district, Orissa, India, J Econ Tax Bot, 5 (5) (1984)

1065-1079.

8 Banerjee LK & Rao TA, Mangroves of Orissa Coast and

their Ecology, (Bishen Singh Mahendrapal Singh,

Dehradun), 1990.

9 Choudhury BP, Bhitarkanika: Mangrove swamps, J Env Sci,

3 (1) (1990) 1-16.

10 Choudhury BP, Biswal AK & Subudhi HN, Mangroves of

Orissa and aspects of their conservation, Rheedea, 1 (1991)

62-67.

11 Choudhury BP, Biswal AK & Rath SP, Biodiversity in the

Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary in the state of Orissa, In:

Environment Change and Management, edited by RC

Mohanty, (Kamal Raj Publications, New Delhi), 1995, 53-

60.

12 Saxsena HO & Brahmam M, The Flora of Orissa, Vol I-IV,

(Orissa Forest Development Corporation, Bhubaneswar),

1996.

13 Chadha SK & Kar CS, Bhitarkanika: Myth and Reality,

(Natraj Publishers, Dehradun), 1999.

14 Dhal NK & Rout NC, Few rare, endangered, vulnerable and

threatened mangals from Orissa coast worth conserving, Ecol

Env Consv, 7 (1) (2001) 67-70.

15 Reddy CS, Pattanaik Chiranjibi, Dhal NK & Biswal AK,

Vegetation and floristic diversity of Bhitarkanika National

Park, Orissa, India, Indian Forester, 132 (6) (2006) 664-680.

16 Chopra RN, Nayar SL & Chopra IC, Glossary of Indian

Medicinal Plants, (Publications & Information Directorate,

New Delhi), 1956.

17 Dagar JC & Dagar HS, Mangroves and some coastal plants

in ethnobotany of the tribals of Andaman & Nicobar Islands,

J Andaman Sci Asso, 2 (2) (1986) 33-46.

18 Das HS, Panda PC & Patnaik SN, Traditional uses of

wetland plants of Eastern Orissa, J Econ Tax Bot, Add series,

12 (1996) 306-313.

19 Ravindran KC, Venkatesan K, Balakrishnan V, Chellappan

KP & Balasubrama T, Ethnomedicinal studies of Pichavaram

mangroves of East Coast, Tamil Nadu, India, Indian J

Traditional Knowledge, 4 (4) (2005) 409-411.

20 Subudhi HN, Choudhury BP & Acharya BC, Potential

medicinal plants from Mahanadi delta in the state of Orissa, J

Econ Tax Bot, 16 (1992) 479-487.

21 Gamble JS & Fischer CEC (1915-1935) Flora of Presidency

of Madras, (Adlard & Sons Ltd., London), 1915-1930;

Reprinted edn, 3 Vols, (Botanical Survey of India, Calcuta),

1957.