ABSTRACT
Collection of ethnobotanical information and documentation of traditional knowledge has gained prominence from the prospective of drug development. Few studies have been reported which showed the ethnobotanical prospects and how the medicinal plants have been incorporated into the cultural tradition of local ethnic people of Dakshin Dinajpur district. The major ethnic groups of the district have an old tradition to use natural resources for their day to day life to cure different type of ailments. In West Bengal, some of the remarkable studies in the field of ethnobotany were on lesser known plant food among the tribals of Purulia which was the first publication on ethnobotany from West Bengal. Since interest in traditional medicine has been increasing world over, ethnobotanical studies have gained prominence to explore the traditional knowledge, particularly in developing countries. Among the tribals, Santals are the best in acquiring, maintaining and using traditional knowledge of herbal plants.
