Quantitative ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Mullu Kuruma community of Wayanad, the Southern Western Ghats, India

The traditional ethnomedicinal knowledge of the Mullu Kurama tribes, one of the oldest tribal communities in Wayanad, India, holds considerable significance. Indigenous communities in the Western Ghats have developed extensive ethnomedicinal knowledge through sustained interactions with local biodiversity. However, socioeconomic changes, reduced intergenerational knowledge transmission, and conservation challenges increasingly threaten their traditional knowledge (TK) of medicinal plants. This study aims to validate the ethnomedicinal plants used by these communities and assess their medicinal applications through quantitative analysis. Ethnobotanical data were collected through field visits, direct observation, semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and a standardized questionnaire administered to traditional healers and community members. A total of 130 medicinal plant species, representing 121 genera and 55 families, were identified. Fabaceae was the most represented family, followed by Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. Herbs constituted the predominant growth form, and leaves were the most frequently used plant parts. Centella asiatica exhibited the highest use value (UV) of 1.84 and a relative frequency of citation (RFC) of 0.085, followed by Asparagus racemosus , Mangifera indica , and Plectranthus amboinicus . Informant consensus factor (ICF) values ranged from 0.72 to 0.94, with the highest consensus observed for hair care and dermatological disorders. Sixty-seven species demonstrated a 100% fidelity level (FL), indicating strong therapeutic specificity. Family importance value (FIV) ranged from 0.046 to 10.64, with Asteraceae attaining the highest value. Cross-cultural analysis revealed low Jaccard similarity index (JSI) values, ranging from 7.89% to 17.83%, in comparison with other Wayanad tribes. The findings highlight the richness, specificity, and cultural distinctiveness of Mullu Kuruma ethnomedicinal knowledge. Medicinal plants identified as culturally significant through quantitative indices are promising candidates for future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations. Responsible harvesting, conservation, and intergenerational transmission of indigenous knowledge are essential to maintain medicinal plant diversity and traditional health care practices.