Ecological and Ethnobotanical Values of Desert Plants of Malpura, Tonk, Rajasthan

DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 100 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Conference Paper Ecological and Ethnobotanical Values of Desert Plants of Malpura, Tonk, Rajasthan Ramji Lal Kumawat * Research Scholar, Maharaja Ganga Singh University, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India Corresponding Author: *Ramji Lal Kumawat DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17978285 Abstract Manuscript Information Based on various sources, deserts contributed 13 to 33% part of the global terrestrial surface. The desert area is larger than the area of all wetlands and tropical forests combined. The Indian desert, or Thar desert harbor numerous plants, many occurring in wild conditions. The Malpura block covers a large area and contains a diversity of desert plants and animals. Vegetation of Malpura block is diverse in various places, and Sand, hills and water bodies contain biodiversity. In the study area, semi-arid conditions occur in Malpura, and the result is that many desert plants grow in this area. Many desert plants are used as medicines, fuel, food, fodder, making items, etc. The present study and research are to investigate the ecological and ethnobotanical values of many desert plants that belong to different families throughout the year. The major desert plant families were Fabaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Rhamnaceae, Cactaceae, Arecaceae, Liliaceae, Asparagaceae, Amaranthaceae, etc. The most abundant desert plants were Acacia spp. Prosopis cineraria, P. julifora, Crotalaria burhia, Calotropis procera, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Momordica dioica, Corollocarpus epigaeus, Cucumis melo var., Euphorbia caducifolia, Opuntia dillenii, Ziziphus nummularia, Capparis decidua, Aerva persica, Phoenix dactylifera, Aloe vera etc. ▪ ISSN No: 2583-7397 ▪ Received: 12-12-2024 ▪ Accepted: 23-02-2025 ▪ Published: 26-03-2025 ▪ IJCRM:4(SP1); 2025:100-105 ▪ ©2025, All Rights Reserved ▪ Plagiarism Checked: Yes ▪ Peer Review Process: Yes How to Cite this Article Kumawat RL. Ecological and Ethnobotanical Values of Desert Plants of Malpura, Tonk, Rajasthan. Int J Contemp Res Multidiscip. 2025;4(SP1):100-105. Access this Article Online www.multiarticlesjournal.com KEYWORDS: Desert, Wetlands, Malpura, Tropical, Ecological, Ethnobotanical. DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 101 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 1. INTRODUCTION Deserts are rich and dynamic ecosystems that provide a wide range of biodiversity and sustainable life. Deserts cover almost 13 to 33% of the terrestrial surface. “The sandy, stony or rocky substrate contributes more to the appearance of the landscape than does the vegetation” (IUCN). That desert is an arid and semiarid desert of the Indian subcontinent, and it have highest biodiversity compared to other deserts of the world. Semiarid conditions provide good growth of desert plants in the Malpura block, and desert plants play an important role in ecological balances, food sources, fuel for cooking, medicines, timber sources, fodder sources, etc. This research aims to conduct an ecological and ethnobotanical analysis of desert plants to identify their growth duration. Study Area The present study was carried out in the Malpura block. Malpura block is located in the Tonk district, Ajmer division in Rajasthan. This lies between 26.28° N latitude and 75.38° E longitude. Malpura was situated on both sides of the S.H. 12 (Jaipur - Bhilwara highway). C.S.W.R.I. and Shree Kalyanji temple are the most prominent landmarks of Malpura. 2. MATERIAL AND METHODS The desert plants observed throughout the year, and weakly survey was done by regular field trips, and discussed with local people for observation of the ethnobotanical values of plants. The plant specimens were collected along with their flowering parts for preparing herbarium specimens for identification. The collected plants were carefully pressed and poisoned with HgCl2. The collected plants were identified with the help of different flora and consulting regional herbaria (Shah, 1978. Singh and Shetty Vol. Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ 1987, 1991, 1993. Bhandari, 1990; Sharma, 2002. Ethnobotanical values were considered with the help of textbooks (Samba Murty 1989, Subramanyan 1996, Agarwal 1996). 3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Desert plants are ecologically and ethnobotanically very useful and sources of earning for people. Desert plants are base of life in desert regions. A. Ecological values Desert plants are the most biotic components of a desert ecosystem and are important as producers. Desert plants are ecologically valuable, such as - 1. As producers Desert plants produce food and O2 by Photosynthesis and provide food and O2 for other organisms in the desert ecosystem. 2. Air Purification – In a desert ecosystem, desert plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and purify the air. 3. Stop Desertification Many desert plants, such as Acacia, Leptadenia, Saccharum munja, Ziziphus, Argimone and annual plants, increase soil fertility after death and litter fall. The result is good conditions available for growing other plants, and desertification stopped. 4. Protection from Soil Erosion Many desert plants, such as Acacia, Prosopis, Ziziphus, Saccharum munja, Leptadenia, Salvadora, Calotropis, etc., hold soil and protect soil erosion by air and others. 5. As Habit Many desert plants, such as Acacia, Prosopis, Tecomella, Ziziphus, Calotropis, Leptadenia, Balanitis, Maytenus, Abutilon, etc., provide habitats for many desert animals. 6. Recycling of Matter In desert ecosystem biogeochemical recycling by desert plants such as Eucalyptus, Calotropis, Acacia, Argemone, etc., are most purifier in the desert ecosystem. B. Ethnobotanical values Many years ago, people used plants for many purposes, such as 1. As Food People are used to desert plants as food sourcesi) As fruits – Aegle marmelos, Ziziphus, Salvadora, Punica, Rhus, Citrus, Cucumis, Phoenix, etc. are used as fruits. ii) As vegetables - Leaves of Amaranthus, Oxalis, Aloe vera, Euphorbia caducifolia, etc. and tubers of Solanum tuberosum, Ceropegia bulbosa, etc., fruits of Solanum melongena, Cordia dichotoma, Cucumis, Coccinia, Acacia (Patra), Prosopis (Sangri), Capparis, Carissa, Lablab, Cyamopsis, etc. are used as vegetables. • Panch kuta is a mixed vegetable prepared by local people, in this vegetable mixture of fruits of Cucumis melo (Kachari), Acacia senegal (Kumtiya), Capparis decidua (Ker), Prosopis cineraria (Sangri) and Cordia dichotoma (Gunda). 2. As Fodder Leaves of Prosopis cineraria, Acacia (Loom), Ziziphus (Pala), Ailanthus and whole plants such as Launaea, Sonchus, Ipomea, Crotalaria, Echinops, Trianthema, Pennisetum, Cyamopsis, Amaranthus, Convolvulus, and other grasses are used as fodder for cattle. 3. Timber Acacia, Prosopis, Tecomella, Anogeissus, Butea, Ziziphus, Salvadora desert plants provide good-quality timber. Timber of desert trees is utilised in making huts, Agricultural instrument, furniture and building materials. DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 102 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Acacia Senegal Cucumis melo in a date leaf basket Momordica dioica DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 103 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Citrullus colocynthis 4. Fuel for Cooking Dry wood produced by many desert plants, such as Acacia, Prosopis, Ziziphus, Butea, Salvadora and other plants, is used by people for cooking in a clay stove (choolha). 5. Charcoal Acacia, Prosopis, Salvadora, Butea and other desert trees are a source of wood, and this wood is burned in closed stoves in the absence of O2 to prepare charcoal. This process is called pyrolysis. Charcoal is useful in cooking and as toothpaste. 6. Making a Hedge Fence Some spiny desert plants are used in making a hedge fence for the protection of cropland, such as Ziziphus nummularia, Prosopis juliflora, Euphorbia caducifolia, and Maytenus eamarginata. Opuntia dillenii, Balanitis aegyptiaca etc. 7. As Ornamental plants Euphorbia, Adenium, Ipomea, Calotropis, Crinum, Oxalis, Lawsonia, Portulaca, Parkinsonia, Agave, Aloe vera, Bryophyllum, Phoenix, Agle, Bougainvillaea, Butea, Ocimum, Amaranthus, Tinospora, Asparagus, etc. are used as ornamental plants at home, garden and temples. 8. Making Items Leaves of Phoenix dectylifera used in making “date leaf basket”, “palm fan” and “hut roof”, and the stem is used in making agricultural items. • Wood of Acacia, Prosopis, Butea, Tecomella, Anogeissus, etc., used in making wooden items like Kitchen items, wooden toys and decorative items. Tecomella undulata DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 104 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Saccharum munja – Soil holding Opuntia dillenii Leptadenia pyrotechnica 9. As Medicines Desert plants are traditionally used by local people as medicines. • Aloe vera, Prosopis cineraria, Acacia nilotica, Capparis decidua, Aegle marmelos, Citrus aurantium, Cucumis melo, Citrullus Colocynthis, Momordica dioica, Lawsonia inermis, Oxalis, etc. are used in stomach problems and alimentary canals related disease. • Tinospora cordifolia and Ocimum sanctum are used by local people for immunity improvement. DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 105 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ • Euphorbia hirta (dudhi) is used in the treatment of typhoid. • Withania somnifera roots are used for weakness. • Commiphora wightii is the king of medicine because it has multiple disease resistance properties, so it is very critical endangered species in its natural habitat. • Asparagus is used in B.P., jaundice, and cough. 10. Other plant products 1. Gum: The acacia plant produces gum as an excretory material, Gum is used in ulcer treatment and also used in various tasty dishes. 2. Latex: Calotropis, Euphorbia, and some desert plants contain latex. Latex is used in the treatment of boils, cuts, sores, and wounds. 3. Wood Ash: Wood ash is produced after the burning of wood in cooking. Wood ash is used in the cleaning of utensils and also used as an insecticide for crops. Ziziphus nummularia Aloe vera DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 106 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Tinospora cordifolia Agave americana S. No. Botanical Name Family Local Name Useful part Ethnobotanical uses 1. Acacia jacquemontii Benth Fabaceae Karitya Whole plant Timber 2. Acacia leucophloea (Roxb.) Willd Fabaceae Orangjiya Whole plant Timber 3. Acacia nilotica (L.) Willed.ex.Delile Fabaceae Desi buliya Whole plant Timber, gum, Fodder 4. Acacia Senegal (L) Willd. Fabaceae Kheri Whole plant Timber, gum 5. Acacia tortilis (Forssk) Hayne Fabaceae Totles buliya Whole plant Timber 6. Achyranthes aspera (L.) Amaranthaceae Lat jeera, Andhijhada Root Teeth problem 7. Adenium obesum (Forssk) Roem. & Sch. Apocynaceae Registani gulab Whole plant Ornamental 8. Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa Rutaceae Bael Fruit, life In the stomach, B.P. problem 9. Aerva persica (Burm.f.)Merr. Amaranthaceae Safed bui Leaf, fibers Fodder, pillow 10. Agave americana L. Asparagaceae Rambans Whole plant Ornamental 11. Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. Simaroubaceae Aradu Leaf, stem Fodder, fuel 12. Alhagi pseudalhagi (M.Bieb.) Desv.Ex Wan. Fabaceae Jhanwasa Whole plant Hut roof, fodder 13. Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. Liliaceae Gwar patha Sukulant leaves In skin & stomach disease 14. Amaranthus spinosus L. Amaranthaceae Kantili cholai Leaves As vegetable 15. Anogeissus pendula Edgew Combretaceae Dhonkra Stem Timber 16. Argemone mexicana L. Papaveraceae Satyanashi Whole plant In Alkaline soil, malaria, Jaundice 17. Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile. Zygophyllaceae Hingota Stem, fruits Wood, wounds Treatment 18. Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub Fabaceae Chorada Whole plant Fodder, Timber, colour 19. Bougainvillea glabra Choisy Nyctaginaceae Kagaji fool Whole plant Ornamental 20. Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken. Crassulaceae Pattharchatta Leaves In stone disease 21. Calotropis procera (Aiton)W.T.Aiton. Asclepiadaceae Aakda Leaf Latex In Muscle pain, Boil 22. Capparis decidua (Forssk) Edgew Capparaceae Kair Buds, fruit Veg., Pickles 23. Carissa Carands L. Apocynaceae Keruja Fruit Vegetable, Pickles DRA ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2024 ON “SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES” Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 [Special Issue 1] Year 2025 107 © 2025 Ramji Lal Kumawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 24. Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb. Asclepiadaceae Khadula Tuber, Leaf Veg., In stone treatment 25. Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. Cucurbitaceae Papadpinda Fruit In Digestive problem 26. Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle Rutaceae Nimbu Juicy fruit In Pickles, Juice 27. Cleome viscosa L. Cleomaceae Kukad bhungda Whole plant In Fewer, Ulcer 28. Coccinia grandis (L.)Voigt Cucurbitaceae Kundru Fruit Vegetable, Pickles 29. Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari Burseraceae Googal Gummy resin In Medicines, Perfume 30. Convolvulus arvensis L. Convolvulaceae Hiran khuri Whole plant Fodder 31. Corallocarpus epigaeus (Rottl.) C.B.Clark Cucurbitaceae Mirchiya kand Tuber In Snake bite, Psoriasis 32. Crinum asiaticum L. Amaryllidaceae Koli kanda Whole plant In Pain, Vomiting, Wounds 33. Crotalaria burhia Buch-Hum Fabaceae Lagriya Whole plant In Ropes, Sheds, and Huts 34. Cucumis melo L. Cucurbitaceae Kakdi, Kachari Fruit Vegetable, Fruit 35. Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub. Fabaceae Gwar Fruit, Seed Vegetable, Gwar gum 36. Datura stramonium L. Solanaceae Dhatura Whole plant In Pain, Surgery 37. Echinops echinatus Roxb. Asteraceae Kantila Whole plant Fodder, in Fever 38. Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Myrtaceae Safeda Stem Timber 39. Euphorbia caducifolia Haines Euphorbiaceae Ghotathor Leaf, Latex Vegetable, Wounds 40. Euphorbia hirta L. Euphorbiaceae Badi dudhi Leaf, Latex In Typhoid 41. Ipomoea pestigridis L. Convolvulaceae Dangdela Whole plant Fodder 42. Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. Convolvulaceae Shakkar kand Root Vegetable, Dishes 43. Launaea resedifolia (L.) Kuntze Asteraceae Jungali gobhi Whole plant Fodder, Ringworm 44. Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forssk.) Decne Asclepiadaceae Khimf Stem, Latex Hut, Ropes, Ringworm 45. Momordica dioica Roxb. exWilled. Cucurbitaceae Kakoda Fruit Vegetable 46. Maytenus emarginata (Willd.) Ding hou Celastraceae Kankera Stem Coal, Mouthwash 47. Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. Cactaceae Naag fani Whole plant Hedge fence 48. Ocimum americanum L. Lamiaceae Nagad bapchi Whole plant Mosquitoes repellent 49. Parkinsonia aculeata L. Fabaceae Ram Baval Whole plant Hedge, Ornamental 50. Pedalium murex L. Pedaliaceae Bada gokharu Whole plant In Urinary disease, Dish 51. Pennisetum americanum (L.) Tzvelcv Poaceae Bajra Whole plant Fodder, Millet 52. Pergularia daemia (Forssk.) chiov. Asclepiadaceae Dudheli Leaf In Muscular pain, Tumour 53. Phoenix dactylifera L. Arecaceae Khajur Whole plant Items, Fruit, Broom 54. Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce Fabaceae Khejdi Whole plant Timber, Fodder, Vegetable 55. Prosopis juliflora (SW.) DC. Fabaceae Vilayti buliya Whole plant Timber, Fuel, Coal 56. Punica granatum L. Lythraceae Anar Fruit Fruit 57. Rhus mysorensis (G.Don) Kuntze Anacardiaceae Dansara Fruit Fruit 58. Saccharum munja Poaceae Munj, Paani Whole plant Hut, Roof, Broom, Fan 59. Salvadora oleoides Decne Salvadoraceae Jaal White plant Fruit, timber 60. Solanum melongena L. Solanaceae Bengan Fruit Vegetable 61. Solanum surattense Burm.f Solanaceae Kantili Fruit In Muscular pain 62. Solanum tuberosum L. Solanaceae Aaloo Tuber Vegetable, Dishes 63. Tecomella undulata (Sm.) Seem Bignoniaceae Rohida Whole plant Timber, Flower, wounds 64. Tinospora cordifolia (Thumb.) Miers Menispermaceae Giloy Whole plant Fever, Immunity tonic 65. Tribulus terrestris L. Zygophyllaceae chhota gokharu Whole plant Piles 66. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal Solanaceae Ashwagandha Whole plant In weakness REFERENCES 1. A weekly survey was conducted through regular field trips, and plants were identified using Shah (1978) and e-flora. 2. Odum EP. Fundamentals of ecology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co.; 1971. 3. Sharma NK. The flora of Rajasthan. Jaipur (India): Aavishkar Publishers and Distributors; 2002. 4. Shetty BV, Pandey RP. Flora of Tonk district, Rajasthan. Calcutta: Botanical Survey of India; 1983, 1991, 1993. 5. Shetty BV, Singh V. Flora of Rajasthan. Vol I, II, III. Flora of India Series 2. Howrah: Botanical Survey of India; 1987, 1991, 1993. 6. Bannerman RH, Burton J, Wen Chieh C. 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CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS ▪ Desert Research Association (DRA), Headquarters – Jodhpur ▪ Nehru Study Centre, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur ▪ Government Girls College, Jhalamand (Jodhpur) ▪ Department of Geography, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Government College, Sri Ganganagar In Collaboration with Kalinga University, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) Disclaimer: The views, opinions, statements, and conclusions expressed in the papers, abstracts, presentations, and other scholarly contributions included in this conference are solely those of the respective authors. The organisers and publisher shall not be held responsible for any loss, harm, damage, or consequences — direct or indirect — arising from the use, application, or interpretation of any information, data, or findings published or presented in this conference. All responsibility for the originality, authenticity, ethical compliance, and correctness of the content lies entirely with the respective authors.