An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Among the Baka Pygmies in the Dja Biosphere Reserve, Cameroon

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted from January to April 1994 in the Dja Biosphere Reserve and its adjacent areas in East and South Provinces in Cameroon. The survey aimed at identifying the plants used in the general pharmacopoeia among the Baka pygmies also using interviews with housewives and mothers who have a rich knowledge on the plants. A total of 102 medicinal plants were recorded from 37 households comprising 97 genera and 51 families. Cough, lactation failure, malaria, wound and toothache were the major ailments treated in these households. To compare the usages of the plant species, an index of performance (Ip) was calculated for each plant species, from the number of citations of treatment actually recorded from the households against the proportion of each plant among the general fl ora. Some plants are widely used in Africa in similar ways. The plants with high Ip are often confi rmed to possess effective medicinal substances in the literature.