Plant Archives Vol. 12 No. 2, 2012 pp.

627-638

ISSN 0972-5210

ETHNOBOTANICAL PRACTICES AMONG THE PEOPLE OF OKAAKOKO, NIGERIA

O. O. Obata* and E. I. Aigbokhan1
College of Life Sciences, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin, P.M.B. 1154, Benin City, Nigeria.

Abstract
The use of plants by indigenous peoples all over the world has been underreported and this prevents the scientific community
from benefiting from traditional knowledge which has taken centuries to develop in the form we know them today. This paper
reports on the knowledge and useful application of various plant species by the people of Oka Akoko, in Ondo State, Nigeria.
A survey obtained from random interviews and consultations from local herbalist and others knowledgeable on the general
use of plants in the area revealed a total of 85 plant species belonging to 43 families. Members of Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae,
and Moraceae were the most represented plants with (5), (5) and (4) species respectively. The plants were utilized for diverse
uses including; medicine, talisman, security, goodwill and romance and other miscellaneous uses in religious and cultural
ceremonies. This inventory of ethnobotanical plants of Oka Akoko, is hoped would extend the knowledge base of the
economic importance and medical potentials of some of plants reported here.
Key words : Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, Oka Akoko, Ondo state.

Introduction
Background
Since orthodox medicine diverged from herbalism in
the early 15th century as a prelude to modern civilization
and technological advancement, a sizeable proportion up
to 75% to 90% of the rural population worldwide still
continues to rely on herbal medicine as an alternative or
only health care of choice (Levetin and McMahon, 1999).
According to Alves and Rosa (2005), 80% of the world
general population relies on traditional medicine as their
source of primary healthcare.
In traditional herbal medicine, plants and their extracts
play an important role in the treatment of various illnesses.
Many of the wild plants also have multiple uses: for
example providing nutrients, adding to dietary variety,
feeding livestock or providing medication for human and
livestock (Ogle et al., 2003). According to Olapade
(2002), there is no doubt in the fact that plants are very
effective in the treatment of diseases.
Traditional medicine as defined by the World Health
Organization is the total combination of knowledge and
practices, whether explicable or not used in diagnosing,

preventing or eliminating physical, mental and social

causes of social causes of diseases and disabilities
(Adodo, 2005). In Nigeria, herbal healing is still widely
practiced in rural as well as urban areas due to shortages
of drugs and insufficient means to visit established medical
centers (Adodo, 2005). Herbalism remains a common
occupation in most suburban parts of Nigeria and the
rest of Africa till date (Idu et al., 2007) just as it is still
popular in China, India (Adodo, 2003). According to
Marco et al. (2003) and Lewis (2003), research on
medicinal and other useful plants used in indigenous society
has been driven by two complementary interests: the use
of such information for research in the field of natural
sciences, especially with regards to new bioactive
natural products derived from plants and the use of plant
extracts in primary health care.
Oka Akoko is located in Ondo State, Nigeria and
populated by predominantly people of the Yorubas
extraction. From anecdotal evidences, the Oka Akoko
people believe that all diseases have natural cures and as
such use plants for medicine, which may sometimes be
accompanied by rituals and sacrifices.

*Author for correspondence: E-mail-oluwatosin.obata@abdn.ac.uk

The practitioners of herbal medicine in Oka Akoko

that were interviewed included full-time herbalists

628

O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan

popularly called Babalawo most of who are revered

for their believed ability to communicate with the spirit
world and could for-tell the future. Others are district
heads, family heads, old men and women who by long
time exposure to the use of plants have become familiar
with most of their effectiveness and uses. A few young
men also learnt the practice from their grand parents.
Market women who sell some of the remedies were also
interviewed.
Some of the reported contributions on traditional
medicinal plants in Nigeria in literature include: among
the Yoruba (western Nigeria ) Sofowora (1993), Adekunle
(2001), Gill (1990), reports on northern Nigeria include,
Idu et al. (2003 ), Idu and Olorunfemi (2000), Idu and
Omoruyi, (2003), Idu et al. (2008) and Nwosu (1998)
reported the use of medicinal plants in Eastern Nigeria.
However, no specific record of the ethnobotanical
practices of the people of Oka Akoko in Ondo State has
been reported. Although situated in Yoruba land, it is also
common knowledge that even with similar linguistic
groups, the way and manner plants are used in each
community is known to differ from place to place. The
aim of this study therefore is to present the first specific
records on the ethnobotanical practices of the people of
Oka Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria.

Materials and Methods

Description of the study area
Oka Akoko is sub-urban town and the current
administrative headquarter of Akoko South West local
government area of Ondo State, Nigeria. It is made up
of five parts namely; Oke Oka (the biggest part), Iwaro
Oka, Ayegunle Oka, Simerin Oka, and Uba Oka. It is
located on the latitude 7.220N and longitude 5.480E of
the map (fig. 1). Oka Akoko is an agricultural trade center
for the region; its chief products are cassava, cocoa, palm
oil and kola nuts. The city is accessible by highways linking
to Ibadan and Lagos as well as Abuja. Notable geological
features of Oka Akoko region are the steep-sided, domeshaped mountains that dominate the landscape. In the
past, these rock outcroppings served as outposts to defend
the town from enemies.
Collection and identification of plants
Oral surveys were conducted on the general use of
plants in the area and most of the target contacts were
herbalists, traditional healers, district heads, market
women and some elderly people and a few others vast in
the oral history and traditions of the area. Notes were
taken and plant samples were collected, labeled and kept
in polythene bags.

Field trips to the surrounding bushes and forest

locations were conducted in search of specific examples
of plants mentioned. Visits to farms, villages and forests,
where discussions were held with men and women who
were known to be especially knowledgeable on the
general use of plants in their areas. The selection of sites
was geographically widespread to obtain a good sampling
of the entire population. Photographs of most of the plants
were taken to assist with identification. The offer of
financial incentives and gifts greatly facilitated the ease
with which some of the informants divulged their
knowledge of ethnomedicinal practices. The study was
carried out during both dry and rainy season.
Plant species were first identified using the local
Yoruba names and later matched with their respective
scientific classifications. Plants whose identity were in
doubt were collected, preserved in plant press and later
identified using the weed identification manual (Akobundu
and Agyakwa, 1998) and other literatures include;
Blackwell (1990), Dipe (2004), Duprjez and De Leener
(1992), Idu and Omoigui (1999), Gill (1990), Nakasone
and Paul (1999), Osagie and Eka (1998) and Soladoye et
al. (2005). Plant inventory were organized under three
categories (medicine, myth and magic and miscellaneous
including cultural ceremonies) and arranged in alphabetical
order beginning with family, scientific and local names,
occurrence, plant part used and preparation and uses.

Results
Eighty five (85) plants belonging to forty three (43)
families were listed from the study. Plants used for medical
purposed are shown in table 1, those employed in folklore
and magic (table 3) and plants for miscellaneous purposes
(table 4). Table 2 contains different plant(s) used for the
same ailments. Most of the plants are being used in
medicine with majority of the remedies prepared from
single plant sources. A few remedies were prepared from
a combination of more than one plants. Fig. 2 also showed
the proportions of plant types used in the communities
where over 50% of the plants were herbs. The survey
also included the local names, common names, Botanical
description, habitat and uses.

Discussion and Conclusion

This study provides a detailed inventory of plants used
for food, medicine and magic by the Oka-Akoko people
of Ondo State, Nigeria. No known documentation of the
ethnobotanical plants for this people has been previously
reported in the literature. This report on use of plants by
the Oka-Akoko people therefore helps to bridge the gap
of lack of documentation of folk knowledge of indigenous

Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria

629

Fig. 1 : Maps showing the study area in Ondo State (Inset Nigeria and State location).

difference being the use of Phyllanthus amarus,

Corchorus olitorius, Adansonia digitata for
medicine and Ficus thonningii, Milicia excelsa
and Adansonia digitata in myth and magic, which
appear to be unique for the Oka-Akoko people
and based on reports in the literature, not widely
practiced elsewhere in other Yoruba areas.
Edeoga et al. (2005), reported that plants of the
genus Euphorbia are used for cough, asthma and
hay fever contrary to their use as anti-microbial
agent in the treatment of wound in the community.

Fig. 2 : Proportion of plant use in the study area.

peoples earlier highlighted by Zent et al. (2004) and Idu

et al. (2006).
This paper is relevant in historical as well as in the
present day context because some plants found in Oka
Akoko have now been discovered to be useful especially
in the area of medicine for example, of the 85 plants
encountered during this compilation, 84 were found to be
medicinal, of which the Euphobiaceae and Astereceae
are the most prominent.
The list of plants use by the Oka-Akoko people are
in consonant with earlier reports (Adekunle, 2001; Dipe,
2004 and Olapade, 2002), who have reported extensively
of the use of plants by the Yorubas as a group. The only

Most times, two or more plants may be

combined for enhanced effectiveness contrary to
the views of Adodo (2003) that combination of
two or more plants may lessen the effectiveness
of the preparation. In some cases, different parts of plants
may be used to cure different ailments and in others,
different plants may be employed by different herbal
practitioners in the treatment of the same ailments. For
instance; Lannea acida, Aspilia africana, Heliotropium
indicum, Phyllanthus amarus Gossypium hirsutum,
Ficus sycamore, Paulinia pinnata are used partly or
wholly in the treatment of dysentery.
For religious worship, plants play a very important
role in the lives of Oka people and as such are celebrated
and even worshipped. A notable example is the white
yam (Dioscorea rotundata) which is usually celebrated
annually as Yam Festival on the first Saturday of August.
This festival has grown to become one of the most
important events that bring the Oka people together

Bomubomu
Ewe abere

S
H
H
H

H
S
T

Aspilia Africana Pers.

Chromolaena odorata (L.)

Ageratum conyzoides L.

Vernonia amygdalina Del.

Bignoniaceae
Kigelia Africana (Lam)
Benth.
Pandoro

Ewuro

Pakududu

Ominira

Yanyan

Ope

Koko poso

Arecaceae
Elaeis guineensis Jacq.
Asclepiadaceae
Calotropis procera L.
Asteraceae
Biden pilosa Linn.

Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott

Rauvolfia vomitoria Afzel.

Araceae

Alatapara

S
Asofeyeje

Abo

Kasu

T
Agbelepota
Mangoro
Okikan

Efo elegun
Ima agbo

H
H

T
T
T

Local name

Habit

Lannea acida A. Juss

Mangifera indica L.
Pseudosporandias
microcarpa (A.Juss) Engl.
Annonaceae
Annona senegalensis Pers.
Apocynaceae
Alstonia boonei De Willd.

Scientific name
Amarantheceae
Amaranthus spinosus L.
Pupalia lappacea (L) Juss
Anacardiaceae
Anacardium occidentale L.

Table 1 :

Wild

Wild/cultivated

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild/cultivated

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild
Cultivated/Wild
Wild

Cultivated

Wild
Wild

Occurrence

Bark
Leaves

Leaves

Leaves

Shoot
Leaves

Shoot

Fruits

Leaves

Bark

Leaves

Roots, leaves
and bark

Leaves
Roots

Leaves

Nut
Leaves
Leaves
Bark and Leaves
Leaves and bark

Shoot
Fruit & Leaves

Part used

Boil in water
Boil in water

Cook with soup

Squeeze leaves to get the juice

Boil in water
Squeeze the sap and apply to
affected parts

Cook with soup

Grind into gin

Cook with beans

Boil in water with other materials

Squeeze leaf to get juice

Grind the together and cook

without oil

Cook with soup

Cook with soup

Squeeze the leaf and get the juice

Liquid extract
Boil in water
Cook in soup
Boil in water
Cook with soup

Boil in water
Leaf extract

Preparation

Table 1 continued....

Syphilis and gonorrhea

Chest pain

Fever and stomach upsets

Diarrhea

Malaria fever
To treat fresh wounds

Dysentery

Epilepsy

Insomnia

To cure ulcer and menstrual pains.

To strengthen premature babies

Mental disorders and yellow fever

For healthy pregnancy

Insomnia & mental illnesses

To cure skin diseases

Fresh severe wounds

Malaria fever
Stomach upset
Typhoid fever
Chest pain

Snake bite and gonorrhea

Severe headache

Uses

630
O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan

Ceiba petandra (L.) Gaertn

Eko omode

H
T
V

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

Caricaceae
Carica papaya Linn.

Combretaceae
Combretum hispidum Laws.

Convolvulaceae
Ipomoea batatas L.

S
H

Euphorbiaceae
Croton zambesicus Muell.

Euphorbia hirta Linn.

Telfaria occidentalis L.

Dioscoreaceae
Dioscorea dumetorum
(Knuth) Pax.

Cucurbitaceae
Momordica charantia L.

Uyun

Senna occidentalis (L.) Link.

Crassulaceae
Bryophylum pinnatum
(Lam.) Oken.

Sese orisa

Senna hirsuta (L.) Irwin &

Berneby

Emile

Ajekobale

Esuru

Kukunduku

Ugu

Ejirin

Abamoda

Ogan

Ibepe

Opako

Araba

Ose

Akoko

Senna alata (L.) Irwin & Berneby H

Caesalpinaceae

Adansonia digitata (L.) Gaertn.

Bombaceae

Newbouldia laevis Seem.

Table 1 continued....

Wild

Wild

Wild/cultivated

Often cultivated

Cultivated

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Latex
Whole plant

Leaves and fruits

Leaves

Leaves

Leaves

Whole plants

Leaves

Whole plant

Roots

Leaves & fruits

Leaves

Leaves

Leaves

Leaves
Bark (dry)

Bark
Leaves + fruits

Leaves

Spread on the surface

Cook with soup

Squeeze in bathing water

Boil in water

Wash and squeeze in water and

drink

Squeeze in water sieve and drink

Cook with soup

Heat the leaves on hot stone till

soft, squeeze and apply to the
navel

Boil in water

Cook with soup

Boil in water

Boil in water

Squeeze leaves to get juice and

apply to affected parts
Cook without oil

Boil in water

Boil in water
Grind

Boil in water
Cook with soup

Squeeze in water

Table 1 continued....

To remove painful thorns(antibiotic)

Induce milk flow in nursing mothers

For strength and agility

Relieve pains

To cure severe headache and

hypertension

As blood supplement

To treat diarrhea

To heal babies navel and other

wounds

Eye defects

Gonorrhea

Poisoning and malaria fever

Typhoid fever

For eczema and other skin diseases

Eye problems

Headache and fever

Wounds

To strengthen premature babies

To treat asthma

Eye defect

Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria

631

Gbigban
Sese

H
H
H

Phylanthus floribundus L.
Fabaceae
Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.

Baphia nitida Lodd.

Irvingiaceae
Irvingia gabonensis
(Rorke) Baill.

Kasia
Uya
Iru
Oridan

T
T
T
T

Ocimum gratissimum Linn.

Fabaceae
Cassia siamea Lam.

Daniellia oliveri Hutch & Dalz.

Parkia biglobossa Kaey

Teterpleura tetraptera
(Schum &Thonn.) Taub

Meliaceae
Azadirachta indica A. Juss.
Dongoyaro

Wild

Wild

Sida acuta Burm. F.

Isisanran

Adodo pupa Cultivated

Hibiscus rosa sinensis Linn.

Wild, cultivated

Owu

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Cultivated

Cultivated

Wild

Wild, cultivated

Wild

Cultivated

Wild

Wild

Wild

Malvaceae
Gossypium hirsutum Linn.

Arunbaba

Efirin

Ocimum basilicum Linn.

Sanmurin

Lamiaceae
Hyptis suaveolens Poit.

Iro

Irosun

Atayinso

Phyllanthus amarus Shum.

& Thorn.

Lapalapa

Jatropha curcas Linn.

Table 1 continued....

Bark and leaves

Leaves

Leaves
Flower bud

Leaves

Seeds

Fruits

Bark & leaves

Bark

Bark, leaves &

fruits

Leaves
without oil

Leaves

Leaves

Bark

Leaves

Leaves

Whole plant

Whole plant

Latex

To cure stomach problems

Boil in water and used to bath

To cure

To cure convulsions

To cure malaria fever

To prevent miscarriage in pregnant

For fever & cough

To kill mosquito

For diarrhea and stomach pains

associated with menstruation

To prevent miscarriages in pregnant

To cure yellow fever

To cure dysentery

Hypertension & dysentery

Antidote for snake poison

Boil in water

Squeeze the leaves to get the sap

To treat malaria
Table 1 continued....

To cure tuberculosis

Decoction is made from the leaves To cure stomach upsets

Grind to paste
To soften boils and treat bumps.

Grind to paste and apply to the

To cure severe headache
forehead
Decoction is made from the leaves To treat dysentery and gonorrhea

Use to cook soup and drink

Boil in water and bath

various skin infections and burns

Soak in water and drink

Boil in water to drink & bath

Cook in soup with other materials

women

Squeeze in water, sieve and drink

Dry and pour on hot coal

Cook with soup without oil

Cook leaves with soup

women

Boil in water to bath and drink

Use to cook soup

Cook with other plants with oil

Apply to the surface

632
O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan

Papavaraceae
Argenome mexicana Linn.

H
H

Poaceae
Eleusine indica Gaertn.

Cymbopogon citralis Linn.

Rubiaceae
Mitracarpus villosus
(S.W.) D.C.

Rutaceae
Citrus aurantifolia
(Christm.) Swingle.

Myrtaceae
Psidium guajava Linn.

Portulacaceae
Talinum triangulare
(Jacq.) Willd.

Musaceae
Musa sapientum Linn.

Iroko

Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C.C Berg.

Piperaceae
Peperomia pellucida (L.)
H.B & K.

Odan

Ficus thonningii Blume.

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Tanjarinni

Ewe ifo

Ewe tii

Gbagi

Gbure

Renren

Mafowokan
omo mi

Goloba

Whole plant

Leaves

Leaves

Latex

Leaves and roots

Leaves

Latex

Leaves and bark

Bark and latex

Bark and leaves

Shoot

Bark and leaves

Cultivated

Wild

Fruits

Leaves

Usually cultivated Leaves

Wild

Often wild

Wild

Wild

Wild/Cultivated

Ogede wewe Cultivated

Sikamore

Ficus sycamore Linn.

Iwin eran

Patanmo

Oganwo

Bosqueia angolensis Ficalho.

Moraceae

Mimosaceae
Mimosa pudica Linn.

Khaya senegalensis (Dest.)

A.Juss.

Table 1 continued....

Its taken as an antidote for poison

and snake bite.

To treat high fever

To soften boil and treat bumps

To treat fresh wounds.

To treat breast pain

For breast enlargement

To treat leprosy

To curb infertility in women

To treat dysentery and sore throat

To treat black tongue and diarrhoea

To treat fibroid and remove worm in

women

To treat yellow fever

Table 1 continued....

To cure eczema and other skin

infections
Heat and bore hole in and insert To treat whitlow
the affected finger into the whole

Squeeze with fingers and apply

to affected areas

Boil the leaves in water and drink To cure typhoid fever

materials and mix with kernel oil

seeds of alligator pepper and other

Grind some dry plants with the

Squeeze in water and use to rub

the body

Grind to paste and apply to the

affected parts

Apply to the affected parts

Use to prepare soup

Tie around the chest

Use to rub the affected parts

Use the to cook soup

Use to prepare decoction

Use to prepare decoction

Boil in water

Boil in water and drink

Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria

633

H
T
T
H

Nicotiana tabacum L.

Sterculiaceae
Cola acuminata (P.Beauv.)
Shott &Endl.

Theobroma cacao Linn.

Tiliaceae
Corchorus olitorius Linn.

H Herb, T Tree, S Shrub, V- Vine.

Zingiberaceae
Aframomum melegueta
K. Schum

Solanum nigrum Linn.

Verbernaceae
Vitex doniana Sweet.

Solanaceae
Capsicum frutescens L.

Scrophulariaceae
Scoporia dulcis L.

Ulmaceae
Trema orientalis (L) Blume

Paullinia pinnata L.

Sapindaceae
Blighia sapida Konig.

Triumfeta cordifolia A.Rich

Fagara zanthoxyloides Lam

Citrus sinensis Osbek.

Glypheae brevis (Spreng.)

Monachino

Citrus limon Linn.

Table 1 continued....

Atare

Oriri

Ofe

Etido

Atori

Ewedu

Koko

Obi abata

Taba

Odu

Ata wewe

Ipa

Alalamodin

Isin

Seyinra

Orombo

Osan wewe

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Cultivated

Cultivated

Cultivated

Wild

Wild

Cultivated

Wild

Wild

Wild

Wild

Cultivated

Cultivated

Seeds

Leaves and bark

Leaves

Leaves

Dry leaves

Shoot

Bark

Seeds

Leaves

Leaves

Fruits

Leaves

Shoot

Bark and leaves

Bark

Peels from fruits

Fruits

Eaten with kola nut

Boil in water and taken

Boil in water to bath the baby

Use to prepare decoction

Grind to powder and poured

into gin

Boil in water and use the water

to bath the child

Boil in water

Grind to powder and apply to

affected parts

Squeeze and apply to the anus

Squeeze and apply to the eyes

Grind to paste and apply to

affected areas

Warm and squeeze the leaves

and apply to affected parts

Use to cook soup

Use to cook soup

Grind to paste and apply to

the joints

Burn on hot coal

Extract the juice and boil

To cure cough, it is also used in the

preparation of various decoctions

To treat high blood pressure.

To make babies walk on time

For stomach upsets

To treat gonorrhea

To curb infants killer diseases

Use as blood supplement

To treat wounds

To treat typhoid fever

To treat eye problems

To treat a severe skin

infection (ata)

To treat bumps

To treat dysentery and stomach pains

To treat fibroid and abnormal

pregnancy

To treat rheumatism

As mosquito repellant

As pain reliever and for abortion

634
O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan

Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria

635

Table 2 : Plants used for different ailments.

Ailments
Asthma
Babies umbilical cord
Babies to walk
Black tongue
Blood supplement
Breast enlargement
Breast pain
Chest pain
Convulsion
Cough
Diabetes
Diarrhea
Dysentery
Eczema and skin diseases
Epilepsy
Eye problems
Fever (malaria, yellow,
typhoid)
Gonorrhea & syphilis
Headache
Healthy pregnancy &
miscarriage prevention
Hypertension & high
blood pressure
Induce abortion
Infant killer diseases
Infertility
Insomnia
Kill mosquito
Leprosy
Menstrual pain
Mental illness
Pain reliever
Poison
Rheumatism
Ringworm
Snakebite
Sore throat
Stomach ache
Strengthen babies
Tuberculosis
Ulcer
Whitlow
Wounds

Plant(s) used
Adansonia digitata
Bryophylum pinnatum
Trema orientalis
Bosqueia angolensis
Thoebroma cacao
Kigelia africana
Psidium guajava
Pseudosporandias microcarpa, Kigelia africana
Daniellia oliveri
Ocimum basilium, Aframomum. Meleguata
Aframomum meleguata, Ceiba petandra
Ageratum conyzoides, Irvingia gabonensis, Bosqueia angolensis
Lannea acida, Aspilia africana, Heliotropium indicum, Phyllanthus amarus, Gossypium
hirsutum, Ficus sycamore, Paullinia pinnata
Annona senegalensis, Perkia clappertoniana, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Peperomia pellucida,
Mitracarpus villosus, Capsicum frutescens
Biden pilosa
Newbouldia laevis, Senna alata, Solanum nigrum
Mangifera indica, Nicotiana tabacum, Cymbopogons citralis, Chromolaena odorata, Ceiba
petandra, Ocimum basilium, Cassia siamea, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Azadirachta indica,
Glyphaea brevis.
Amaranthus spinosus, Kigelia africana, Gossypium hirsutum, Glyphaea brevis, Aframomum
melegueta, Carica. papaya, Kola cuminata
Pupalia lappacae, Ceiba petandra, Gossypium hirsutum, Ipomoea batatas.
Alstonia boonei, Ocimum gratissimum, Mimosa pudica
Phylanthus amarus, Vitex doniana, Ipomoea batatas
Carica papaya, Citrus limon
Corchorus olitorius
Ficus thonningii, Blighia sapida
Alstonia boonei, Calotropis procera
Hyptis suaveolens, Citrus sinensis
Milicia excelsa
Elaeis guineensis
Alstonia boonei, Ravolfia vomitoria
Citrus limon
Eleusine indica, Jatropha caucus, Caesalpinia pulcherima
Ficus zanthoxyloides, Aframomum melegueta
Solanum nigrum
Amarathus spinosus, Eleusine indica, Jatropha caucus
Ficus sycamorus
Lannea acida, Eleusine indica, Irvingia gabonensis, Tetrapleura tetraptera Hibiscus rosasinensis, Paullinia pinnata, Vernonia amygdalina, Triumfeta Cordifolia
Colocasia esculenta, Adansonia digitata
Sida acuta
Elaeis guineensis
Citrus aurantifolia
Chromolaena odorata, Anacardium occidentale, Ceiba petandra, Argenome mexicana, Cola
acuminata

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O. O. Obata and E. I. Aigbokhan

Table 3 : Some plants used in magic by the people of Oka Akoko.

Scientific name

Local name

Preparation and uses

Aframomun melegueta

Atare

Grind the dry seeds and pour in a bottle of dry gin. It is taken to stop the effect of
thunder bolt (magun)

Colocasia esculenta

Koko poso

The leaves are burnt with other materials and blow into the atmosphere to stop
rainfall

Cola acuminata

Obi abata

The seeds are chewed and spit on the ground to appease the gods of the forests
and request for the use of the plants to be used. It is believed that without the
consent of these gods, the plants species will not be effective

Croton zambesicus

Ajekobale

Its dry leaves and fruits are burnt with other materials to chase away witches and
evil spirits from the vicinity

Elaeis guineensis

Ope

Fresh leaves, the bark with clean roots are soaked in water for 2days and taken to
enhance immunity against demonic and spiritual attacks

Ficus thonningii

Odan

The dry leaves are ground with black soap to bath twice daily for goodwill,
success, promotion and seduction

Glyphaea brevis

Atorin

Grind the fruits and cook with soup to be eaten by a woman who desires a male
child

Kigelia africana

Pandoro

The fruits are used to rub the breast by ladies with smaller breast to increase the
size

Milicia excels

Iroko

The leaves and bark are boiled in water and use to bath twice daily to gain
immunity against demonic and spiritual attacks. It is highly revered and
worshipped for protection

Musa sapientum

Ogede

The dry leaves and latex are used with other materials to enhance resistance
against attacks madarikan.

Newbouldia laevis

Akoko

Dry leaves are ground and burnt with other materials to protect against the
influence of witches and evil spirits

Tetrepleura tetreptera

Oridan

Dry pods burnt with other materials to chase away witches, evil spirits and snakes

Trema orientalis

Ofe

The leaves and fruits are boiled in water with other materials to make people
disappear and reappear at will

Uraria picta

Alupayida

The fresh leaves are chewed and swallowed, whatever one says that day before
noon will come to pass.

annually. The Olubaka of Oka land is usually the Chief

Celebrant of the festival which takes place in his palace.
Other important plants that are worshipped in the
communities include: Adansonia digitata and Milicia
excelsa. Kola nuts (Cola acuminata) is widely used for
prayers to the gods of the forest before plant materials
are collected. It is also used to pray for blessing during
wedding and naming ceremonies.
This, in addition to other spiritual beliefs and practices
of the people has made it relevant to their sustainability
in the community till this day, and has contributed towards
the enrichment of their unique cultural heritage. It was
observed that almost all the known diseases of the tropical
region which affect the people has natural cures, this has
led to the continuity of the practice among the people till
today. Nearly all the 38 known health problem in the

community have their solution traced partly or wholly to

the use of plants. The popularity of the practice therefore
attests to its efficacy among the people.
I agree with Adodo (2004) that the challenge for
todays scientific community is to sift out the fetish and
superstitious issues from our inherited deposits of
knowledge of traditional medicine without throwing away
the truth which our people had developed over the
millennia.
Effects of forest depletion on plants availability for
medicinal purposes
Oka-Akoko located in a once flourishing tropical
rainforest is now under serious threat, due to uncontrolled
anthropogenic activities such as exploitation for lumber,
road and structural constructions and farmlands which

Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Oka- Akoko, Nigeria

637

Table 4 : Some plants used for other purposes on Oka Akoko.

Scientific name

Local name

Preparation and uses

Citrus sinensis

Orombo

Dry peels are burnt on hot coal to scare mosquito.

Newbouldia laevis

Akoko

It is a royal plant used as sign of blessing and honour during coronation of chiefs
and Kings.

Pseudosporandias
microcarpa

Okikan

The leaves are used as sign of blessing and honour during coronation of chiefs and
Kings.

Theobroma cacao

Koko

Dry leaves are used to preserve kola nuts for very long periods.

has resulted in habitat fragmentation and loss of

biodiversity (Green et al., 2005). This catalogue therefore
provides a baseline data of plants of ethnobotanical
importance. However, it was observed during the study
that traditional healers now have to travel farther in the
forests to get plants which were previously available
nearby. This is as a result of deforestation for
developmental purposes such as building of schools, road
construction and agriculture (Butler et al., 2000).
Deforestation which is sometimes inevitable should
therefore be done carefully to reduce the loss of
biodiversity to the barest minimum (Akinnibosun and
Odiete, 2008). Few of the plants were however protected
by local taboos and myth, e.g. Milicia excelsa. But these
also are now threatened by the spread of Christianity
and Islam across the communities.
Since most of the plants encountered in this study
were found in the wild, conscious effort should be made
to prevent their loss, as they become rarer and rarer.
Conservation of our natural resources should therefore
be taken more seriously to prevent the loss of our
biodiversity and some of these very important plants.

Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the village heads, men
and women who helped to obtain this information in Oka
Akoko.

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