Inventory and ethnobotanical assessment of plant species growing on Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo main campus, Lagos State, Nigeria, were carried out. The aim was to document the vegetation composition and ethnobotanical uses of plants in the study area with a view to developing strategies for their conservation. Plant species with their frequency of occurrence were compiled and their representatives were collected for proper identification. Ethnobotanical assessment was carried out through oral interviews of herbalists, herb sellers and others with experience in traditional medicine. A total of 35 plant species belonging to 25 families were recorded from the survey. Poaceae has the highest number of species; Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, Asparagaceae, Combretaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae and Moraceae were all represented with two species each while the remaining 17 families were represented with one species each.
Taxonomic surveys have been helpful in documenting the species that had one time or an other existed in different locations within the country (Anoliefo et al.
Lagos State University, Ojo, was established in the year 1983 by then governor of Lagos State Mr Lateef Jakande and was located along Badagry Expressway, Ojo. In the beginning of her academic carrier, the university started with three faculties, namely Law and Humanities, Education and Science. Today, the university has 11 faculties and is to increase to more than that in the nearest future. In early 1984, the surrounding areas were highly forested and swampy and composed of varieties of different flora of trees, shrubs and grasses but today the vegetation is dominated by grasses and shrubs with trees sparsely distributed in the area. Currently, the flora is being deteriorated because of construction of new buildings such as new senate building, new faculty of Science building, new radio station, new auditorium, sandwich building and sport centre.
Today, the old landmass has given way to new vegetation replacing indigenous and exotic vegetation. The planting of exotic vegetation started in 1990 by the then head of the Botany Department. Not all the indigenous vegetation has the capacity of self-regeneration. Nowadays, the university campus is well rehabilitated and it is very important that the composition of the vegetation, the regeneration capacity of the vegetation and the importance of the tree species are studied.
This study was conducted in Lagos State University, Ojo main campus, Lagos State, south-western Nigeria. It lies on latitude 6.26°N 3.11°S and longitude 6.467° W3.183°E ( Faculty of Management Sciences and Iyana-Ipaja gate. Faculty of Education, Faculty of Social Science and Faculty of Transport. Faculty of Science. Sports Centre and Student Affairs Division. Master of Business Administrative and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) area. Faculty of Law. Faculty of Art. Central administrative blocks and Iyana-Iba gate.
Map of Ojo Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State showing the location of the study area.
Field collection and identification of plant species occurring within the university community was conducted between June 2015 and November 2016. The occurrences of plant specimens in each zone were recorded. The collected plant species were identified by plant taxonomists in the Department of Botany, Lagos State University. Correct names of the identified species follow International Plant Name Index (IPNI). A comprehensive list of species was thereafter carefully documented, along with their families, habits and local names by which they are known within the study area.
Ethnobotanical information about the identified plant species was obtained through oral interviews. The interviews were conducted randomly with a total of 60 local respondents including herb sellers, herbalists, elderly people and others with knowledge of herbal medicine (
Distribution of local informants in accordance with their age groups.
Age groups | Categories of informants |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Herb sellers | Herbalists | Elderly people | Others | Total | |
31–40 | 5 | - | - | 1 | 6 |
41–50 | 10 | 3 | - | 2 | 15 |
51–60 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
61–70 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
71 and above |
5 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
15 |
The profile of the local respondents interviewed for the ethnobotanical uses of the identified plant species on Lagos State University main campus is shown in
Thirty-five plant species belonging to 25 families were found within the Lagos State University campus as shown in
Distribution of plant habit within Lagos State University campus.
Distribution of plant species in Lagos State University campus.
Botanical name | Common name | Family | Habit |
---|---|---|---|
Red acalypha | Euphorbiaceae | Shrub | |
Cashew | Anacardiaceae | Tree | |
Guinea grass | Poaceae | Grass | |
Monkeytail puzzle | Araucariaceae | Tree | |
King’s palm | Arecaceae | Tree | |
Carpet grass | Poaceae | Grass | |
Neem plant | Meliaceae | Tree | |
Pawpaw tree | Caricaceae | Tree | |
Scotch pine | Casuarinaceae | Tree | |
Canna lily | Cannaceae | Herb | |
Croton | Euphorbiaceae | Shrub | |
Cordyline | Asparagaceae | Herb | |
Cycads | Cycadaceae | Shrub | |
Lemon grass | Poaceae | Grass | |
Flame of the forest | Fabaceae | Tree | |
Dumbcane plant | Araceae | Herb | |
Blue gum | Myrtaceae | Tree | |
Weeping fig | Moraceae | Tree | |
Fig tree | Moraceae | Tree | |
Beechwood/Gmelina | Lamiaceae | Tree | |
Variegated hibiscus | Malvaceae | Shrub | |
Blady/cogon grass | Poaceae | Grass | |
Wild ixora | Rubiaceae | Shrub | |
Mango | Anacardiaceae | Tree | |
Orange jasmine | Rutaceae | Shrub | |
Banana | Musaceae | Herb | |
Masquerade tree | Annonaceae | Tree | |
Traveller’s palm | Strelitziaceae | Tree | |
Boat lily | Commelinaceae | Herb | |
Snake plant | Asparagaceae | Shrub | |
Wire weed | Malvaceae | Grass | |
Indian almond | Combretaceae | Tree | |
Black afara | Combretaceae | Tree | |
Mexican sunflower | Asteraceae | Grass | |
Bitter leaf | Asteraceae | Shrub |
Species distribution within the identified families.
Families | Number of species |
---|---|
Anarcardiaceae | 2 |
Annonaceae | 1 |
Araceae | 1 |
Araucariaceae | 1 |
Arecaceae | 1 |
Asparagaceae | 2 |
Asteraceae | 2 |
Cannaceae | 1 |
Caricaceae | 1 |
Casuarinaceae | 1 |
Commeliaceae | 1 |
Combretaceae | 2 |
Cycadaceae | 1 |
Euphorbiaceae | 2 |
Fabaceae | 1 |
Lamiaceae | 1 |
Malvaceae | 2 |
Meliaceae | 1 |
Moraceae | 2 |
Musaceae | 1 |
Myrtaceae | 1 |
Poaceae | 4 |
Rubiaceae | 1 |
Rutaceae | 1 |
Strelitziaceae | 1 |
Frequency of occurrence of plant species on Lagos State University campus.
Name of plant | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
165 | 12.20 | |
134 | 9.90 | |
121 | 8.94 | |
103 | 7.61 | |
90 | 6.65 | |
85 | 6.28 | |
70 | 5.17 | |
70 | 5.17 | |
58 | 4.29 | |
54 | 3.99 | |
50 | 3.70 | |
50 | 3.70 | |
40 | 2.96 | |
35 | 2.59 | |
31 | 2.29 | |
30 | 2.22 | |
25 | 1.85 | |
23 | 2.11 | |
18 | 1.33 | |
15 | 1.11 | |
15 | 1.11 | |
10 | 1.70 | |
10 | 0.74 | |
9 | 0.67 | |
8 | 0.59 | |
6 | 0.44 | |
6 | 0.44 | |
6 | 0.44 | |
5 | 0.37 | |
5 | 0.37 | |
3 | 0.02 | |
3 | 0.22 | |
2 | 0.15 | |
2 | 0.15 | |
2 |
0.14 |
|
Ethnobotanical uses of identified plant species in Lagos State University campus.
Botanical name | Ethno-botanical uses |
---|---|
Used to treat skin irritations and diseases in children | |
Treatment of fever, diarrhoea, hypotension and sore throat | |
Valuable hay and green fodder grass and also used for weaving grass mats and thatching | |
Ornamental | |
Ornamental | |
Curative herbal bath and to treat heart problems | |
Treatment of skin diseases, healthy hair, improve liver function, detoxify the blood, pest and disease control, fever reduction, dental treatments, cough, asthma, ulcers, piles, intestinal worms and urinary diseases | |
Treatment of high blood pressure, dyspepsia, constipation, amenorrhoea, general debility, expel worms and stimulate reproductive organs | |
Antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipidermic and antibacterial | |
Treatment of gonorrhoea and amenorrhoea; also considered to be demulcent, diaphoretic and diuretic | |
Treatment of fever, antibacterial and antiamoebic | |
Used to soothe sore back muscles and to aid nerve and muscle relaxation | |
Used in the treatment of cancer | |
To treat rheumatic pains, fever, flatulence and digestive disorders | |
Ornamental and also used in the treatment of earache, constipation and diabetes | |
Ornamental | |
Treatment of cough, cold and catarrh | |
Treatment of wounds, bruises and rheumatic headache | |
Edible and also used as anti-inflammatory agent | |
Improves appetite and used for the treatment of ulcers, headache, abdominal pains and urinary tract discharge | |
Used as fumigants and insect repellants | |
To treat digestive disorders and as anti-helminthic | |
Used for dysmenorrhea and skin diseases | |
Treatment of malaria and fever; also used as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent | |
Ornamental and also used as anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrhoea | |
Edible and used for the treatment of gastric disorders | |
Ornamental and used for the treatment of fever | |
Ornamental | |
Used for cough, colds and nose bleed | |
Treatment of ear pains, boils and fever | |
Treatment of asthma, ulcers and veneral diseases; also used as anti-helmintic | |
The fruits are edible while the leaves are used as anticancer, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory | |
To treat skin diseases, inflammation and voice loss | |
Used for sore throat, malaria, bruises and fractures | |
Edible and also used medicinally to treat fever, malaria and purgative, anti-diabetic chemopreventive and immune booster |
This study was able to compile the flora diversity on Lagos State University campus. In the various sampling plots, plant species varies in diversity and occurrence;
Plants found in the study area are of significant economic importance, ranging from medicinal to food and ornamental. Similiar to the results of the ethnobotanical assessment of the identified plant species, some of the plants in the study area have been reported to have significant ethnobotanical values.
This study showed that Lagos State University is rich in plant biodiversity that are of significant ethnobotanical value; thus, the need to conserve them from further deterioration because of human activities is very paramount. From this investigation, there are many important medicinal plants found in the study area which could serve as sources of raw materials to pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries as well as other manufacturing industries in Nigeria and globally. Bio-prospecting in this area would lead to income generation for the university community. Medicinal plants identified also have marketing potentials; therefore, efforts should be geared towards creating an enabling environment for their existence and preventing over-exploitation. Indigenous knowledge of these medicinal plants should also be properly preserved so that such would not be lost. Deforestation which is a major problem in the study area should be discouraged and afforestation practices encouraged in the area. Construction work and developmental projects should consider plants species found in the study area and proper analysis should be done before commencement of such projects.
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
A.A.A. was the project leader. A.A.A. conceptualised, designed and supervised the project. O.J.S. made conceptual contributions, carried out the literature search and edited the manuscript while O.J.A. carried out data acquisition and analysis as well as manuscript preparation.