ETHNOBOTANICAL VALUE AND CONSERVATION OF SACRED GROVES OF THE KPAA-MENDE IN SIERRA-LEONE

Sacred groves in the Moyamba District of Sierra Leone were assessed fo r their value to local herbalists and traditional folk medicine practi tioners of the Kpaa Mende people. Herbalists (tufablaa) collecting in 23 sacred groves were interviewed regarding their general knowledge of medicinal plants, and their perceptions regarding changes in the occu rrence of medicinal plants. Over 75 medicinal plant remedies are curre ntly in use among the Kpaa Mende, with some plants reported here for t he first time in terms of their medicinal uses in Sierra Leone. A sign ificant feature of Kpaa Mende ethnobotany is the employment of 2 or mo re kinds of plants in combination as a remedy for particular afflictio ns. The discovery of rare and uncommon plants in the groves and their medicinal uses are discussed in terms of the role of the sacred groves in medicinal plant conservation.