Ethnobotanical Studies and Valuation of Plant Species Used in Magico-Religious Practices of Deori Tribe in Assam, India

The present study was carried out in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Biswanath districts of Assam for documentation, valuation, and prioritization of the plant species used in the magico-religious practices of the Deori tribe. A total of 71 species and 3 cultivars of Musa sp. with 62 genera belonging to 34 families were documented. Poaceae was the dominant family among all reported families. The documented plants were categorized into six categories. Maximum plants species were used in ceremony category (63.5%) followed by festival (33.8%), taboos (17.6%), rites (12.2%), magical belief (9.5%), etc. The quantitative analysis was done by using various ethnobotanical indices. Brassica juncea was ranked 1^st in Cultural Importance Index (CI) (3.88), followed by Eupatorium cannabinum (2.18), Mangifera indica (2.13), etc. The significant difference in plant knowledge was observed between male and female members in ceremonies category only.