Ethnobotany of Weeds; Weed Flora of Ramat Polytechnic Teaching and Research Farm, Maiduguri Borno State.

Abstract

This study was carried out to ascertain the species of weeds at Ramat Polytechnic Teaching and Research Farm, Maiduguri Borno State Nigeria. The objective of the study is to identify the weeds flora and ethnobotanical benefits of these weeds. Weed flora shows that 38 weed species were identified belonging to 18 different families out of which mostly, twenty-six (26) are annuals the remaining (8) are perennials. The distribution of these weeds further shows that Cleome gynandra L., Commelina benghalens is Schult. F., Euphorbia hirta linn., Crotalaria mucronata  L., Senna occidentalis L., Boerhavia erecta L., Eragrotis tenella (A. Rich) Hoschst. Ex Steud., Cenchrus biflorus (Roxb.)., Corchorus olitorius L. and  Tribulus terrestris L. have high (70%) occurrence at the farm.  The dominant plant families are the Fabaceae, Poaceae and Malvaceae. Most of the samples weeds have uses ranging from medicinal, soup, fodder and mulch cover.