India has rich sources of traditional medicine and there is a need to document the medicinal plant wealth. The present ethno botanical study of medicinal plants is focused in Edalakudy area of Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. The information gathered from the old aged people of the traditional medicinal practitioners and local faith healers by interview and semi structural questionnaire method. Taxonomically a total of 65 plant species belonging to 37 families were recorded. Of these 29 were herbs, 10 were shrubs, 17 were trees and 9 were climbers. Leguminosae family is the most dominant family consisting of about 9 species. This is followed by Amaranthaceae, Solanaceae which are represented by 5 species each. Leaves from 22 plant species were used to curing various diseases. Root from 21 plant species was used to cure diseases. The whole plant out of 22 plant species was used to treat diseases. The medicinal plants contain chemical compounds such as Fructose, galactose, vanillic acid, tannin etc., Most of the plants contain tannin. The therapeutic plants present in the examination territory should have been investigated for phytochemical and pharmacological examinations. Simultaneously reasonable measures ought to be taken for the protection of these significant plants.

Key words – Traditional medicine, Edalakudy, Tannin, Phytochemical.