Conservation of plants and the practices are very ancient in India. Many plant species have much reverence in culture of our country. When ecological disturbances and forest degradation have been taking place at an alarming rate in many parts of world, in India numerous pockets of natural vegetation spread over the country are preserved. Such preserved pockets are commonly called sacred groves or sacred forests, in Tamil it is called koil kadugal. At present, these small diversity units are being ignored (or) given least important by the common people and the conservationist. In view of the above reason the present study was undertaken. The study reveals the floristic composition and ethnobotanical practices of the sacred groves of in and around Rajapalayam area, Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu. A total of 67 plant species belonging to 62 genera distributed among 35 families were recorded. The mode of mythical, therapeutical and conservation practices of these plants by the local people has been discussed.
