ethnomedicinal plants of sunderdhunga valley, western himalaya, india

Indian Forester, 139 (1) : 61-68, 2013

ISSN 0019-4816

ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS OF SUNDERDHUNGA VALLEY, WESTERN HIMALAYA, INDIA TRADITIONAL USE, CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE SCENARIO BALWANT RAWAT1, K. CHANDRA SEKAR AND SANJAY GAIROLA G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development, Kosi – Katarmal, Almora – 263 643, Uttarakhand ABSTRACT The Sunderdhunga valley harbors a number of medicinal plants used by the local people in different purposes. A total of 76 ethnomedicinal plants have been enumerated in the present communication with correct binomials, family, life form, local name along with detailed ethnomedicinal uses. These species belong to 27 families and 56 genera. Out of total species recorded, 82% belongs to only 11 families, on the other hand 48% of total families represented by single species. Fifteen of the recorded species are categorized under different threat category, constituting about 20% of total species. Major cause of depletion of these species is over exploitation of the wild populations and illegal trade. Important measures required to conserve the biodiversity of the valley include documentation of the traditional ecological and remedial knowledge of the locals for sustaining future generation and motivation to cultivate rare or threatened species in nearby villages. Key words : Critically endangered, Ethnomedicine, Vulnerable, Western Himalaya

Introduction Biodiversity is a part of our daily lives and livelihood and constitutes the resources upon which families, communities, nations and future generations depend. Among these natural resources, wild and domesticated plants forms the source of food, medicine, oil, fibre, fuel, housing, clothing and other material, including culture of mankind. Human society from the very beginning of its appearance on earth has been indispensably associated with the natural resources having considerable botanical and ecological knowledge about the natural products (Elizabeth and Dowdeswell, 1995). These are ranging from traditional use of specific plants and animals, essential knowledge critical to harvesting natural resources through complex understanding of the functioning of local ecosystems, to cultural beliefs and religious views of manenvironmental relations (Berkes, 1999; Davis and Wagner, 2003). The communities which are associated with these natural resources have accumulated this knowledge through experience of close contact with the natural environment (Davis and Wagner, 2003). Being medicinally important and excellent source of income, ethnomedicinal plants are most significant among all natural resources. India is home to a great variety of ethno-medicinally important plant species, and is ranked sixth among 12 mega diversity countries of the world. India is perhaps the richest repository of traditional knowledge with respect to the medicinal uses

of plants. The country possesses an ancient system of health care, based chiefly on medicinal plants of diverse nature, from which more than 80% of therapeutic products are derived and have been used for 6000-7000 years (Balakrishnan et al., 2009). At least 90% of the plants species used in the herbal industry today are extracted from the wild, several of which come from the sub-alpine and alpine zones of the Himalaya. The Himalaya is designated as one of the global biodiversity hotspots. It supports about 18,440 species of plants, of which 25.3% is endemic to the region (Singh and Hajra, 1996; Samant et al., 1998). The rich plant diversity of Indian Himalaya is utilized by the native communities in various forms, including food and medicine. High altitude medicinal plants of the Himalaya were always targeted by local medicinal practitioners, 'vaidyas' and plant explorers since time immemorial (Samant et al., 1998). During the past two decades, all the human activities which lead to the destruction of plants from the wild and demands from the pharmaceutical industry for domestic needs, as well as for exports, have resulted in scarcity of medicinal plants species in the wild. Declining population of threatened medicinal plants in the wild due to illegal collection and overexploitation is hot issue among various concerned departments and workers (Jacobson et al., 1991; Sheldon et al., 1998 and Dhar et al., 2000). During the past several years some important contributions have been made to explore ethnobotanical knowledge and medicinal plants of Central

A total 76 ethnomedicinal plant species have been enumerated, of which 15 are categorized under different threat categories. 1

BCM & BTA Thematic Group, GBPIHED, Kosi – Katarmal, Almora (Uttarakhand), E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Himalaya (Gaur, 1977, 1999; Gaur et al., 1983, 2011; Naithani, 1984-85; Jain and Saklani, 1991; Samant et al., 1998; Kaul and Handa 2001; Joshi, 2002; Pundeer and Singh, 2002; Kala et al., 2004; Singh and Pundeer, 2004, Semwal et al., 2007; Malik et al., 2009; Sekar and Rawat, 2011). Detailed studies to assess the availability of medicinal plants in the Himalayan alpine pastures are limited because of variety of constraints. Similarly, no specific study on ethnomedicinal uses of plants of Sunderdhunga Valley has been reported (Hajra and Balodi, 1995; Arya et al., 1999; Arya, 2002; Uniyal et al., 2007). However, few studies have been carried out to explore the region with respect to discovery of new plant form this Valley (Sekar et al., 2008). Keeping the above gaps in mind, aim of the present study is to (i) document checklist of medicinal plants of the region, (ii) explore indigenous knowledge related to composition of medicinal plants in various drugs (iii) assess availability and status of some threatened medicinal plants of the valley as compare to other part of Himalaya, and (iv) suggest research priorities in other important unexplored areas of the Himalaya. Material and Methods Study area The word Sundardhunga means beautiful stones. The valley Sundardhunga lies along Sundardhunga river which joins the Pindar river just below the Khati village. Beyond Jatoli, the last village in the Sunderdhunga Valley, the study area having rippling streams, water falls, undisturbed wildlife and open meadows. Differences in climatic conditions coupled with a wide altitudinal ranges from 2800 to 4800m provide a great diversity of landscapes with diverse flora and fauna. The flora of Sunderdhunga Valley is rich and represents a number of indigenous medicinal plant species used in Tibetan system of medicine. Besides the grandeur of Himalayan wilderness, the area encloses many important tourists spots, including Kathliya (3150 m), Mactoli glacier (4400 m), Balooni top (4000 m), Devikund (4200 m) and Nagkund (4500 m). Sampling Field surveys were conducted during July to August, 2008-2010 across the study area. Various habitats were identified based on altitude, topography, presence of perennial water channels and physiognomy of vegetation. Vegetation of different part was thoroughly explored applying random sampling method. 50 quadrats of size 1x1 m were laid in all represented ecological habitats in the study area. In each habitat, the number and density of different medicinal species were counted (Muller-Dombois and Ellenberg, 1974). Specific

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details of locations (altitude, latitude and longitude) were recorded using hand-held Global Positioning System [GPS (Garmin make-12)] (Table 1). At the same time plants were collected and preserved following the standard methods (Jain and Rao, 1977). Besides survey, documentation and assessment of plant resources, the authors gathered information on various uses of plants for curing different ailments. Interviews The ethnomedicinal information was obtained either through interview of the experienced and elderly tribal people or local medicinemen, after field study. Interviews were taken in nearby villages i.e., Jatoli and Khati. 20 and 40 informants were randomly selected from both the villages respectively, according to the size of the village (30-35 households in Jatoli village and 8590 households in Khati village). Sometimes a particular plant was picked up from herbarium and queries were made on the medicinal use of the same. All the information were scrutinized and verified against different informants. After confirmation of ethnomedicinal uses against the plants, entries were made in the field book under respective field number, to include ethno-botanical notes with the plant specimen. All the specimens are identified with the help of regional floras (Naithani, 1984-1985; Deva and Naithani, 1986; Garg, 1987; Gaur, 1999; Aswal, 2001), national floras (Sahni, 1990; Purohit and Panigrahi, 1991; Sanjappa, 1992; Kumar, 1993; Sharma et al., 1993; Sharma and Balakrishnan, 1993; Sharma and Sanjappa, 1993; Hajra et al., 1995a, 1995b, Ghora and Panigrahi, 1995; Hajra and Balodi, 1995, Hajra et al., 1997), some monograph / revision studies (Mukherjee and Constance, 1993; Dikshit and Panigrahi, 1998) and checklist (Uniyal et al., 2007), etc. All the herbarium specimens are housed in the herbarium of G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora (GBP). Ethnomedicinal documentation The ethnomedicinal information has been thoroughly checked with the Dictionary of Folk Medicine and Ethnobotany (Jain, 1991); Dictionary of ethnoveterinary plants of India (Jain and Srivastava, 1999) and Flora of the district Garhwal, North West Himalaya (Gaur, 1999). The binomials are arranged alphabetically followed by family name, life form and local name(s) in Kumaun dialect and traditional uses have been enumerated in tabular form (Table 1). Results A total of 76 ethnomedicinal uses of plants have been enumerated (Table 1), distributed over 27 families and 56 genera. Out of these enumerations, while

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Table 1 : Folklore uses of plants in Sunderdhunga valley, Western Himalaya. S. No. Name of the species 1. *Aconitum violaceum Jacq. 2. *Anaphalis triplinervis (Sims) C.B. Clarke

Family Ranunculaceae Asteraceae

Life form Local name(s) Herb Methu Herb Baugla

3.

*Anaphalis virgata Thoms. ex Clarke

Asteraceae

Herb

Bhhooga

4.

*Androsace sarmentosa Wall.

Primulaceae

Herb

Pimpernel

5.

*Aster albescens (DC.) Hand.-Mazz.

Asteraceae

Herb

Phulyan

6.

*Cassiope fastigiata (Wall.) D. Don

Ericaceae

Herb

Phalu

7.

*Chaerophyllum villosum Wall. ex DC.

Apiaceae

Herb

Kinjari

8.

*Corydalis cashemeriana Royle

Fumariaceae

Herb

Halsu

9. 10. 11.

*Corydalis meifolia Wall. *Cotoneaster duthieana (Schneid.) Klotz. *Cynoglossum nervosum Benth.

Fumariaceae Rosaceae Boraginaceae

Herb Shrub Herb

Jattaphul Rensu Kura

12.

*Cynoglossum wallichii G. Don

Boraginaceae

Herb

Lichkura

13.

*Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo

Orchidaceae

Herb

Hattazari

14.

*Delphinium brunonianum Royle

Ranunculaceae

Herb

Nirbishi

15.

*Euphrasia himalayica Wettst.

Scrophulariaceae Herb

Angyari

16. 17.

*Galium asperuloides Edgew. *Gaultheria trichophylla Royle

Rubiaceae Ericaceae

Herb Herb

Kuri Bhuinla

18.

*Gentiana albicalyx Burkill

Gentianaceae

Herb

Chhoti buggi

19. 20.

*Gentiana stipitata Edgew. *Gentianella pedunculata (D. Don) H. Sm.

Gentianaceae Gentianaceae

Herb Herb

Chirotu Hasela

21.

*Geranium ocellatum Cambess.

Geraniaceae

Herb

Kaphlya

22.

*Gnaphalium hypoleucum DC.

Asteraceae

Herb

Buglu

23.

*Impatiens sulcata Wall.

Balsaminaceae

Herb

Chaul, Kwal

24. 25. 26.

*Meconopsis aculeata Royle *Nepeta eriostachya Benth. *Pedicularis hoffmeisteri Klotz.

Papaveraceae Herb Lamiaceae Herb Scrophulariaceae Herb

Thesu Karda Haldyaphul

27.

*Polygonum cognatum Meissn.

Polygonaceae

Herb

Ametha

28.

*Polygonum molliaeforme Boiss.

Polygonaceae

Herb

Ameta

29.

*Persicaria polystachya (Wall. ex Meisn) Gross. Polygonaceae

Herb

Amahaldhu

30.

*Potentilla atrosanguinea Lodd.

Rosaceae

Herb

Tasheg

31.

*Potentilla cuneata Wall. ex Lehm.

Rosaceae

Herb

Bajaradantu

Use(s) Paste of tuber applied on insect stings. Paste of heads applied on cuts, wounds and boils. Smoke of the plant used as an insect repellent and paste of whole plant applied on wounds. Plant extract applied externally on cut wounds. Extract of plant used to cure toothache. Incense of whole plant is inhaled to ease respiration. Cooked roots are given for nutrient deficiency. Root extracts are applied externally to reduce body swelling and inflammations. Root extract is given to cure fever. Young fruits taken to cure diarrhea. Whole plant infusion is used to cure cough and cold. Root extract used in digestive problems. Extract of tubers given to cure whooping cough and fever. Paste of tender shoot is given with tea to cure cold. Extract of whole plant is used to cure cut and wounds. Plant paste applied on skin itching. Plant used to fed cattle for lactation and to develop immunity. Fresh extract applied externally on cut wounds. Plant juice used to cure fever. Extract of whole plant used to cure fever. Decoction of whole plant is used to control dysentery in goat and sheep. Plant extract applied on cuts and wounds. Paste of flower buds applied on pimples. Petals extract is given to cure fever. Leaves extract given for fever. Root infusion given to cattle in flatulence and cure diarrhoea in cattle. Cooked tendril leaves given to improve eye sight. Decoction of plant used to cause abortion. Leaf paste applied on laceration of toes during rains. Crushed flowers applied to reduce the pain caused by insect stings. Extract of young fruit applied externally with salted curd to get relieved from head ache.

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S. No. Name of the species

Family

Life form Local name(s)

Use(s)

32.

*Primula elliptica Royle

Primulaceae

Herb

Kutra, Julkutra

33.

*Primula macrophylla D. Don

Primulaceae

Herb

Jalkutra

34.

*Rheum webbianum Royle

Polygonaceae

Herb

Jolancha

35. 36. 37. 38.

*Rumex acetosa L. *Salix flabellaris Anders. *Saxifraga stenophylla Royle *Sedum bupleuroides Wall. ex Hook. f. & Thoms.

Polygonaceae Salicaceae Saxifragaceae Crassulaceae

Herb Shrub Herb Herb

Kilmori Bhotiana Silyans Dogru

39.

*Sedum heterodontum Hook.f. & Thomson Crassulaceae

Herb

Khasak

40.

*Sedum oreades Hamet

Crassulaceae

Herb

Logmi

41. 42.

*Selinum elatum (Edgew.) Hiroe *Sibbaldia parviflora Willd.

Apiaceae Rosaceae

Herb Herb

Butkesi Loma

43.

*Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke

Caryophyllaceae Herb

Tomrya

44. 45. 46.

*Swertia cuneata D. Don *Viola pilosa Blume Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle

Gentianaceae Violaceae Ranunculaceae

Herb Herb Herb

Chiraita Vanfsa Atees

47.

Anaphalis contorta (D. Don) Hook. f.

Asteraceae

Herb

Bugla

48.

Anemone vitifolia Buch.-Ham. ex DC.

Ranunculaceae

Herb

Mudeela

49.

Angelica glauca Edgew.

Apiaceae

Herb

Chora

50.

Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnston

Boraginaceae

Herb

Ratanjot

51.

Berberis pseudo-umbellata Parker

Berberidaceae

Shrub

Kingor

52.

Bistorta affinis (D. Don) Greene

Polygonaceae

Herb

Inuri

53.

Cicerbita macrorhiza (Royle) P. Beauv.

Asteraceae

Herb

Dudhe

Root paste applied externally for pimples and applied to kill lice. Plant extract is given to cure urinary complaints. Decoction of stem is given to cure stomach pain. Leaf extract applied on cut and wounds. Decoction of bark is given to cure fever. Root paste applied to cure tooth-ache. Juice of rhizomes given to cure whooping cough. Juice of fresh rhizomes is given to cure stomach pain. Decoction of leaves is taken to cure cough and cold. Leaf extract applied on cut and wounds. Juice of leaves mixed with mustard oil applied externally in joint pain. The extract of young shoot is used for the treatment of bronchitis and asthma. The plant extract is given to cure fever. Flower extract used to cure jaundice. Very small bit of tuber extract mixed with honey to cure fever. Smoke of the plant used as an insect repellent and paste of young flower heads applied on pimples. Roots and leaves paste applied externally on ringworm. Root powder mixed with milk given in the morning empty stomach to cure severe stomach pain. The extract of root applied along with hair oil is used to reduce hair fall. The decoction of stem-bark is used to cure fever. Young shoot paste is given in empty stomach to cure dysentery. Juice of fresh rootstock is given to cure stomach pain.

54.

Cynoglossum zeylanicum (Vahl ex Hornem.) Thunb. ex Lehmann Boraginaceae

Herb

Andhuli

55.

Delphinium cashmerianum Royle

Ranunculaceae

Herb

Jadwar

56.

Epilobium angustifolium L.

Onagraceae

Herb

Jachikopa

57.

Fritillaria roylei Hook.

Liliaceae

Herb

Kakoli

58.

Gentiana tubiflora (G. Don) Griseb.

Gentianaceae

Herb

Chiratu

59.

Jurinea dolomiaea Boiss.

Asteraceae

Herb

Dhoop

60.

Malaxis muscifera (Lindl.) Kuntz.

Orchidaceae

Herb

Jeevak, Rishav

61.

Nardostachys grandiflora DC.

Valerianaceae

Herb

Masi

Decoction of leaves are useful in cold and cough. Leaf decoction is given with honey to cure cough and cold. Root paste applied externally for wounds. The extract of root is used to cure asthma. Whole plant extract with salted curd is given to cure jaundice. Incense of plant used to cure breathing trouble. Extract of root used to cure stomach ulcers. Plant extract used to given in heartpain; the extract also rubbed in muscle fracture to relieve pain.

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S. No. Name of the species

Family

Life form Local name(s)

Use(s)

62.

Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill

Polygonaceae

Herb

Decoction of young plant used for colic pain.

63.

Pedicularis longiflora Rudolph subsp. tubiformis (Klotz.) Pennell


64.

Pedicularis punctata Decne.


65.

Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth.


66.

Ranunculus hirtellus Royle

Ranunculaceae

Herb

67.

Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meissn.

Polygonaceae

Herb

68.

Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don

Ericaceae

Shrub

69.

Rhododendron campanulatum D. Don

Ericaceae

Shrub

70.

Roscoea alpina Royle

Zingiberaceae

Herb

71.

Sassurea obvallata (DC.) Edgew.

Asteraceae

Herb

72.

Swertia angustifolia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

Gentianaceae

Herb

73.

Taraxacum officinale Weber

Asteraceae

Herb

74.

Thymus linearis Benth.

Lamiaceae

Herb

75.

Verbascum thapsus L.


76.

Waldheimia glabra (Decne.) Regel.

Asteraceae

Herb

Jomo

Kunkurjhar

Paste or juice of the whole plant mixed with diluted curd given 2-3 times a day to cure dysentery. Saur Decoction of plants given to expel intestinal worms. Kutki Root extract is used to cure severe fever. Simariya, Piryali Plant paste externally used on deteriorated wounds. Dolu, Archu The extract of whole plant is used to cure cut and wounds. Burans Decoction of young shoot given to cure fever. Semaru Paste of flower buds applied externally on cuts. Jilsua Extract of whole plant is given for cough and cold. Dried powder of leaves used in wounds and cuts of cattle. Brama-kamal Extract of petals applied externally for septic wounds. Pahari Chirata Decoction of whole plant given twice a day to cure fever. Kan-fulya Roots extract used in the treatment of headache. Ban-ajwain Seed extract given for indigestion and stomach pain. Akuluber Leaf decoction is mixed with honey to cure cough and other pulmonary diseases. Chulka Paste of whole plant applied externally to cure wounds.

* New ethnomedicinal information (Jain, 1991; Jain and Srivastava, 1999; Gaur, 1999)

scrutinizing the available literature (Jain and Saklani, 1991; Jain and Srivastava, 1999; Gaur, 1999; Singh et al., 2009), 44 plants with little known or new uses have been recorded from this area (marked in asterisks in Table 1). The family Asteraceae is represented by 10 species under 8 genera and is the highest represented family, followed by Polygonaceae and Apiaceae with 8 species each. Fumariaceae, Lamiaceae and Orchidaceae are represented by two species each and a few are represented by single species only. While considering the use value, there are 13 species used for cut and wounds; 8 for fever; 7 for cold and cough and stomach pain; 2 for insect stings, respiratory problem, muscle fracture, tooth-ache, joint pain, etc. (Table 1).

inevitably from the wild populations. It appears that most of the species are critically endangered and vulnerable, indicating extensive and illegal exploitation from the wild. Illegal exploitation with high pressure by locals leads to low densities of some very important medicinal plants like Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Fritillaria roylei, Meconopsis aculeata, Malaxis muscifera, Nardostachys grandiflora and Picrorhiza kurrooa which have restricted distribution in nature and high demand in market. Among woody species, Rhododendron anthopogon and R. campanulatum are the shrub species, only found in the higher altitudes regularly being used as fuel-wood by the locals. Discussion

Out of the recorded 76 plants, 15 are categorized under different threat status (Table 2). The population of these threatened plants are already depleting from the wild. These species are found in high altitude areas between 2500 to 4200m in different habitats. The peoples of nearby areas are collecting the plants

The ethnobotanical study reveals the therapeutic potential of 76 plant species used in different diseases and ailments among the villagers in the study area. The present study has brought to light many little known potential ethnomedicinal plants employed to cure diseases. Among these, Fritillaria roylei Hook. used to

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Table 2 : Population density (ind m-2) and status of threatened plants in the Sunnderdhunga valley -2

Species Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle Aconitum violaceum Jacq. Angelica glauca Edgew. Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo Fritillaria roylei Hook. Jurinea dolomiaea Boiss. Malaxis muscifera (Lindl.) Kuntz. Meconopsis aculeata Royle Nardostachys grandiflora DC. Picrorhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth. Rheum emodi Wall. ex Meissn. Rheum webbianum Royle Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don Rhododendron campanulatum D. Don Sassurea obvallata (DC.) Edgew.

Density (ind m ) 2.03 ± 0.26 0.19 ± 0.05 1.17 ± 0.26 0.20 ± 0.03 0.33 ± 0.15 0.47 ± 0.15 0.53 ± 0.03 0.27 ± 0.09 0.10 ± 0.03 1.00 ± 0.38 2.17 ± 0.55 1.20 ± 0.23 0.05 ± 0.03 0.07 ± 0.01 0.47 ± 0.23

Threat Category 3 CR VU3 3 EN CR 3, EN1 EN3 EN3 EN3 EN3 CR 3, EN1 EN3 EN 2,1 VU3 VU6 VU6 VU6

CR – Critically Endangered; EN – Endangered, VU - Vulnerable 1- Anonymous, (2010)1; 2 - Kala, (2005)24; 3 – Ved et al., (2003)52.

cure asthma; Gaultheria trichophylla Royle is given to increase lactation in cattle; Pedicularis hoffmeisteri Klotz. used to cure flatulence and diarrhoea in cattle; Polygonum molliaeforme Boiss. used to induce abortion; Viola pilosa Blume is used to treat jaundice; Polygonum polystachyum Wall. ex Meisn. used to control the laceration in toes; Primula elliptica Royle used for lice repellant and Primula macrophylla D. Don is used to cure urinary complaints. Proper extraction and utilization of these less known plants species may reduce pressure on those which are at the edge of rare and threatened category. Apart from their uses in curing various ailments, it is also necessary to observe the illegal trade and monitor such populations to prevent their extinction in near future. Say for example, some very important species like Aconitum heterophyllum, Angelica glauca, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Malaxis muscifera and Picrorhiza kurrooa, etc. are rare in population in the field, due to extensive collection from natural populations (Kala et al., 1998; Kala, 2000, 2005; Uniyal et al., 2002; Nautiyal et al., 2002, 2003; Ved et al., 2003; Kala, 2005; Singh et al., 2007; Chauhan et al., 2009; Anon., 2010). The availability of these important threatened medicinal plants in Sunderdhunga valley open scopes for the exploration of many more potential areas in the Himalayan regions. Further, conservation of such species is highly needed to ensure their sustainable utilization at present as well as in future. It is suggested that few families from each villages should be encouraged to begin large scale cultivation of these threatened medicinal plants to

reduce frequency of illegal extraction from the wild and to maintain the ancient traditional knowledge. In the changing climate and socioeconomic scenarios, many migratory and permanent villages are reluctant to live with their traditional practices and knowledge. Possibly this knowledge will be lost in the process of acculturation, brought about by migration of the younger generation to cities leading to a gap in the cultural beliefs and practices with those of the local inhabitants (Maikhuri et al., 1998). At this stage it is of utmost importance to document the traditional/ indigenous knowledge for future generation. The documentation of local knowledge can provide important avenues for discussion and building dialogue between scientists and the communities in which they work (Turner et al., 2000), so that they could be able to develop conservation strategies for important plant species. The enumerated plants in this study may serve as first aid treatment and also alternative life saving drugs in remote areas. The medicinal uses of these plant species also give clues to various pharmaceutical industries and research organizations engaged in biological screening programmes on plant products for extracting active compounds for developing new drug molecules. There are large numbers of locations in Indian Himalayan region which harbor bulk of such valuable plants, warranted through exploration to assess the cumulative availability distribution of individual species for sustainable utilization and future bioprospectives.

Acknowledgement The authors are thankful to Director, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development, Kosi – Katarmal for facilities and encouragement. We are thankful to Dr. R. S. Rawal, G.B. Pant Institute for his valuation suggestions time to time. The contribution and suggestions of all scientists and colleague is highly appreciated and finally, we are deeply grateful to local people for providing valuable information.

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