Traditional and indigenous uses of medicinal plants by local residents in Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalaya, India.

摘要

In the hilly areas of Indian Himalaya, the inhabitants largely depend on plants for curing various diseases. The indigenous knowledge and traditional practices of medicinal plants are vanishing fast. Therefore, we aimed to document indigenous uses of some important medicinal plants of Kullu district; analyze distribution pattern, nativity and endemism of these medicinal plants; and suggest conservation strategies. We recorded information on 75 species of medicinal plants. The recorded species represent trees (12 spp.), shrubs (15), herbs (47), and fungi (1). Of these, 29 medicinal plants were native, 1 endemic, 11 near-endemic, and 46 non-native. Of all species, various plant parts such as leaves (32 spp.), roots (29), tubers (2), seeds (8), fruits (10), flowers (8), fruiting body (1), bark (8), stem (3), and wood (2) were used in curing various diseases. We recommend further studies on habitat ecology of the species, mass multiplication of commercially viable species through conventional and in vitro methods, and their establishment in the in situ and ex situ conditions. Furthermore, it is important to develop farming techniques of commercially viable species and disseminate knowledge among stakeholders through education and awareness raising.