Upload
others
View
2
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Research ArticleEthnobotanical Study of Herbaceous Flora alongan Altitudinal Gradient in Bharmour Forest Division,District Chamba of Himachal Pradesh, India
Kehar S. Thakur,1 Munesh Kumar,2 Rajan Bawa,1 and Rainer W. Bussmann3
1 College of Forestry, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh 173 230, India2Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand 249161, India3William L. Brown Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Correspondence should be addressed to Munesh Kumar; [email protected]
Received 19 December 2013; Revised 13 January 2014; Accepted 10 February 2014; Published 27 April 2014
Academic Editor: Wendy Applequist
Copyright © 2014 Kehar S. Thakur et al.This is an open access article distributed under theCreative CommonsAttribution License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The present ethnobotanical study was carried out in Holi (Deol, Kut, Dal, and Lahaud Dhar) forest range and in Bharmor (Seri,Bharmour, Malkauta, Bharmani, Harsar, Dhancho, Sundrasi, Gorikund, and Manimahesh) forest range to obtain information onthe plants used by the local inhabitants for several purposes. A total of 54 plants were recorded in this study.The plants are employedto treat simple diseases (cough, cold, fever, and burns) and some serious diseases (typhoid, jaundice, and kidney disease). Some ofthe plants are also used as incense for religious ceremonies and several other daily needs. But due to absence of scientificmonitoringof plants, their cultivation, harvesting, andmanagement techniques as well as sustainable use and lack of awareness of social factors,the availability of valuable plant resources is decreasing at an alarming rate. In addition, the indigenous knowledge regarding theuse of lesser-known plants of this region is also rapidly declining. Therefore, the documentation of plant resources is a necessarystep towards the goal of raising awareness in local communities about the importance of these plants and their further conservation.
1. Introduction
Ethnobotany is widely regarded as the science of humaninteraction with plants and their environments. Ethnobotan-ical knowledge is the result of successful experimentationwith plants since time immemorial and has given us ourrecognized foods and medicines. Ethnobotany illuminatesthe direct relationship between human beings and plantsand has proven to be of great utility in the health careprograms. Ethnobotany also explores the importance ofplants as emergency foods, as well as uncovering usefulinformation about the sociocultural medicoreligious lore andvalues, phrases and proverbs, taboos, and totems prevailing ina specific region or society.Over the last century, ethnobotanyhas evolved into a scientific discipline that focuses on thepeople and plant relationship in a multidisciplinary man-ner, incorporating not only collection and documentationof indigenously used species but also ecology, economy,pharmacology, public health, and other disciplines.
Today, ethnobotany has become increasingly valuable inthe development of health care and conservation programsin different parts of the world. Ethnobotanical studies thatexplore and help to preserve knowledge are therefore urgentlyneeded before traditional folklores are lost forever [1]. Thedependence on herbal resources to cure different types ofdiseases is well known. It has been estimated that there arebetween 3,500 and 70,000 plant species that have been usedaround the world, at one time or another, for medicinalpurpose. At least 65,000 species are used in Asia alone ashome remedies for various ailments [2]. The World HealthOrganization (WHO) has estimated that at least 80 percentof the world’s population relies on traditional systems ofmedicine to meet their primary health care needs. In addi-tion, medicinal plants also form an important part of theworld’s economy since many modern medicines are derivedfrom plants. The indigenous systems of medicine practicedin India are mainly based on the use of plants. Every year,the medicinal plant-related trade is growing rapidly, and
Hindawi Publishing CorporationEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineVolume 2014, Article ID 946870, 7 pageshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/946870
2 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
while India’s share in global market is not very impressive(only 0.5%–1%), demand for these products is increasing atan alarming rate [3].
The rural and tribal people of India still depend largelyon the local herbal resources for curing different types ofdiseases.The use of plants as medicine dates back to the earlyman. There are records of the use of medicinal plants byancient great civilizations, such as those of China, India, theMiddle East, North Africa, and South America. This culturecontinues today in the form of folk medicine in differentparts of the world and led to the development of traditionalsystems of medicine. Systematic and scientific investigationsof traditional medicinal plants have also provided manyvaluable drugs in western medicine [4].
The Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh is consideredas one of the richest areas of traditional and potentialmedicinal wealth. The Kangra district of Himachal Pradeshand the Gurdaspur district of Punjab bound the district tothe south, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, and Lahaul-Spiti to the east. The district has two tribal regions, namely,Pangi and Bharmour. Bharmour is situated in the west of thisdistrict, whereas the Pangi Valley is situated in the north.Thevegetation of the Chamba district varies considerably, chieflyowing to elevation and rainfall variations [5]. There is noproper record available regarding the traditional medicinalknowledge of the tribal area except the study carried out byRani et al. [6] from Chamba district of Himalachal Pradesh,which is a very limited study from this region. Keeping thesefactors in view, the present study was carried out with theobjective to find out the various uses of the herbaceous floraused by the inhabitants in this region of Himachal Pradesh,India.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Area and Climate. An extensive field survey ofselected areas of Holi and Bharmour was carried out. Sitesincluded Deol (2,300–2800m), Kut (2,800–3300m), Dal(3,300–3800m), and Lahaud Dhar (3,800m and above) inthe Holi forest range and Seri (1,700–2200m), Bharmour(2,250m), Malkauta (2,550m), Bharmani (2,900m), Harsar(2,450m), Dhanchho (2,800–3300m), Sundrasi (3,300–3800m), Gorikund, and Manimahesh (3,800m and above)in the Bharmour forest range (Figure 1: location map of thestudy area).
The climate of the study area is typically temperate.The year is characterized by three main seasons: the cooland relatively dry winter (December to March), the warmand dry summer (mid-April to June), and a warm and wetperiod (July to mid-September), called the monsoon or rainyseason. The rainy season accounts for about three quartersof the annual rainfall. Apart from these main seasons, thetransitional periods connecting the rainy season and winterand winter and summer are referred to as autumn (Octoberto November) and spring (February to March). The meanannual rainfall is 1500mm, and themean annual temperaturelies between 3∘C and 30∘C.
District Chamba
Killar
LahaulandSpiti
district
ChambaSanch
PadharChaklu
SalaoSaluni
Dulathar
Tikri Khas
Pangi
Tikri Khas
Banikhet
MelDalhousie
BaklohChuari Khas
DharwasLujal N.
Jhalwas
Dheda N
Saichu N.
Kundi Lech
From RampurBharmour
Bharmani
Study sites
Malkauta Bharmour
Seri
Ravi
Deol Kut
Dal Lahaud Dhar
Harsar Dhanchho
Sundrasi Gauri Kundand Manimahesh
Budhal
Sihunta
Gola
To DharamsalaKangra district
To Palampur
FromPathankot
Punjab
Bhattiyat
Udaipur
SanginiSiul Nala Sungani
Chaurah
BoundaryVillages/townsRoadsNallahRiver
Jam
mu
and
Kash
mir
River Chandra bhaga or cherrab
Figure 1
2.2. Methodology Adopted. The information regarding thetraditional knowledge, local uses of plants within the studyarea, the local names, parts used, purposes, modes ofadministration, and curative properties, and so forth wasrecorded through intensive interviews and discussions withelderly people (men/women), herbal healers, local vaids,and grazers (Gaddis and Gujjars) using a well- structuredquestionnaire (Annexure-1). The information on plants wascollected randomly from approximate 10% of the total popu-lation (30 adult persons in Holi (Deol, Kut, Dal, and LahaudDhar) forest range and 20 adult persons in Bharmor range(Seri, Bharmour, Malkauta, Bharmani, Harsar, Dhancho,Sundrasi, Gorikund, and Manimahesh)). The informationwas taken from all ages. We tried to achieve an evenage/gender distribution in all age classes. All informationwas obtained after receiving an oral prior informed consentfrom the participants, and the ISE (International Society ofEthnobiology) Code of Ethics was followed. The inhabitantsidentified the plants used for various purposes, and vouchersof each plant were collected and stored in the herbarium ofthe Department of Forest Products, Y.S. Parmar University,Solan, Himachal Pradesh. The HERBARIUM ACRONYM isgiven as UHF with collector number (Table 1). All scientificplant names follow TROPICOS (www.TROPICOS.org), andthe nomenclature follows APG-3. In addition, we reviewedinformation on ethnobotanical usesmentioned in India’s vast
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 3Ta
ble1:Ethn
obotanicallycommon
lyused
plantspecies.
Sl.num
ber
Speciesn
ame
Vouchern
umber
Com
mon
name
Family
Partsu
sed
Ethn
obotanicalUse
1Ac
hilleamillefo
lium
L.UHF-117
13Ch
uang
Asteraceae
Leaves
Leaves
crushedandused
forc
uringindigestion,
coug
h,cold,and
toothachep
roblem
s.
2Ac
onitu
mheterophyllum
Wall.ex
Royle
UHF-117
54Patre
esRa
nunculaceae
Roots
Usedas
antip
yreticandastringent.R
ootsareg
roun
dandmixed
with
sugara
ndeatenwith
water
torelieve
stomachpain.
3Ac
onitu
mviolaceum
Jacq.E
xStapt
UHF-117
02Patte
esRa
nunculaceae
Roots
Asm
allpiece
oftuberous
rootsisg
iven
with
hotw
ater
incaseso
ffever
duetocold.
4Ac
onogonum
molle
(D.D
on)H
.Hara
UHF-117
68Tarodi
Polygonaceae
Leaves,stems
Leaves
arec
ookedas
vegetable.Yo
ungste
msa
resour
andqu
ench
thirstincase
ofno
navailabilityof
water.
5Alliu
mvictorialis
L.UHF-12376
Happu
Amaryllid
aceae
Leaves,roo
tsLeaves
areu
sedas
vegetablea
ndsubstitutefor
garlic.
Rootsa
reno
tharveste
dso
asto
allowplantsto
regrow
.
6Ainsliaea
aptera
DC.
UHF-117
03Sathjalari/Sathjalori/Ka
rviboo
tiAs
teraceae
Roots
Rootsp
owderisa
ppliedon
cutand
wou
nds,andalso
stomachache,diuretic.
7An
aphalis
nubigena
DC.
UHF-117
77Bh
ujlu
Asteraceae
Leaves
Fibrec
ollected
from
backsid
eofleavesisrub
bedwith
runk
a(iro
ninstrument)to
prod
ucefi
re.
8An
gelicagla
ucaEd
gew.
UHF-12305
Chora
Apiaceae
Roots
(i)Th
eroo
tisd
riedandroastedin
ghee
andpo
wdered.
Thep
owderisu
sedas
spice.
(ii)R
ootp
owderw
ithblacksalt(kalan
amak)isg
iven
inflatulencea
nddyspepsia
.(iii)Dry
rootsp
owderm
ixed
with
oilisa
ppliedto
cure
oedema.
9Arenariafestucoides
Benth.
UHF-12775
Mum
riCa
ryop
hyllaceae
Leaves
Con
sidered
bestfodd
erforsheep.
10Ar
temisiavulga
risL.
UHF-12310
Chharm
arHindi:N
agdaun
aAs
teraceae
Leaves
Freshjuiceo
fleavesc
ures
itching
ineyes,occurrin
gdu
ringsummer
mon
ths.
11Asterh
imalaicusC
.B.
Clarke
UHF-12394
Raktjadi
Asteraceae
Roots
Any
person
having
bloo
dprob
lem
durin
gsto
olsis
giventhed
ecoctio
nof
itsroots.
12Bisto
rtaam
plexica
ulis
(D.D
on)G
reene
UHF-117
41Greene
Polygonaceae
Rhizom
eLalchaithe
coloured
rhizom
eisc
utin
smallpieces.
13Ca
nnabissativaL.
UHF-117
63Bh
ang
Cann
abaceae
Seed
Seedsp
owderm
ixed
with
oilfor
typh
oid,jaun
dice,
malaria,and
fever.
14Ch
aerophyllum
reflexum
Lind
l.UHF-12390
Sojuga,bhai
Apiaceae
Roots,seeds
Rootsa
reused
forstomachcomplaints.Seedsinfusion
used
inbo
dypain,cold,andcoug
h.
15Dactylorhizahatagirea
(D.D
on)S
ooUHF-117
06Salam
panja
Orchidaceae
Roots
Energetic
,health
tonic,andnervineton
ic.R
ootise
aten
incase
ofheadache.Tub
ersp
asteappliedon
cutand
wou
nds.
16Daturastram
onium
L.UHF-9888
Dhaintura
Solanaceae
Seed
Seed
isdriedandgrou
nd.Th
epow
dero
fseeds
ismixed
with
mustard
oiland
boiled.Afte
rcoo
ling,itisapplied
topained
jointsto
relieve
pain.
17Dioscorea
deltoidea
Wall.Ex
Grie
seb.
UHF-12383
Khaldri
Dioscoreaceae
Roots
Rootsa
repo
wderedandpu
tinwoo
denpo
twith
holes
toprotectw
oolenclo
thes
from
insectattack.
18Foenicu
lum
vulga
reMill.
UHF-12391
Saun
fAp
iaceae
Seed
Usedas
cond
iment.
4 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineTa
ble1:Con
tinued.
Sl.num
ber
Speciesn
ame
Vouchern
umber
Com
mon
name
Family
Partsu
sed
Ethn
obotanicalUse
19FragariavescaL.
UHF-117
12Bu
bal
Rosaceae
Fruits,
roots
Fruitsaree
dible.Ro
otsinfused
with
ghee
butte
rand
honeyisused
tocure
dysentery.
20Gentia
nakurroo
Royle
UHF-117
61Ka
doo
Gentia
naceae
Leaves
Leaves
aree
aten
durin
gfever.
21Heracleu
mcand
icans
Wall.ex
DC.
UHF-117
11Patala
Apiaceae
Roots
Root
isgrou
ndandthep
asteisused
incase
ofsnake
bite.Sou
rlassiismixed
with
paste
andgivento
patie
nt.
22Im
patiens
balsa
minaL.
UHF-9894
Tilpar
Balsa
minaceae
Seed,w
holeplantWhenyoun
g,thep
lant
isused
form
ehandi.Itp
rodu
ces
very
dark
colour.Seeds
arev
erytasty
.
23Meconopsis
aculeata
Royle
UHF-117
59Ka
lkotti
Papaveraceae
Root
Root
isgrou
ndandgivento
anim
alsa
long
with
saltfor
creatin
gresistancetodiseases.
24Menthalongifolia
(Linn.)H
uds.
UHF-12393
Pudina
Lamiaceae
Root,leaves
Freshroot
isdried,po
wdered,mixed
with
pepp
er,and
then
givento
patie
ntsufferin
gfro
mpiles.Leafextractis
used
tocure
vomiting
,dysentery,stomachache,and
headache.
25Orig
anum
vulga
reL.
UHF-117
21Marua
Lamiaceae
Who
leplant
Utensils
ofmilk
andgh
eearew
ashedusingthisplantas
itgivesg
oodarom
atotheu
tensil.
26Oxalis
cornicu
lata
L.UHF-117
09Amblu/Malori
Oxalid
aceae
Leaves
Shoo
tsarec
rushed
andjuicee
xtractisused
inbo
ils,
cuts,
wou
nds,fever,anddysentery.
27Oxyria
digyna
(Linn.)
Hill
UHF-12340
Chho
tiCh
ukri
Polygonaceae
Leaves
Leaves
arev
erysour
andareu
sedas
digestivea
ndpu
rgativeb
ymakingchutney.
28Pa
nicum
miliaceum
L.UHF-117
04Ch
owla
Poaceae
Seed
Seed
isedible.
29Picrorhiza
kurroa
Royle
exBe
nth.
UHF-12354
Karoo
Plantaginaceae
Roots
Rootsp
owderc
onsumed
durin
gsto
machache,
jaun
dice,and
diarrhea.C
hewingof
2-3leaves
actsas
antip
yretic.D
ecoctio
nof
leaves
issprin
kled
infield
ofwheatwhich
preventsinsectattack.
30Plantago
lanceolata
L.UHF-117
48Isabgol
Plantaginaceae
Husk
Huskisgood
forsom
estomachailm
ents.
31Pleurospermum
cand
ollei(D
C.)C
larke
UHF-117
76Ba
andi
Apiaceae
Seed
Seedsa
rebo
iledalon
gwith
teatoescape
cold
and
substitutefor
fenn
el.
32Podophyllum
hexand
rum
(Royle)
Wedd.
UHF-117
16Ba
nkaakd
uBe
rberidaceae
Rhizom
e,fruits,
roots
Rhizom
eusedfork
idneyprob
lem
andas
health
tonic.
Fruitise
aten
byGaddistocure
chronicc
onstipatio
n.Ro
otsa
regrou
ndandmixed
with
sugara
nddecoction
isgivento
patie
nt.
33Potentillaargyrophylla
Wallich
UHF-117
73Tama
Rosaceae
Leaves
Decoctio
nof
leaves
isused
totre
atdiarrhea,arthritis,
andkidn
eysto
nes.
34Potentillanepalen
sisHoo
k.UHF-12389
Dori
Saxifragaceae
Roots
Rootsp
owderisu
sedto
cure
stomachdisorder.
35Prim
uladenticu
lata
Sm.
UHF-12350
Palak/Jalkutral
Ranu
nculaceae
Leaves
Leafpaste
isused
fora
bdom
enpain.
36Prim
ulaflorib
unda
Wall.
UHF-12386
Baasdu
Prim
ulaceae
Flow
erFlow
ersa
rebelievedto
have
supernaturalpo
wer
towardoff
devilsandpeop
lekn
owingwitchcraft.
Flow
ers
increase
beautyof
hairof
ladies.
37Prun
ellavulga
risL.
UHF-117
45Gud
liLamiaceae
Stem
sYo
ungste
mso
fplantsa
rekept
inclu
sterinlivingroom
sto
expelm
osqu
itoes
andflies.
38Ra
nunculus
laetus
Wall.
UHF-117
22Ba
riyara
Ranu
nculaceae
Leaves
andflo
wer
juice
Leaves
andflo
wersjuice
areu
sedforc
uringeye
diseases.
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 5
Table1:Con
tinued.
Sl.num
ber
Speciesn
ame
Vouchern
umber
Com
mon
name
Family
Partsu
sed
Ethn
obotanicalUse
39Rh
eum
australe
D.D
on.
UHF-9878
Chuchchi/Rew
andchini
Polygonaceae
Roots
Rootsa
ndrhizom
espaste
/pow
der/infusio
n/decoction
areu
sedin
boils,headache,muscle
sinjury,gastr
icprob
lems,andalso
astoothpo
wder.
40Ro
samoschataMiller
UHF-9897
Kojai
Rosaceae
Fruits
Fruitise
aten
becauseo
fitsverm
icidalprop
ertie
s
41Selin
umvaginatum
C.B.
Clarke
UHF-117
56Bh
ootkaisi
Apiaceae
Roots
Rootsa
regrou
ndwith
wheatflo
ur.Seedisalso
added
andthen
good
quality
wineisp
repared.
42Saussureagossy
piphora
D.D
onUHF-117
19Ghu
ggi
Asteraceae
Flow
erCon
sidered
very
auspicious
andkept
forw
orship
alon
gwith
baan
andalso
used
inhavanandiskn
ownto
purifyair.
43Saussureataraxifolia
Wall.
UHF-9880
Shivjata
Asteraceae
Roots
Littleq
uantity
ofroot
isgrou
ndandmixed
inbo
iling
milk
andgivento
pregnant
lady
before
delivery.Th
ispreventspain
andhelpsineasy
delivery.Peop
lewith
falling
hairarea
dvise
dto
user
ootp
owderfor
washing
hair.
Dhu
niisalso
givento
wardoff
evilspirits
44Saussurealappa
(Decne.)Sch.Bip.
UHF-9876
Kuth
Asteraceae
Seed
Oilof
thes
eeds
isappliedon
aching
jointsto
relieve
pain.
45Sedu
mew
ersii
Ledeb.
UHF-117
60Kirti
Crassulaceae
Who
leplant
Who
leplantisg
roun
daft
erdrying
.One
teaspo
onof
powderism
ixed
with
hotm
ilkandgivento
patie
ntsufferin
gfro
mpiles
.
46Sempervire
nssedoides
Decaisne
UHF-117
89Ch
idid
iPinn
adi
Crassulaceae
Leaves
Paste
ofleaves
helpstoremovep
imples.
47Sw
ertia
speciosa
D.D
onUHF-117
52Ba
mbiri
Gentia
naceae
Roots
Rootsa
regrou
ndwith
water
andpu
tintoeyes
like
surm
atorelieve
snow
burnteyes.
48Th
ymus
serpyllum
L.UHF-117
32Ba
n-ajwain
Lamiaceae
Who
leplant
Flavou
ringagentisa
lsoeatenforstomachailm
ents.
49Ur
ticadioica
Linn
.UHF-12382
Ain/Bichh
ubu
tiUrticaceae
Roots
Rootsa
rewrapp
edin
blackclo
thto
getrid
ofill
will.
Leaves
areb
oiledin
hotw
ater
andthen
cooked
asvegetable.
50Va
leriana
jataman
siJones
UHF-117
89Nak
Nahani
Valeria
naceae
Roots
Rootsa
ndste
msa
reused
forh
avan
(incense).
51Verbascum
thapsus
Linn
.UHF-117
14Hanum
anra
lingn
aScroph
ulariaceae
Usedforh
avan
andscaringevilspirits.
52Viburnum
cylin
dricu
mBu
ch.-H
am.ex.D.
Don
UHF-12369
Karneh
Sambu
caceae
Seeds
Seedsa
reeatenwith
water.G
oodforrelieving
constip
ation.
53Violapilosa
Blum
eUHF-117
26Ba
naksha
Violaceae
Flow
erDecoctio
nof
flowersisu
sedin
case
ofcoug
handcold.
54ViolaserpensW
all.ex.
Roxb.
UHF-117
43Napalu
Violaceae
Flow
erDecoctio
nof
flowersisu
sedin
case
ofcoug
handcold.
6 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
literature, as well as in related written sources, for example,[7, 8]. An oral consensus survey was also carried out amongthe people of each locality.
Annexure-1. Questionnaire used to collect information onplant use.
Informant Details
Name:Sex:Age:Village: Panchayat:Block: District:Main occupation: Subsidiary occupation:Education:
Ethnobotanical uses of plants.
(1) Local/vernacular name of plant:(2) Scientific name of plant:(3) Part used of plant:(4) Name of ailment/other purposes in which plant part
is used:(5) Mode of preparation:(6) Use (externally/internally):(7) Availability in natural habitat:(8) Cause of declining of ethnobotanical plants if any
(overgrazing, encroachments, forest fire, miningactivities, climatic change, and others):
(9) Who knows best about plant and uses: vaids, shep-herds, old people/new generation, and others:
(10) Any ethnobotanical plant species under cultivation:(11) Any awareness camps /trainings /exposure visits
organized for ethnobotanical plants:(12) Any conservation practices on ethnobotanical plants:
3. Results and Discussion
The ethnobotanical information about the various plantswas collected through interviews and discussions withelderly/experienced people. The data reveal that villagersused 54 species for common ailments and other purposes(Table 1).
Local elderly people, hermits, shepherds, and vaids pro-vided the information about different plant uses. Many ofthe plant species are used frequently (though sometimes onlyoccasionally) for curing various diseases. The local people(shepherds in particular) believe in the healing power of theseherbs, alongwith the power of Tantra andMantra, but knowl-edge thereof is restricted to very few elderly folks. Moreover,the younger generation does not seem much interested inkeeping this traditional knowledge alive and spends mostof the time growing commercial crops and fruits. With thepassage of time, knowledge about these valuable medicinal
plant resources will vanish. In the future, the informationwill be completely lost, thereby greatly weakening traditionalmedical practices.Therefore, this valuable information needsto be systematically collected and documented, so that itcan serve mankind for generations to come and may alsoconserve the precious plant resources of high economicutility.
The present study calls attention to some species withethnobotanical uses that have not been reported earlier [9].Although, the ethnobotanical study carried out by Sharma[10] of the Gaddi tribe of the Kangra district of HimachalPradesh, where he documented 67 plants of ethnobotanicaluses. Of those, some species recur in this study. However,there are certain variations in the ethnobotanical use of theseplants. For example, Origanum vulgare was reported to havethe properties of an insect repellent. We found that peoplein the Bharmour area use it instead to wash milk utensilsin order to impart aroma to the milk. Similarly, Sharma [10]reported the use ofAngelica glauca roots in case of dyspepsia;however, the present study reveals its use in treating flatulenceand curing edema including dyspepsia. The difference inethnobotanical practicemay be due to the fact that theGaddishave settled in Kangra for a very long time, during which theydeveloped some different ways of utilizing plants.
Of the plants considered to have ethnobotanical usesrecorded in the present study, some of them have beenmentioned in the study conducted by Dinanath [4] andGupta [9]. Many of these plants have almost the sameethnobotanical uses. However, there are slight variations.For instance, Dinanath [4] reported the use of Angelicaglauca as flavoring agent and Gupta [9] reported this plantwas useful for reducing obesity; however, Bhat et al. [11]conducted a study in Garhwal Himalayan forests whichreported that Angelica glauca is used for indigestion andconstipation, whereas we found that this species has manyuses such as being used as a spice, treating flatulence anddyspepsia, and curing edema. Bhat et al. [11] also reportedthat Picrorhiza kurroa root is used for fever and stomachache;however, in the present study, Picrorhiza kurroa root is usedfor jaundice and diarrhea including stomachache; further,earlier studies describe Heracleum candicans as useful forhealing of wounds, and the paste of the root is appliedto counteract snake bite. In our interviews, we found H.candicans paste is useful in case of snake bite, includingthis, the paste also mixed with sour lassi and given to thepatient. These differences in the ethnobotanical practice maybe due to the variation in the place of study and objectives ofstudies, the former being carried out among the Pangi of thePangwal tribe and the Gaddi tribe of Bharmour, whereas thepresent study reported anthropogenic pressure, along withethnobotanical data found in the Bharmour forest division.Rani et al. [6] conducted a study on ethnomedicinal plants ofChamba district, Himachal Pradesh, which reported 50 plantspecies commonly used by local people to cure 26 diseases.Of total 50 plants reported by Rani et al. [6] in their study,some of them were commonly reported in the present studybut they vary their mode of use and purposes. Kumar et al.[12] carried out a study on ethnomedicinal plants of GarhwalHimalaya where few plants were common in the present
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 7
study but the uses were also reported differently. Bhat et al.[13] collected information on ethnomedicinal and ecologicalstudies of plants in Garhwal Himalayan in high altitude,where a total of 152 medicinally important plant species werereported, in which 103 were found to be herbs of which someof the species were found to be common with similar use ofthe present study. A similar study on ethnomedicinal plantsof other parts of the country is also done by Joshi et al. [14] inKumaun Himalaya. Negi et al. [15] collected information of50 plant species regarding their mode of preparation and useof Raji tribes inUttarakhandHimalaya where few plants werecommon but their uses were again also reported differently.
The oral consensus of local inhabitants represents that,in each study site, the majority of inhabitants agreed withthe same statement as the information collected on plants.A similar study was carried out by Bhat et al. [11] wherethe consensus of informants for the roots and rhizomes ofplants was the most frequently used (68%). Singh and Rawat[16] also reported that roots are the most used plant parts.According to Keter and Mutiso [17], the leaves are the mostfrequently used plant parts. However in the present study, themajority consensus on the most used plant part was the root.
4. Conclusions
The dialectical relationship between indigenous knowledgeand practices shapes the ecosystem and affects the constituentplant population. By incorporating indigenous knowledgeand use in the process of scientific research, new hypothesesfor the sustainable conservation of resources can be devel-oped. Indigenous knowledge and use have to be analyzedto develop appropriate management measures that build onboth scientific and local knowledge. Due to the changingperception of local people and the ever-increasing influenceof global commercialization and socioeconomic transforma-tion, indigenous knowledge of plant resource use is con-stantly diminishing. Due to the lack of organized sustainableand scientifically monitored cultivation and harvesting, lackof proper management techniques, and lack of awarenessof social factors, the number of useful plant resources isdecreasing at an alarming rate. Furthermore, indigenousknowledge on the use of lesser-known plants is also rapidlydeclining.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of this paper.
Acknowledgment
Theauthors are thankful to the local inhabitants for providingvaluable information on traditional plant use.
References
[1] R. M. Kunwar and R.W. Bussmann, “Ethnobotany in the NepalHimalaya,” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, vol. 4,article 24, 2008.
[2] M. B. Karki and J. T.Willians,Priority Species ofMedicinal Plantsin South Asia, IDRC, New Delhi, India, 1999.
[3] J. Singh, A. K. Singh, and R. Pravesh, “Production and tradepotential of some important medicinal plants: an overview,” inProceedings of the 1st National InteractiveMeet onMedicinal andAromatic Plants, A. K. Mathur, S. Dwivedi, D. D. Patra et al.,Eds., p. 50, CIMAP, Lucknow, India, 2003.
[4] Dinanath, Studies on diversity of medicinal and aromatic plantsof Pangi valley of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh [M.S.thesis], Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry,Solan, India, 2007.
[5] T. S. Negi, “Places of interest,” in Himachal Pradesh DistrictGazetteers: Chamba, 1963.
[6] S. Rani, J. C. Rana, and P. K. Rana, “Ethnomedicinal plants ofChamba district, Himachal Pradesh, India,” Journal of Medici-nal Plants Research, vol. 7, no. 42, pp. 3147–3157, 2013.
[7] D. Brandis, The Forest Flora of the N.W. and Central India,London Reprinted 1972, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh,Dehradun, India, 1874.
[8] N. S. Chauhan, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of HimachalPradesh, Indus Publishing, New Delhi, India, 1999.
[9] A. Gupta, Ethnobotanical studies on Gaddi tribe of Bharmourarea of H.P. [Ph.D. thesis], Department of Forest Product, Dr.Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan,India, 2011.
[10] P. K. Sharma, Ethnobotanical studies of Guddies-A tribal com-munity in district Kangra [M.S. thesis], Department of ForestProducts, Dr. Y. S. Parmar, UHF, Solan, India, 1998.
[11] J. A. Bhat,M. Kumar, A. K. Negi, andN. P. Todaria, “Informants’consensus on ethnomedicinal plants in Kedarnath WildlifeSanctuary of Indian Himalayas,” Journal of Medicinal PlantsResearch, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 148–154, 2013.
[12] M. Kumar, M. A. Sheikh, and R. W. Bussmann, “Ethnomedici-nal and ecological status of plants in Garhwal Himalaya, India,”Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, vol. 7, article 32,2011.
[13] J. A. Bhat, M. Kumar, and R. W. Bussmann, “Ecological statusand traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in KedarnathWildlife Sanctuary of Garhwal Himalaya, India,” Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine, vol. 9, article 1, 2013.
[14] M. Joshi, M. Kumar, and R. W. Bussmann, “Ethnomedicinaluses of plant resources of the Haigad Watershed in KumaunHimalaya,” Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science andBiotechnology, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 43–46, 2010.
[15] C. S. Negi, S. Nautiyal, L. Dasila, K. S. Rao, and R. K. Maikhuri,“Ethnomedicinal plant uses in a small tribal community in apart of Central Himalaya, India,” Journal of Human Ecology, vol.14, no. 1, pp. 23–31, 2002.
[16] G. Singh andG. S. Rawat, “Ethnomedicinal survey of Kedarnathwildlife sanctuary in western Himalaya, India,” Indian Journalof Fundamental and Applied Life Science, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 35–36,2011.
[17] L. K. Keter and P. C. Mutiso, “Ethnobotanical studies ofmedicinal plants used by Traditional Health Practitioners in themanagement of diabetes in Lower Eastern Province, Kenya,”Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 139, no. 1, pp. 74–80, 2012.
Submit your manuscripts athttp://www.hindawi.com
Stem CellsInternational
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
MEDIATORSINFLAMMATION
of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Behavioural Neurology
EndocrinologyInternational Journal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Disease Markers
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
BioMed Research International
OncologyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
PPAR Research
The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation http://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Immunology ResearchHindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Journal of
ObesityJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine
OphthalmologyJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Diabetes ResearchJournal of
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Research and TreatmentAIDS
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Gastroenterology Research and Practice
Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com Volume 2014
Parkinson’s Disease
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2014Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttp://www.hindawi.com