Complete Bulletin (PDF) - ENVIS Centre on Himalayan Ecology

ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY OF PLANTS USED BYGADDI TRIBE OF BHARMOUR AREA INHIMACHAL PRADESHB. Dutt 1 , S.S. Sharma 2 , K.R. Sharma 1 , A. Gupta 1 and H. Singh 11Department of Forest Product and 2 Department of Basic Sciences,Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry,Nauni Solan, Himachal Pradesh–173230, IndiaINTRODUCTIONThe Indian Himalayan region (IHR) is a rich reservoir of biological diversity in the worldand Himachal Pradesh; it is also well known for its rich repository of medicinal and aromaticplants. In tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, people have been consistently dependent onforests for their day to day needs. Their sole source of health care is medicinal plants fromthese forests. In the process, they have discovered many ethnobotanical uses of the vast plantwealth. Ethnobotanical studies are also expected to provide new material for ever expandingpharmaceutical industry (Gupta, 2011). Keeping in view the importance of traditionalknowledge about local flora, present study deals with special emphasis on the traditionalknowledge on ethnomedico-botany in Bharmour area of H.P.The present study was conducted during 2007-09 in Bharmor, which falls in the Chambadistrict of Himachal Pradesh between latitude N 76 0 20’ 0” and N 76 0 52’ 30” and longitudeE 32 0 11’ 0” and E 320 36’ 0 0 with a total geographical area of 1797.28 Km 2 . Extensive fieldsurvey of the entire area of Bharmour, starting from the lower elevation at Dhakog (1800m) and higher elevation at Manimahesh (4100 m) was carried out. Collection of the voucherspecimens was undertaken during flowering and fruiting stage in the month of April to Octoberso as to facilitate the process of identification. Collected plant specimens were identifiedaccording to the field characters (already noted during collection) and consulting herbariaand various floras for conformation of identity. For description of specimens, macroscopiccharacters of gathered specimens and field observations were used. The importance regardingthe traditional knowledge, local name of the plant, plant part used, purpose for which used,mode of administration and curative properties were recorded through discussions with theknowledgeable and elderly local people of the study area.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONSThe information collected on 70 spp. of medicinal and aromatic plants having ethnobotanicalimportance is given in Table 1. This information has been recorded from local elderly people,hermits, shepherds and Vaids (local physicians). Similar studies were undertaken by Dinanath(2007) in a survey conducted in the Pangi area of district Chamba of Himachal Pradesh. Theseplant species are being used frequently for curing various diseases occurring among localpeople. The local people believe in the efficacy of these herbs and ethnobotanical knowledgeis restricted to very few elderly folks. Similar studies were conducted by Kumar and Pullaiah(1998) and reported first hand information on 50 ethno medicinal plants used traditionally. Bhattet al. (1999) described 54 ethno-medicinal plants, which were used by tribals and rural peopleof Jhuni and adjoining villages in Bageshwar District of Uttrakhand State. Dey (1964) reportedmore than 100 medicinal plants of commercial and traditional importance in Baghirathi and22<strong>ENVIS</strong> <strong>Centre</strong>, GBPIHED