research article ethnobotanical study of herbaceous flora

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

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[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.

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[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.

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