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Ethno-medicinal plants diversity and their traditional use in Karan Prayag, Chamoli, Uttarakhand, India

Jyoti Deoli1, Devendra Singh2 and Anup Chandra1

1 Systematic Botany Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun

2 JBIT College of Applied Sciences Dehradun

Abstract

Ethno-medicinal plants have been widely utilized in traditional healthcare systems for centuries, playing a crucial role in meeting the healthcare needs of local communities. The Himalayan region, particularly the Karanprayag area situated in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, recognized as a significant source of medicinal plants used by the local people. Karanprayag is located at an average elevation of 1451 m in the outer western Himalayan region, with coordinates of 30°15'31.39"N latitude and 79°13'5.98"E longitude. The geographical area of Karanprayag spans 1018 km2, with a forest area covering 273.65 km2, accounting for 26.88% of the total area. Within the forest area, the reserved forest covers 244.64 km2, while the protected forest covers 28.43 km2. The entire region is mountainous, with varying elevations ranging from 620 to 3647 meters above mean sea level (MSL). The objective of the present study is to investigate the diversity of ethno-medicinal plants and document their traditional uses in the Karanprayag region. The study data were collected through a questionnaire survey, interactions with local community people, traditional healers, and knowledgeable individuals like vedhya, hakeem etc also refers   and study the particular flora, reviewed literature.

A total of 81 plant species with medicinal importance were reported in the study, including commonly used species such as Rhododendron arboretum (Burans), Achyranthes bidentata (Chirchita), Bergenia ciliata (Silpodi), and Oxalis corniculata (Vilmod). These species belong to various categories, with approximately 62% being herbs, 14% shrubs, 17% trees, 4% ferns, 2.4% climbers, and 1% orchids. The different parts of these plants such as leaf (51.85%), flower (17.2%), seed and fruit (11%), root (25.9% and other parts (20.9%) are utilized by the local community people to treat various ailments and diseases.

Keywords: Etno-medicinal plants, traditional knowledge, biodiversity, Karanprayag, Chamoli, Uttarakhand,