%0 Journal Article
%T Ethnobotany and Ethnomedicinal Uses, Chromosomal Status and Natural Propagation of Some Plants of Lahaul-Spiti and Adjoining Hills
%A Puneet Kumar
%A Vijay Kumar Singhal
%J Journal of Botany
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/248943
%X The present study documented the ethnobotanical and medicinal uses of plants from an ecologically fragile cold desert area of Lahaul-Spiti (Himachal Pradesh, India). Local people use plants for curing the stomach troubles, pain reliever, cough, gastric disorders, and aphrodisiac and other household purposes. In addition, chromosome numbers, male meiosis, and natural propagation were also investigated in these ethnobotanically used plants. Present investigations also form the basis for exploitation of intraspecific chromosomal variation/new cytotypes recorded in some of the presently studied species to detect biochemical diversity in the medicinally important plants. For documentation of ethnobotanical information, personal observations and interviews were conducted with medicine men, hakims, farmers, shepherds, local healers, and old aged people. This study identified 40 plant species under 33 genera belonging to 17 families which have been used locally for curing various diseases and other purposes. All the chromosome counts are new to the study area. On worldwide basis, meiotic chromosome counts of and in Rosularia alpestris and Corydalis govaniana, respectively, are the first ever reports. The present study indicates that the people of the area possess good knowledge about the different uses of plants in the area. It has been noticed that due to the lack of interest among younger generations in the preservation of invaluable ethnic knowledge, there is every possible chance of losing such a rich heritage of knowledge. It is very urgent to conserve such invaluable ethnic knowledge before it gets lost. 1. Introduction Present study was conducted in Lahaul-Spiti, a cold and desolate alpine region in northwest Himalayas which is known for its seclusion, Buddhist culture, hostile climate, and unexplored, formidable, and breathtaking scenic beauty of the high snow clad mountains. It is a part of the Indian cold deserts which is situated between 31¡ã44¡ä57¡ä¡ä and 32¡ã59¡ä57¡ä¡äN latitudes and between 76¡ã29¡ä46¡ä¡ä and 78¡ã41¡ä34¡ä¡äE longitudes. Climatic conditions are typical of dry temperate and alpine zones. The vegetation which is mainly composed of perennial herbs and prostrate shrubs survives extreme variation in temperature including months buried under several feet of snow. Using plants for different purposes and in curing and healing is as old as man himself [1]. It was very well known to primitive people that plants contain beneficial and medicinal properties which they used in some form or the other. Even in the ancient time, people classified plants on the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jb/2013/248943/