Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Usage of Wild Plants in Theog Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalaya (original) (raw)

Himalayan forests are the repository of large number of medicinal plants valuable for the local people. These plants hold a great importance in traditional healthcare systems thereby providing clues to new areas of research in human wellbeing and biodiversity conservation. The present study documented the indigenous knowledge and usage of 98 plants belonging to 61 families and 95 genera in Theog Forest Division of Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalaya. The information on traditional use was collected through semi-structured questionnaires and personal interviews. The highest number of species (38) were reported to be utilized as edibles followed by medicinal and aromatic (30), fodder (23), fuelwood (16), veterinary medicine (12) and agricultural implements (8). The leaves (43 species) were most commonly used plant part followed by wood (30), fruits (21) and whole plant (10). The family Fabaceae (7 species) followed by Lamiaceae (5), Rosaceae (5) and Asteraceae (4) were the domina...