Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Wealth of a Tribal District Kinnaur in Himachal Himalayas

Himachal Pradesh, situated in the centre of the Western Himalayas, having diverse agroclimatic conditions ranging from semi-tropical to temperate, alpine and culminating to the cold desert region, is bestowed with a veritable emporium of medicinal and aromatic plants. Out of around 3,500 species, more than 1,000 species have been documented as medicinal and aromatic for the state occurring in Shivalik ranges, temperate forests, valley areas, sub-alpine and alpine pastures. A tribal district, Kinnaur of Himachal Pradesh, due to its unique geographical position and edapho-climatic conditions, has the distinction of being pioneer district in the state having rich natural resources of medicinal and aromatic plants. Kinnaur District is the largest supplier of Atish, Salampanja, Dhoop, Kutki, Bankakari, Chora, Talispatara, Revandchini, and Somlata in the country, whereas a few crops like Kuth, Kaser and Kalazeera are cultivated in Kinnaur. An exploration was undertaken for collection and identification of important medicinal and aromatic plants of the study area. The present paper highlights a total of 103 species from 79 genera belonging to 39 families, having medicinal and aromatic values, which are enlisted along with their botanical name, family, local/common name(s), part(s) used and their uses for different purposes. Out of total species, 26 species fall under different categories of threatened viz., Aconitum heterophyllum, Arnebia benthamii, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Podophyllum hexandrum, Taxus wallichiana, Aconitum violaceum, Angelica glauca, Corydalis govaniana, Dioscorea deltoidea, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Saussurea costus, Saussurea obvallata, Artemisia brevifolia, Artemisia dracunculus, Bergenia stracheyi, Delphinium brunonianum, Delphinium denudatum, Ferula jaeschkeana, Heracleum lanatum, Jurinea dolomiaea, Meconopsis aculeate, Polygonatum verticillatum, Rheum australe, Rhododendron anthopogon, Rhododendron campanulatum and Skimmia laureola. It is suggested that conservation of these endemic diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants from the study area is essential by means of different measures as early as possible, before these are wiped out from nature.