The aim of current study is to provide a significant traditional knowledge on wild medicines used for ethnoveterinary purposes in the rural area of Maraog region in district Shimla. The medicinal plants have played a significant role in the treatment of human as well as animal’s diseases. The rural people of the Maraog region were interviewed through a questionnaire and extensive field surveys were conducted from June 2020 to July 2021. The discussion, observations and interviews were conducted in study site and included 96 informants. The information gathered from the residents is presented in a table format and includes scientific and local names, different parts used, diseases treated and mode administration. The most commonly used taxa are calculated with used value. The study revealed 100 plants in which trees (7), shrubs (26), herbs (56), ferns (5), grasses (3) and climbers (3) were identified. The most commonly documented livestock diseases were found to be hoof infections, eyes infections, poisoning and skin infections. In the current study, the Rosaceae family was reported as being the highest number (11), followed by Asteraceae (10) and then Lamiaceae (6). It was found that leaves, roots, flowers and fruits are the commonly used parts for ethnoveterinary medications. The phytochemicals present in the plant, such as alkaloids, sterols, glycosides, flavonoids, lignin, coumarins and terpenoids, etc., may be responsible for their medicinal properties. In this documentation, it was observed that the younger generation does not have good knowledge of medicinal plants as compared to the older ones. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve the traditional knowledge of these medicinal plants before their permanent loss. The documentation and conservation of medicinal plants can be a good start for novel phytopharmacological research in the veterinary field.
The main aim of this study is to document important ethnomedicinal plants from the Maraog region, located in the district of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 110 medicinal plant species belonging to 102 genera and 57 families were reported from the study site. All of the species were collected from wild habitats. The rural people of the Maraog region were surveyed through interview methods, group discussions, and participatory observations. In the current study, data were collected from 88 informants through the snowball method. A total of 110 plant species were collected from the study area, including 64 herbs, 24 shrubs, 9 trees, 5 climbers, 3 grasses, and 5 ferns. Most of the plant species, reported from the study area, belong to the Rosaceae and Asteraceae families, each contributing 12 plant species, followed by the Lamiaceae family with 6 plant species. The most used part of the plant in the preparation of herbal medications is the leaves, which have been reported in 62 plants, followed by roots in 14 plants, and flowers and other aerial parts in 9 plants. The ethnomedicinal data were analyzed using “Use Value,” a statistical quantitative method, with Artemisia vestita having the highest use value (1.00), followed by Cannabis sativa (0.79), Rhododendron arboreum (0.79), and Datura stramonium (0.71). Older people were found to have a vast knowledge of wild medicinal plants, while the younger generation’s knowledge was lacking. As a result, traditional knowledge about the use of plants as a source of medicine has decreased day-by-day. Therefore, there is a need to document traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. The data could serve as a basis for research by pharmacological and nutraceutical industries for the development of novel drugs.
The study aimed to investigate and describe the pollen morphology of six nectariferous and polleniferous members of family fabaceae by using light and scanning electron microscope. Pollen grains of Albizia lebbeck, Bauhinia variegata, Caesalpinia decalpetala, Cassia fistula, Dalbergia sissoo and Robinia pseudoacacia were examined for the morphological characterization. The pollen grains were analysed in terms of aggregation, shape, shape class, size, aperture, polarity, symmetry, surface pattern and exine complexity. All the pollen had solitary grains, except Albizzia lebbeck having compound grains. The shape of pollen grains varies from circular-ovoid in Albizia lebbeck, triangular in Bauhinia variegata, oval in Caesalpinia decapetala, oval / round in Cassia fistula and triangular/round in Dalbergia sissoo and triangular/elongated oval Robinia pseudoacacia. The pollens were either prolate-spheroidal or oblate spheroidal. The size of pollen grains studied ranged from small, medium to large sized among different members of family fabaceae. Most of pollens observed were tricolporate, except pollens of Dalbergia sissoo which were tricolpate and triporate. Exine ornamentation include psilate/faveolate in Albizzia lebbeck, psilate in Dalbergia sissoo and Robinia pseudoacacia, straite –reticulate in Bauhinia variegata, reticulate-rugulate in Cassia fistula and Caesalpinia decapetala. All the pollens observed were isopolar and radially symmetrical. The purpose of this study is to increase knowledge of the aspects related to the variability and to characterize the pollen morphology of some members of family fabaceae and to evaluate the utility of pollen features in order to develop an additional alternative plant material identification tool. Moreover, such studies can be of utmost important to students, researchers, and beekeeping industry, horticulture and forest departments.
Worshipping of plants is an age old tradition of ancient India, which has taken a deep-root in believes, tradition and culture of India. This has provided the natives a need to undertake the traditional conservation practices, in the form of sacred grooves, which are forest areas protected by the rural communities since they believe that area to be the abode of their deities. This encourages interdependence between the forest and the local people for their livelihood. At the same time, it protects the delicate ecological balance, which has a key role to play in the sustainable development of mankind, but due to urbanization and modernization we are losing the sacred and valuable knowledge at a rapid pace, hence the need to document and preserve this diminishing sacred knowledge. The present study was done in and around Kullu region, of district Kullu (H.P.) India, lying between 31.2432°N and 32.2432°N latitude and 77.1455°E and 77.1892°E longitude covering an area of around 3,561 km² area. The study area Kullu, is also known as “Devbhoomi'' the land of Gods. Local inhabitants show hugh reverence and belief in their local deities which they consider supreme. For pleasing and worshipping these local ‘devats’, these people use various plants which are considered sacred hence utilized in various religious ceremonies. Thus, contribute immensely in the conserve of many plants while fulfilling their values in magico-religious beliefs. To maintain these age-old faiths, people of these areas harvest plants, sustainably and economically. The paper includes the list of around 75 species of 46 families that have been reported from three tehsils of Kullu region. These plants are used for Magico-religious beliefs along with their medicinal value, thus helping in ex-situ conservation of plants and sustainable development of the area.
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