Medicinal plants used by Nomadic tribals of Rajouri Pir Panjal Foothills of North-West Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Herbal medicines are of great importance in the primary healthcare of mankind in many developing countries. An ethno medicinal survey was undertaken through frequent field trips, interviews and discussions to collect information on the use of medicinal plants by native nomadic tribes in Pir Panjal Foothills of Kashmir Himalayas in 2009–2010. The investigation revealed that the traditional healers have been using twenty one species of medicinal plants belonging to twenty genera and nineteen families to treat various health problems. The documented medicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin diseases, diabetes, leprosy, ulcers, tumors, dysentery, diarrohea, typhoid, bronchitis, jaundice, small-pox, respiratory and eye infections. Many of these plants have been found to be very affective against several diseases and therefore, are of great medicinal value. These indigenous medicinal plants need to be studied and documented in the face of emerging threats of climate change, habitat degradation, over harvesting and bio-piracy.