Status and traditional uses of medicinal plants in Mandal area of Western Himalaya, India

The medicinal plants in traditional healthcare practices are providing clues to new areas of research and are well recognized in biodiversity conservation. Traditional knowledge has been the driving force for many basic scientific developments. However, the information on the uses of various plants for medicine is lacking from many interior areas of western Himalaya. Keeping this in view, a survey was conducted to explore the diversity of medicinal plants, their status in the wild and uses by the local communities for curing various ailments, situated in the fringes of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttarakhand. Study revealed that more than 46 plant species out of 137 species of medicinal values recorded from the region are commonly used by the local people for their traditional health care system viz., skin diseases, dysentery, cough, fever, wounds, female disorders, joint pain, gastric problems, nasal bleeding, cold, piles, anti poison, ear problems, eye problems, stones and rheumatism.