Ethnomedicinal use of plant resources in kirtinagar block of Tehri Garhwal in Western Himalaya

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study is to report the cultural importance and utilization of ethnomedicinal plant species among the communities of Tehri district in Garhwal Himalaya, India. Methods: The ethnomedicinal uses of plants were collected from participants of the villages based on randomly selected inhabitants through semi structured interviews. A total of 93 respondents provided information. Results: The documentation recorded a total of 92 ethnobotanical plant species including trees (52), shrubs (19), herbs (18) and climbers (3). Out of 92 species, only 35 species were used for ethnomedicinal purposes to cure 30 different ailments prevailing in the area. The maximum number of species (9) was used for stomach disorders followed by diabetes and wounds (4 each), and fractures and tooth problems (3 each). The informant consensus factor (Fic) for joint pain was 0.0 whereas Fic value for other species ranged from 0.600 to 1.0. The fidelity level (FL) was highest (100%) for 14 species and the lowest value of FL (20%) was recorded for Eupatorium adenophorum. The Cultural Importance Index (CI) was highest for Barleria cristata (0.15) and lowest (0.01) for Azadirachta indica and Boehmeria rugulosa each. Conclusion: The study revealed that the large number of ethnobotanical plant species exists in the area. Increased awareness on conservation and developmental strategies is needed to utilize resources through sustainable development.