Medicinal plants found in Ladakh

i) ACHILLEA MILLFOLIUM

Botanical name        :    Achillea millefolium
Common name        :    Milfoil
Collection place       :   Taisuru
Plant Characters      :   A perennial herb.Stem branched. Leaves narrowly oblong lanceolate. Flower head extremity, the flowers are organised in racemes lacking bracts, white small pedicel.

Flowering and fruiting    : June to August.

Ethnobotany:

The leaf distil or extract of this plant is useful in gum inflammation, urinary problem. The entire herb is attributed with having properties of an astringent, tonic, stimulant, diaphoretic, useful in remedy of cold and colic. The herb contains an alkaloid viz Achelline. Commonly found all-over Suru region.

ii) ACONITUM HETROPHYLLUM

Aconitum heterophyllum
Common Name  : Aconite Atees
Local name         :    Boowang-Karpo belongs to
Family                  :    Ranunculaceae

Habitat                 :    Moist and damp places Suru valley and at an altitude of around 3000 m.

Plant Characters  : An upright, perennial herb. Roots tuberous, stem branched. Large flower, greenish purple generally in lax spike-like clusters. Hood rounded,
broader than long. Seeds small and
black. 

Blossoming and fruiting   : June to Mid September.

Ethnobotany:

A very prominent herb of Sowa Rigpa system and other conventional system of Indian medicine. Root of this herb is used against high fever, stomach complaint, toothache, gastric trouble and headache. The roots are found to be source of an alkaloid "Aconite", which is deployed as antiperiodic.

Conservation Status: Endangered
Threats: Being uprooted from wild for pharmaceutical industry

iii)ROSA WEBBIANA

Local name          : tsya
Scientific name   : Rosa webbiana belongs to family roceaceae
Gathered from rocky and dry slopes of Suru valley.

Ethnobotany:

Its root and stem is used in the traditional treatment of many diseases and ailment.

iv) PODOPHYLLUM HAXANDRUM

Local name            : Denmokushu
Scientific name     : Podophyllum hexandrum
belongs to family berberidaceae

Ethnobotany:

Podophyllum hexandrum has been used commonly as the medication for the remedy of hairy leukoplakia and genital warts. Podophyllum hexandrum (Fam. – Berberidaceae) is known as a mystical drug and has been long history of using as a medication in Ayurvedic system of medicine for treatment of ailments like biliary fever, colds , constipation , septic wounds, inflammation, mental disorder, monocytoid leukemia, burning sensation, Hodgkin's and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma and certain cancers, together with small-cell lung cancer and refractory testicular tumors, however, limited information is available. Use as a medication to treat cathartic is considered unsound.

to be continued on next page