PAEONIA EMODI: A THREATENED IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANT OF HIGHER HIMALAYAN REGION

Vijay Kant Purohit,Jaidev Chauhan,Prem Prakash,Praveen Joshi

doi:10.29121/granthaalayah.v9.i8.2021.4173

Abstract

Himalaya is well known for its rich biodiversity with respect to medicinal and aromatic plants and Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle is one of them locally known as Chandra (family Paeoniaceae). In India, it is distributed in North–West Himalaya from Kashmir to Garhwal-Kumaun regions of Uttarakhand with an altitudinal range of 1800 to 2800 m asl. The whole plant of P. emodi is highly effective for uterine diseases, blood purifier, colic, bilious, backbone ache, headache, dizziness, vomiting, dropsy, epilepsy and hysteria while the seeds are purgative. A present phytosociological study particularly in Garhwal Himalaya, reveals that only few pockets of P. emodi are higher dense in Triyuginarayan and Shyalmi areas (3.80 and 2.72 individual/m2 respectively) while remaining are lower dense under diverse climatic conditions due to invasion by several biotic and abiotic factors. Using available information based on field survey, it assumed that the causes of its degradation are largely overexploitation of immature twigs before flower formation and seed shedding. To conserve the targeted species for future prosperity, Government needs to take immediate and concrete initiatives or imposed the ban on illegal collection or removal of the plant from its natural populations and emphasize the promotion of conservation.

Highlights

INTRODUCTIONHimalaya is well known for its rich biodiversity with respect to medicinal and aromatic plants
Himalaya is well known for its rich biodiversity with respect to medicinal and aromatic plants and Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle is one of them locally known as Chandra
Owing to its unique geographical setup, topography and undulant landscape the climatic conditions varied along an altitudinal gradient which attributes diversified ecological habitat ranging from tropical forest, grassland to alpine meadows with vast and diverse natural resources

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Himalaya is well known for its rich biodiversity with respect to medicinal and aromatic plants. Owing to its unique geographical setup, topography and undulant landscape the climatic conditions varied along an altitudinal gradient which attributes diversified ecological habitat ranging from tropical forest, grassland to alpine meadows with vast and diverse natural resources It supports over 675 species of wild edible plants and holds many largest and youngest mountain chains and covering an area about 2,36000 Km2 Kala (2005), Malik et al (2015). It is well said fact that numbers of plant species are threatened at different levels due to impact of climate change, urbanization, extensive agriculture and anthropogenic pressure in terms of trampling, deforestation, overexploitation as well as unsustainable harvesting Maikhuri et al (1998), Vashistha et al (2006), Kandari et al(2012) Some of these natural resources, mostly high-altitude medicinal plants are unscientifically exploited for various purposes such as drug and pharmaceutical industries, traditional use and research purposes from their natural populations and this activity has adversely. Paeonia Emodi: A Threatened Important Medicinal Plant of Higher Himalayan Region

STUDY AREA

DATA COLLECTION

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION

AND DISCUSSION

Findings

CONCLUSIONS