ETHNOMEDICINAL SURVEY OF HERBACEOUS FLORA TRADITIONALLY USED IN HEALTH CARE PRACTICES BY INHABITANTS OF DHUNDSIR GAD WATERSHED OF GARHWAL HIMALAYA, INDIA

The aim of the present study was to document the indigenous and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by local inhabitants in Dhundsir Gad watershed area of Garhwal Himalaya. The intensive field surveys were carried out for collection and ethno-medicinal surveys of herbaceous flora of the study area. The ethno-medicinal data was gathered through interviews and semi structured questionnaires from the local people especially from women and elderly people. A total of 79 medicinally important herbaceous species belonging to 75 genera and 32 families were recorded in the study area. The leaves were used more frequently (37%) as compared to roots (24%), whole plants (23%) and seeds (8%). The plant species were used by local inhabitants for treating various ailments like asthma, cough, cold, fever, constipation, cuts/wounds etc. The precious traditional knowledge along with the phytochemical and pharmacological investigations to find out the active ingredients in the plants used by local people, may be a step ahead towards the new drug development.