Table 4.
Common medicinal plants found in the Himalayan region (Source: Manandhar, 1992).
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Uses/Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Drymaria | Drymaria diandra Blume | Annual herb with slender, smooth stem; juice of plant is applied on forehead to treat headache. |
| Spiny Amaranth | Amaranthus spinosus L. | Annual herb; leaves used as vegetable; a paste of root is applied to treat boils; juice of root used to treat fever. |
| Hemp/Marijuana | Cannabis sativa L. | Annual herb; leaf juice is given to cattle suffering from diarrhea; leaf is mixed with cattle feed. |
| Creeping Woodsorrel | Oxalis corniculata L. | Annual/short-lived perennial herbs; plant juice is applied to treat fresh cuts and wounds. |
| Common/Stinging Nettle | Urtica dioica L. | Herbaceous perennial; fresh leaves used as vegetables; leaf powder used as herbal tea; paste mixed with marble powder applied to set dislocated bone. |
| Centella | Centella asiatica L. | Herbaceous perennial; plant juice is used as tonic early in the morning. |
| False Goat's Beard | Astilhe rivularis Duch. | Perennial herb; rhizomatous flowering plants; juice of root used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. |
| Bajradanti | Potentilla fulgens Wall. | Perennial shrub; root powder used for tooth powder; small piece of root is kept between the jaws to treat toothache. |
| Indian Braberry | Berberis aristata DC. | An erect spiny shrub; decoction of bark is used to treat eye and skin disorders. |
| Indian Rhododendron | Melastoma malabathricum L. | A flowering shrub; plant juice is used to treat cough and cold. |
| Fire Flame Bush | Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz | A large shrub with spreading branches; flower juice used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. |
| Butea | Butea minor Buch.—Ham. ex Baker | A perennial non-climber shrub; seed powder is used as an anthelmintic medicine. |
| Castor Oil Plant | Ridicinus communis L. | A perennial shrub; flower juice is applied to alleviate cuts and wounds. |
| Staggerbush | Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude | A deciduous shrub; paste of tender leaf is applied to treat scabies. |
| Bayberry | Myrica esculenta Buch.—Ham. ex D. Don | An ethno-medicinal tree; juice of bark used to treat dysentery with bloody stool. |
| Needlewood Tree | Schima wallichii (DC). Kortha | An evergreen tree; juice of bark is applied to treat fresh cuts and wounds. |
| Prickly Ash | Zanthoxylum armatum DC. | A deciduous spice tree; paste of bark is applied to treat toothache. |
| White Cedar/China Berry | Melia azadirach L. | A deciduous tree with pesticide and medicinal properties; paste of bark is used as anthelmintic. |
| Nutgall Tree | Rhus javanica L. | A dioecious tree; paste of fruit is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. |