Study on Local Uses of Medicinal Plants in Nayabazar, Pyang and Jamuna VDCs of Ilam District

This paper had documented the indigenous knowledge of local people on the utilization of medicinal plants in Nayabazar, Pyang and Jamuna VDCs of Ilam Distict in Eastern Nepal. People of different castes, Rai, Brahmin, Chhetri, Gurung, Tamang, Limbu, Sherpa, Sunar, Kami, Magar and Newar live in the study area. The study was carried by collecting the information through interaction with people, questionnaire and field observation. Eighty four plant species were found belonging to 43 families and 76 genera from the study. Four species of Pteridophytes, one species of Gymnosperm and 79 species of Angiosperms were recorded . Botanical names, families, local names, life forms, useful parts, concerned ailments and mode of application of plants used as medicine have been listed in tabular form. Herbaceous plants were found dominant over shrubs and trees as the medicinal sources. Cough, asthma, fever, urinary and gastro-intestinal disorders were most common diseases among the people. Plants belonging to the families Asteraceae, Rutaceae and Rosaceae were found more frequently used. Most of the local people are familiar with medicinal plants and they have started cultivation of some the medicinal plants like Swertia chirayita, Lilium nepalense, Berginia ciliata, Taxus wallichiana , Asparagus racemosus and Valeriana jatamansi . Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 14, No. 1 (2013) 57-66 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v14i1.8923