Abstract

Sherpa community are the oldest ethnic groups of Himalayas and chiefly known for their ability to climb mountains and their knowledge on medicinal plants found in the high Himalayas. The main objective of this study was to document the medicinal plants available for trade-in Itahari. The study reported 40 species of medicinal plants belonging to 34 families from an interview with twelve herbal traders. The habit of the medicinal plant recorded were herbs (53%), trees (20%), shrubs (13%), vines (8%), fungus (5%), and lichen (3%). Herbal medicines were mostly found for curing minor diseases like cuts, wounds to major diseases like jaundice, typhoid, and also cancer. The knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants has been preserved from ancestors to ancestors, is still in existence and are also spreading towards their younger generations. Furthermore, More researches should be done to access the medicinal plants traded across the country and also their conservation strategy followed by the ethnic community during the collection of medicinal plants.

Keywords

Cross-cultural traditions, ethnomedicinal plants, lichen, Sherpa, zimbu