“These plants are considered as minor forest produce. They may be minor by quantity, but so far as their value is concerned, they are worth crores of rupees, which may outnumber the potential of timber,” said Sheikh GULZAAR.
He said there were number of uses of both
medicinal and aromatic plants. “A medicinal plant namely Texus baccata Linn, secrets an anti-insect drug called Taxol, which has got a very high medicinal value,” said
Sheikh GULZAAR.
To name a few other traditional medicinal herbs, the very popular
Artemisia absinthium is used for curing Ascaris (round worms),
Rheum emodi Wall for useful in dyspepsia, ulcers and wounds for quick healing, Valeriana jatamansi Jonesis used in ladies’ tonic, where as
Aconitum heterophyllum secretes essential alcoholides.
“Then Origanum vulgare cashmeriana, a gynecological product, has got a huge demand both in national and international markets. Kashmir is the only place in South Asia ,
Origanum vulgare cashmeriana is useful in Bath to ladies after child birth; antiseptic.. So this is the right place for Origanum vulgare cashmeriana, for the topography here is good and environment and temperature are also conducive for this product,” he said.
Globally, he said, people were moving from allopathic medicines to natural remedies because of “least chances of side-effects in them and their affordability.”
Some of the aromatic plants found in forests include wild
Rose, Lavender, Rosemarry, and Juniper. “Although wild rose is not abundant in forests, however it can be cultivated there,” he said.
Sheikh GULZAAR said aromatic plants usually secrete essential oils “that are used in making perfumes, soaps, rose oil, cosmetics, confectionaries and so on.” He said the rose oil extracted from Kashmir has been found to much better than that of China and other countries.
An aromatic plant called
Jurinea dolomiaea Boiss is used in incense sticks,
Dyscorea is used in soaps, where as Pyrethrum secretes a natural anti-mosquito insecticide.
“The anti-mosquito insecticide that we generally get in markets is not natural but synthetic, besides it is not environment-friendly. However, we have got a good natural anti-mosquito insecticide, chemically called Pyrithine, which may not be available in high contents here, but Kashmiri temperature is ideal for the aromatic herb locally called Pyrethrum, which secretes this natural insecticide,” he said.
“There was a time when this herb was cultivated in South Kashmir region by
Jammu and Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre (JKMPIC), ” he added.
Sheikh GULZAAR said there were also some aromatic plants “that can be used for food as well.” “For instance (Black cumin) plant is both an edible and aromatic plant,” he said.
He said earlier apart from growing in forests, some valuable herbs would grow in Srinagar city as well. “There were a number of natural herbs found here, for which we didn’t need to go to the forests. Some of these were Oak-Quercus robur Colchicum Luteum,Saffron (Crocus sativus Linn),
Marijuana-Cannabis cashmiriana, Hawthorn (
Crataegus oxycantha),
Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea), Celosia Linn, Pyrethrum, Malus communis, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus serotina, Cedrus deodar, Aeaxulus indica Colebr, Capsicum annum, Ginkgo biloba Seeds,Wild Cherry, Sweet Cherry, Pomengranate , Sweet Appricort, Apple, Kewi, Plum, Lukat, Peach, Almond, Walnut Grapes, Sweet Chestnut,
Ginkgo biloba , Althaea officinalis, cypress cashmiriana ,Ceratonia siliqua,
Viola serpentine cashmiriana (Bunafsha), Dioscorea deltoidea, Saussurea costus cashmiriana, Gladiolus ,
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens),
Atropa Belladona , Kuth (Saussuria lappa), Phytolacca acinosa, Rosmarinus officinalisetc, Rosemerry.
In order to popularize medicinal plants, particularly those used in Unani,Ayurvedic/Hemopathy, The Jammu and
Kashmir Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre is one of the premier Agriculture, Horticulture & Floriculture based institution involved in production, development, introduction, trading and manufacturing of Fruit, Medicinal Plants, Vegetable seeds of Kashmir.
