About the Plant: It is a common herb of the Himalayas. It is often locally called as Nagchatri.
Conservation Status:
Conservation Status:- IUCN: endangered’
Vegetation: It is found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 meters above sea level.
Distribution: India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan have been home to this species.
In India, it is found in four states only- Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand.
Significance:
- The herb has been used in traditional medicine to cure diseases like dysentery, wounds, skin boils, inflammation, sepsis, as well as menstrual and sexual disorders.
- Recently, its value has increased manifold as experiments have shown it is a source of steroidal saponins and can be used as an anti-cancer and anti-aging agent.
Concern: In recent years, the plant has become one of the most traded commercial plants of the Himalayan region, due to its high medicinal quality.
