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News: In Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, sustainable cultivation of the endangered medicinal herb Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa) is helping conserve the species and supporting the rural mountain economy.
About Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa)
- It is a medicinal herb, locally known as Kutki.
- Botanical name: Its botanical name is Picrorhiza kurroa.
- Native to: It is native to the alpine and sub-alpine regions (2,700-4,500 metres) of the Himalayas.
- Habitat: It grows naturally in rock crevices and moist, sandy soil.
- Characteristic features:
- It has a long, creeping rootstock that is bitter in taste.
- The leaves are oval, flat, and serrated.
- The flowers are pale purple or white and are borne on a tall spike.
- The plants are harvested manually from October to December.
- Medicinal part: The medicinal part is the stolon (a side branch that creeps on the soil and possesses nodes), not the root.
- The roots are fibrous and contain no medicinal content.
- Uses: It is one of the most commonly used herbs in polyherbal preparations clinically used in India.
- It is also used in Liver disorders, strengthening stomach function in cases of indigestion, inflammation & fever.
- Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: It is currently classified as an Endangered due to decades of destructive wild harvesting.
- CITES: It is also listed in Appendix II, allowing international trade only under regulated conditions with export permits.
