Some Native Medicinal Plants of the Western Gurung

15 SOME NATIVE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE WESTERN GURUNG Broughton Coburn Kathmandu Notice has been taken by field workers and villagers alike of the sparing use of and decreased interest in herbal medicines by the Gurungs. It is the purpose of this paper to show that not only did the Gurungs have a rich and systematic herbal tradition in recent history, but also that much of this tradition is unique to only the Gurungs, and is currently practiced or recognized to a greater extent than documented heretofore. Outside of social interaction, the Gurungs are directly dependant on native and cultivated plants for almost every aspect of their livelihood. Plants are the source of their food, clothing and shelter, but they also play an extensive role in their recreation, decoration, religion and medicine. Further, the climatic and subsequent vegetative diversity 1. ' Research for this paper was done throughout Syangja and Parbat Districts, and in Kaski District exclusive of the area to the west drained by the Madi River. Special acknowledgement goes to the Department of Medicinal Plants, Thapathali, Kathmandu for botanically classifying many of the collected specimens.

56/Kailash found within a day's walk of a northern Gurung village has made available a large variety of plants, from a sub-tropical habitat typified by bamboo and rice paddy at 1,000 m. through the temperate range to alpine pastures at 4,500 m. Medicinal herbs are collected from all these ecoclines, but those from the higher altitudes are said to be the more powerful. A list of the Gurungs' medicinal use of cultivated and introduced plants would include over forty more species and cures. This is an interesting area for further research, but many of these have been tested for alkaloids and other possible active agents, and their ethnobotanical study may not open any new areas of the pharmacological research. Many of the medicinal uses of cultivated and introduced species are not unique to the Gurung. It is also not within the scope of this paper to cover the religious and ritual uses of plants, due to the surprising vastness of material in this area, complicated by the considerable local variation in plants used for specific rituals. Suffice it to say that there are over sixty native species and many cultivated and introduced species which are of symbolic importance in Shamanic, Buddhist, and Hindu ceremonies (Giteh, N. puja). The ritual use of medicinal plants which have ceremonial functions are included here however, as this use often reflects on its medicinal value, and vice versa. 1 1. Transliteration follows the system used by R.L. Turner in this volume. Plant names are listed Roman alphabetically by their Nepali name due to the greater variation and occasional absence of local Gurung names. In cases where there was no known Nepali name, the entry is included under the Gurung name. Plant names specific to other villages were quickly remarked upon by those who knew them, but little explanation was offered for this marked variation.

al gh al n La Native Medicinal Plants/57 Wild food plants include another forty species, the hunters and shepherds depending on them for the bulk of their green vegetable consumption when travelling in the high hills (N. lekh) away from villages. Water-buffalo Typically, the forest-jungle the forest-jungle adjacent to the Gurung village is a veritable natural pharmacy. It has the purported potential to cure almost any affliction affecting the Gurung of any age, and his livestock. "Sure" remedies have been reported for rabies, cholera and epilepsy. aphrodisiacs, thorn extractors, and systemic leech repellents are examples of Gurung mountain drugs unavailable in a western pharmacopeia which might deserve more pharmacological investigation. Shepherds, hunters, and to a lesser extent firewood and fodder cutters are the most knowledgeable of native plants and their uses. These transhumanists and other hill travellers have transmitted orally much of the current folk and herbal remedy tradition from their antecedents, reinforced by their daily association with a wide variety of plants. The Several shepherds, lamenting the loss of sheep from grazing on poisonous plants (N. bikh, Grg. meke), described how they can recognize poison antidote herbs by the lack of any poisonous plants growing in their near vicinity. efficacy of this potential antidote can be tested by dropping ground pieces of the herb into a vessel of water containing the visible extract of any poisonous plant. If the ground antidote "chases" the poison around in the vessel, it is considered to be effective. One informant said that the "five-fingered" pac aule root is a good medicine for hand injuries because the tubers are shaped like a human hand. Similarly, several plants with milky sap are taken to stimulate lactation. This is a common method used earlier by some peoples for determining the medicinal value of a plant

58/Kailash ... by its anthorpomorphic characteristics, for which a pharmacopeia, the Doctrine of Signatures, was developed by the physician Paracelsus in the 16 th century. These and other accounts of uses of plants for medicine suggest the existence of an underwritten and ongoing tradition among the Gurung, distinct from Ayurvedic or Tibetan herbal medicine. Neither the Ayurvedic nor the Tibetan medicinal texts cover a number of genera of plants which are used exclusively by the Gurung. It is apparent that the uses of these plants originated empirically with the Gurung and/or were transmitted orally from another tribe. The most highly regarded medicinal herb doctors were the Gurung aamji (Tib. doctor), lamas who had studied under Tibetan 1 folk medicine doctors in Thak Khola or Tibet. Though they were familiar with the clinical use of many species of herbs, they often placed the emphasis of their practice of folk medicine on the healing powers of non-plant materials and ritual cures: a rhinocerous horn, musk deer hooves, and a selection of bird droppings were standard ingredients in their medicine bags. Except for some remedies borrowed from the shepherds and hunters, the authentic aamji diagnosed diseases and prescribed folk medicine according to the Tibetan .texts. Though plants named in these texts usually correspond to the same genera of the plants in the Gurungs' herb collection area, the species are frequently 1. The Gurung aamji are of the lama clan (car jaat) and there are apparently only a handful of them left. One aamji informant living near Paundar in Kaski District, operates a small dispensary offering a unique combination of western and folk medicine. He stated that the western medicine is much easier and slightly more profitable. Thakali aamji are more numerous than Gurung aamji though there were none met outside of Thak Khola.

= < n e can de Native Medicinal Plants/59 not the same as those used by the Tibetans. Even among the same species, ecotypic variation is marked, and herb collectors are quick to comment that though a specimen from high altitude may be smaller than a low altitude specimen, it is proportionately more powerful medicinally. A favorite analogy is made that just as hill peoples are stronger and more rugged than their valley brothers, and subsequently have more of the "sap of life" (N. rasilo), so the alpine plants have more potent sap than the lowland specimens. Many of the more common traditional Tibetan remedies are known by shephereds and villagers alike. The herbs listed in traditional Ayurvedic texts which occur near Gurung villages are somewhat more widely known, though generally considered to be less powerful than the Tibetan folk medicine. These medicines are prescribed by self-styled herb doctors, usually car jaat sub-caste who have studied Sanskrit herb texts and traditions passed down from an elder relative. Similarly, though the Nepali local names are the same and the plants similar, the species collected by the Gurungs frequently do not correspond to those referred to in Ayurvedic texts. The hunters and shepherds of the high pasture stressed that one must be of a benevolent spiritual nature before attempting to collect herbs from the highest alpine areas; neglect of respect for the irritable mountain deities (N. deuta) would result in bad luck, headache, nausea, or in extreme cases, death. They also claimed existence of "virtually inaccessible" plants offering long life or freedom from disease and hunger, assuming a person could find and subsist exclusively on those particular herbs. Two shepherds described a twenty-meter high phosphorescent tree growing on the glaciers of Macchapuchhre; the glowing orange flowers imbue prolonged physical and sexual endurance when ingested.

60/Kailash Renowned lamas and folk doctors disavowed any extensive knowledge of herbal medicine, while acclaiming the new expediency of western allopathic drugs, the availability of Ayurvedic and homeopathic preparations, and the spiritual (traditional) importance of disease-exorcising rites. One villager suggested that a person relapsing or dying after herbal treatment may leave the folk doctor legally responsible, while ritual treatment allows the spiritual healer to transfer all responsibility to the offended spirit. Elder villagers agreed that before western medicines and health facilities were known, herbal medicine was the backbone of all disease treatment which did not prescribe ritual exorcism. Currently, internal and topical medicines are distinct and mutually exclusive of ritual cures; where one is prescribed, the other is said to be totally ineffective. A lama in Armala who had studied under a now-deceased aamji said that certain rock fragments and animal organs are "bigger medicine" than plants, but his lack of interest in herbs did not belie his knowledge. When shown plant specimens or asked about a specific herb remedy, the herb doctors and elder villagers recognized them with surprising facility. self-styled "ignorant" woman in Ghandrung, Parbat District, recognized 85 out of 103 specimens shown, and described the uses and methods of preparation for over sixty of them. One Of those under thirty-five years of age, only the shepherds were found to recognize a considerable number of medicinal herb in the field, and primarily those of the high pasture. Also, elder villagers could identify many pressed specimens taken from high altitudes despite not having visited there in many years. Even some villagers who had never travelled above the treeline recognized nearly as many of these alpine species. Many informants were skilled in locating certain herbs and trees, and would scramble well off the trail to retrieve

18 cds rb ra S e Native Medicinal Plants/61 them. If they did not know of a specific clump or area where they had previously seen a particular plant, they would know well its habitat, whether on the edge of a field, in a forest ravine, or on a north facing scree slope. Furthermore, they universally knew beforehand what biological stage the plant would be in at the time, especially in the case of ripening berries. In collecting medicine for beghar, (see below), the plants are collected and prepared preferably on a Sunday or Tuesday, also auspicious days for the collection of other medicinal herbs. A simple process of filtration (N. kaparchan) almost identical to the Tibetat concentration method ¹ is employed with 1 some herbs to obtain a stronger and relatively pure medicinal extract: the herb or herbal combination is boiled from one to three hours, allowed to cool slightly, and then poured through a layer of coarse cloth into a large copper vessel. If it does not crystallize upon cooling, it is further boiled and stirred until it crystallizes or precipitates. A few informants preferred to collect specimens alone and return with them to the village, rather than take a foreigner into the collection territory. One lama (Gurung sub-caste) informant was seen by a villager to be heading in the opposite direction from his stated intention. The reluctance of herb doctors and some other Gurungs to show outsiders the collection sites appears to stem primarily from a hostility toward Indians and Nepalis contracted to collect herbs for Ayurvedic doctors and modern drug companies. These plant collectors reportedly carry out "baskets full" of roots and plant tissue without registering with the Panchayat authorities who claim jurisdiction over the collection of medicinal herbs. 1. As described in Rechung Rimpoche's_Tibetan Medicine.

62/Kailash Special note should be made here of some specific afflictions which appear occasionally in the herb list: Epilepsy (N. carmane rog, chare rog, bakhre betha, Grg. ra betha), and epileptic fits are brought on according to most villagers by the "susceptible" person having seen a large expanse of a single bright color. Staring at someone wearing a bright blue or red shirt, or just visiting the blue waters of Phewa Lake has been known to initiate an attack. Water is especially avoided by the epileptic. N. Grg. kapat is a term for generally internal ailments caused by eating food that has been hexed by a witch (Grg. pumsyo). The person believed to be a witch need only have seen someone eating (esp., tasty or expensive food) for infection of the hex. Diagnosis is obtained by pulse reading (Grg. nari nyoba). N. Grg. kuphat in normal speech refers to indigestion from "bad food", though some elderly Gurungs equated kuphat with typhoid or other high fever. N. Grg.gaano was described as a knob-like pain in ther stomach (ulcer?), usually diagnosed by pulse reading. N. Grg. beghar was considered to be the same as kapat by some, though most informants claimed that a witch's hex was not an essential vector of the symptoms of malaise common to beghar. Diagnosis for virtually all afflictions, including those which prescribe ritual treatment, is done by pulse reading. One informant of the lama sub-caste emphasized the importance of five heartbeats for every exchange of breath, and that the amount of deviation from this norm is an indication of the degree of illness. The aamji informants remarked that they did count and

ne unt of and Native Medicinal Plants/63 compare the pulse and breathing, but that it is not diagnostic, and they concentrated primarily on other unverbalized factors. to identify the disease. Unless otherwise noted, plant use descriptions were independently offered, usually with only slight variation, by at least two informants from separate villages, and were recognized as having the same or similar use in at least two other villages. Gurung plant names common to three or more villages are listed without any area designation, and are generally understood within the Western Gurung range. Those names peculiar to a smaller area and not mutually recognizable within the Western range are geographically designated as follows: A. Armala village, Kaski District. Gk. Gl. P. Gd. K. Ghachowk village, Kaski District. Ghalel village, Kaski District. Paundar village, Kaski District. Ghandrung village, Parbat District. Kolma village, Syangja District. As in other developing countries, the folk medicine that was once common knowledge and practice among the Gurung is dying out with the remaining elders of the population. All are aware of the inherent value of medicinal herbs, and some of the more efficacious remedies are being transmitted unchanged; but the young are especially impressed by the wonders of modern medicine, in conformity with their changing social values and the wider availability of the drugs. This plant list is far from comprehensive, and may contain some contradictory information in spite of conscientious crossIt is intended to suggest the rich herbal medical tradition that existed, perhaps only recently, in Gurung references.

64/Kailash history, but of which only a shadow remains today in practice, hopefully lending insight to the depth to which Gurungs believe both in the vested powers of particular plants, and in the inherent value of all living things. N. abijala Grg. tuhi nori sub-tropical to temperate This epiphytic vine is ground with ghor tapre and eaten for fevers and gaano, and mixed with water for a cooling tonic. The fibre from the vine is used in making winnowing trays. N. akhas beli Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Grg. dyo dyoali Eng. Dodder temperate The nuts of this leafless parasite are eaten raw for nourishment or ground into powder for the treatment of gaano. N. arkalo Quercus fenestrata Grg. kalo masi ("black ink" in Nepali) Sub-alpine The fruit of this high altitude plant is ground and applied to lodged thorns and splinters, purportedly causing immediate expulsion. The plant was used earlier for making writing ink. N. airalu/indreyani Citrullus colocynthis nae pharla Grg. nae ote Eng. bitter apple: K. nae phaltuh temperate The roots of the cucumber-like vine are ground when fresh for a topical antiseptic, and is generally known to be superior to arkalo for thorn and splinter extraction, esp. the embedded spine of a small insect (ti tigo) which is frequently stepped on and notorious for its severe septic infections. The fruit is used in buffalo aphrodisiac preparations, and eaten by man when ripe. Washed in ash-water to reduce the bitterness and

Native Medicinal Plants/65 then fried, it is said to be helpful in malaria and pneumonia treatment. N. aiselu Grg. palha Golden evergreen raspberry Rubus ellipticus Smith temperate Though generally eaten raw, the ripe berries (achenes) are cooked in a large pot until they turn black, and stored in bottles. Drunk as a tonic for sore throatN. amrisa Thysanolaena maxima P. mraa K. Gl. mro kuca temperate The roots are ground and applied to milk rashes and irritations, and are said to be most effective on boils (Grg. rhu). In Kolma, the flowering spike is ground and eaten for heartburn (ti naba). The leaves are used in rituals by lama subcaste lamas for dispersing holy water (arg. phwi kyu), and the plant is widely cultivated for brooms, made from flowering spikes. N. angale jhar Ageratum conyzoides Grg. angale no Linn. temperate weed In Armala, the leaves are smashed in the hands and applied to thorns lodged in the feet. N. Grg. asuro Adhatoda vasica Nees. sub-tropical, on field margins The flower of this common plant is collected in NovemberDecember, dried, ground and ingested for blood-free dysentery. In Armala, the leaf buds are ground with ghor tapre and taken for nausea.

66/Kailash N. bako Arisaema sp. Grg. khyobale temperate forest N For fevers and stomach gas, the lower stem of this poisonous jungle herb is ground and eaten in very small quantities. H a N. bas bas Grg. ri Dendrocalmus strictus Eng. Bamboo sub-tropical The water from the hollow of a freshly cut bamboo is fed to children for the control of nocturnal micturition. Older trees yield a white excrecense from the nodes which is mixed with water for a cooling tonic or applied directly to infected sores as an antiseptic. Jessie Glover notes that "the mho is a spirit of a person who has not reached the village of the dead. They are said to live in bamboo clumps or under stones. Whenever young people walk around the village at night, they will always go around in a group and will sing very loudly especially as they go by the bamboo clumps in order to combat their fears of the mho,"1 N. Grg. barahar A. baral Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb. sub-tropical forest The trunk of this large tree is tapped and the sap is drunk or the bark is ground and ingested for missing menstrual period (kho noba). In Armala, the sap is drunk for kidney stones. N. barmale/banbare Oxyria digyria Hill Grg. thora alpine meadow The roots, stems and leaves are cooked and eaten for dysentery. Red chilis are not eaten with this. 1. Glover, Jessie, Some Religious Beliefs and Practices Current Among the Gurung, unpublished, 1974, p. 3.1.7.

N. Grg. ban kapas Native Medicinal Plants/67 temperate forests For kapat or other infections caused by evil spirits, a length of cord fashioned from the fibers of this plant is blown on and beaten upon the affected person, especially in localized pain areas. In Ghalel, the roots are ground, mixed in water and fed to man or livestock for internal injuries resulting from falls. N. Grg. ban silam Elholtzia blanda Grg. tana The leaves of this herb are squeezed between the palms and rubbed on cracked blisters and foot callouses. In Kolma, the dried seeds are ground and applied topically to scabies. In Paundar, these ground seeds are eaten to kill stomach parasites. N. batkyaulo Grg. tibru Gk. tipur open sub-tropical forests K. tipru The small seeds are ground and eaten raw for diarrhoea, dysentery and stomach ailments. Pieces of this wood are placed under the eaves of the house to ward away the wandering spirits of the deceased (mho). N. G. bethe Chenopodium album Linn. temperate to sub-alpine The small seeds of this plant are boiled in cows' milk and drunk for muscle ailments. In Ghandrung, the seeds are ground and fried in cows' milk for gaano. N. G. bhaiyar/baher Ziziphus jujuba Lam. sub-tropical

68/Kailash The inner seed is ground and stirred in goats' milk, then drunk for rashes and skin blemishes. N. bhalayo Semecarpus anacardium Linn. Grg. khur si In Armala, leaves from this tree are sprinkled with ashes, fried in butter and fed to water buffalo as an aphrodisiac. There is an allergic reaction to the touch of this bark in some people, a rash that will disappear upon repetition of a special mantra. In Kolma the rash is said to disappear within three days of placing a twig of this tree on top of the grinding mill, or if some dirt from the vicinity of the tree is rubbed on the rash. N. bhere kuro Clematis grewaefolia Grg. kyu tini The twigs and fruit of this herb are ground or ingested raw, often with the stem of kaalo niuro, and taken for beghar. The ground twigs are added to Brewer's yeast (pa mae), purportedly imparting taste and vigor to the mash. N. bhoj patra Grg. kella Betula utilis D. Don. S. bhus pat temperate forest Eng. Himalayan Silver Birch For chills from fever, a jantar (written prayer) is written on this birch leaf with ink expressed from a khayar seed. The leaf is important in many rituals for its protective properties, and its paper-like bark and resinous pitch have several household uses. N. bhorla/bhorlacaur Gl. peli A. ple The flat dark-red seeds are ground, cooked, and ingested for stomach disorders.

N. bhudro Gk. tisyaa Berberis aristata DC. Gl. komme P. gome A. kobe Native Medicinal Plants/69 Eng. Berberry temperate, sub-alpine Similar to cutro (B. asiatica), the inner wood is boiled until a yellow sap exudes, which is put in the eyes for eye pain. In Ramja Kot the tea of the wood is drunk, and fed to animals as a pain reliever. N. bhutkes Gnetaceae family Grg. talei ta high alpine meadow A. tani taa of black, brown and white varieties mentioned, the brown was claimed to be the most efficacious and best of this alpine herb. The roots and leaves of all varieties are dried, ground and burned as incense in the stables of livestock infected with a witch's or other malicious spirit's hex. By man, the burned incense fumes are generally inhaled to eradicate a cold or fever. N. bhyagur K. teco Dioscorea deltoidea Wall R. tethar primarily temperate P. tetura A. thejo The tubers of this climbing plant are boiled or roasted and eaten for roundworm. aches and constipation. N. bilauni Maesa chisia D. Don. It is also taken to alleviate sideGrg. chote In Armala, the ground leaves and roots of this small tree are said to make a health tonic especially good for the body aches

70/Kailash and pains caused by a deity disturbed by disrespect or neglect (mhi sarap jhoba). Only the branch of this tree can be used to suspend the live chicken in the shamanic ceremony (alternatively ghya seba, mho toba, or ceni phreba) performed thirteen days after the death of a villager, blocking the return road to earth from the wandering dead spirit (mho). N. Grg. bojho Acorus calamus Linn. Eng. Sweet flag rhizome. Sub-tropical The rhizomes are chewed as a cough medicine, and for laryngitis. N. buki phul/bhaki phul Grg. tapta/he-tapta temperate Anaphalis contorta (temperate) A. triplinervis (sub-alpine) A. napta These common weeds are gathered in bunches when flowering in the fall and hung from the ceiling of the house as a cockroach repellent. N. catra niuro Diplazium sp. Grg. Yopla lowta temperate forest The new shoots of this fern are cooked and eaten for dysentery and stomach aches, imparting a good taste to other vegetables cooked with it. N. cari amilo R.P. kyupro temperate forest Oxalis corniculata Linn. K.A. nwa kyumro Gk. nawar kyu In Armala the flowers, and in Kolma the leaves of this small herb are expressed in the hands and applied to the eyes for cataracts and other eye ailments. The leaves are also wrapped

ct Native Medicinal Plants/71 in a cloth rag, twisted tightly and then rubbed vigorously on leather army belts as a polish and conditioner. veN. chalne sisnu Girardinia palmata Grg. nai pulu/ nai polo Sub-tropical to temperate forest For diarrhoea, the long root fibers (nai) are wrapped around the waist and tied. For dimness of vision, the leaves are cooked and eaten. N. cilauni Grg. khyu si Schima wallicii Chois. Sub-tropical The ground nut is a widely known medicine for scorpion and millipede bites, applied topically. The bark is ground, cooked, filtered and fed to livestock for red-water disease (lal muti). The bark is also crumbled and thrown in streams as a fish poison. N. ciple ch Ey Grg. plhe ta (slippery vegetable) A. pre ta For sore throats the nut of this tree is ground, stirred in water, and drunk. The slippery inner bark is powdered in the kuni grain thresher and added to bread mix as a leavener and conditioner. S: N. culthi amilo Grg. khaghyo/khaghyu Rheum emodi Wall. Eng. rhubarb Meadows at 3,500 M. ed The roots (N. padam cal) are boiled and eaten for relief of backand are frequently fed to liveaches and other bodily pains, stock as a general panacea. The roots also yield a bright yellow fast dye for which it is sold in the Pokhara bazaar. The extract from the edible petiole is applied topically to 5

72/Kailash the forehead for relief of headaches and fevers and is occasionally applied to contusions or broken limbs. The petioles are also collected in quantity, dried in the village, stripped into long threads, braided into shanks and stored for addition to cooked vegetables, purportedly helpful in digestion. N. Grg. cutro Grg. oss. cuduru Berberis asiatica The bark and inner wood is crushed and boiled, yielding a yellow sap which is put in the eyes for conjunctivitis. Ghandrung the inner seed of this edible fruit is used similarly. N. cyaau In Grg. cyabo Eng. mushroom (ground variety) na kru (epiphytic variety) A. naa krumo S. dhurbe cyabo One large edible ground variety is applied directly to skin abrasions. Several epiphytic species are fried and eaten. N. daidali/adahi jalo Calicarpa macrophylla Grg. occ. dana masi The bark is ground and mixed in food for treating kuphat. The small white fruits are eaten for their raw sweet taste. The new stem tissue is ground and swallowed with water for throat aches. Pignede equates this with 'bhot guyali' used for boils on the tongue though this was not recognized in Ghandrung. N. damaura Grg. damphal The large fruit is ground and ingested, or eaten raw, ripe, or unripe, for cholera and diarrhoea. N 1

S ed N. dhaka/dhakai Arisaema sp. Native Medicinal Plants/73 Grg. khlya kle temperate forest on The fermented leaves are cooked and eaten as a green vegetable, said to alleviate dysentery and other stomach troubles. In Ramja Kot the seeds and stems are ground and eaten for dysentery. N. Grg. dhaiyari Woodfordia fructicosa Kurz. primarily subtropical The dried flower is soaked in hot or cold water, then drunk for stomach aches and dysentery. The bark is also boiled and used for tanning leather, imparting a reddish color. N. Grg. dhaturo Datura spp. temperate In Armala, the fruit is crushed and fed to buffalo as an aphrodisiac. In Kolma, a small amount of this poisonous fruit extract is ingested after being bitten by a rabid dog. N. dubo A. no dubo temperate to alpine Cynodon dactylon Linn (Pers.) The In Ghandrung, this grass is ground with marble dust and the Pyauli plant and applied topically to infected wounds or boils, the poultice being held in place with 'Nepali paper'. leaves are deemed to have auspicious properties (N. coko) playing a role in many rituals, primarily Hindu. N. G. ekle bir Lobelia pyramidalis Wall. A. ek phale bikh open temperate forest The expressed root juice is boiled and eaten for infertility in women.

74/Kailash N. Grg. gaulaata Lacanthus peduncularis Royle sub-alpine The roots of this herb are ground and applied topically to sprains and dislocations. N. Grg. ghor tapre Eng. water pennywort Centella asiatica (Linn.) Urban To reduce high fevers, the leaves of this common village plant are squeezed vigorously between the hands and massaged into the forehead and stomach. In Armala, the entire plant is ground and included in the preparation for epilepsy, and when taken alone is said to be efficacious in the treatment of gaano, kuphat and painful urination. N. gita Dioscorea bulbifera K.R. Kamlo Gk.P. seka A. khasyo After rinThe bitter tasting fruit of this spreading vine is sliced and boiled in a thick ash-water mixture for one hour. sing in cold water it is ingested for treatment of intestinal parasites. N. gol kakri Melothria heterophylla A. R. tus putu tha kaja sub-tropical Gk. Gl. those kudo P. thosar katu and The fleshy fruit of this open forest vine is eaten raw, the seeds ground and eaten with water for sore throat and as a cooling tonic. It is also said to be medicine for kuphat headaches and malaria.

N. goru aiselu/gaai auselu Grg. me palha Rubus rugosus Native Medicinal Plants/75 temperate forest climbers R. paniculatus In Ghandrung the bark is ground and applied topically to scabies and other rashes. The berries are eaten raw or cooked for N. gundergano/gujergano Tinospora sp. Grg. tamarkhi The large tuber of this vine-like plant is threshed, mixed with rice flour or wheat flour and fed to cattle in treatment of red-water disease (lal miti). The tuber is also cut into chunks and thrown at an arriving bridegroom's party. Two informants claimed existence of a rare phosphorescent variety of this plant, mhroghya tamarkhi, available at only the highest limit of vegetation. It is said to be a powerful panacea. N. guras Grg. pottha Rhododendron spp. Gd. poth d Gk. putta 1 chi Eng. rhododendron The flowers of the red-flowering varieties are collected in the spring, dried, ground, and mixed in food to cure diarrhoea. For throat aches, the red flowers are eaten raw. If a fishbone is caught in one's throat, repeating the word guras three times is reportedly sufficient to dislodge it. N. guiyali/guyeli Grg. tibru Eleagnus latifolia Linn. Gl. timru K. khruni sub-tropical to temperate The sweet red fruit of this shrub is eaten in May and June for its cooling properties. to reduce fevers. The crushed roots are fed to children In Kilma, witches are said to have a weakness

76/Kailash for the taste of this plant, and a plate made of the leaves containing ashes and a chili pepper is placed on the road to repel them. N.G. harjor Eng. common mistletoe Viscum album Linn. Informants alternately described the roots, fruits, bark or leaves as being ground or crushed and applied topically to breaks, sprains, and bruises. In Armala, the fruits are cooked, wrapped into a compress. N. halhale Rumex nepalensis Grg. ulbi P. ulphi Common near animal sheds, the leaves are crushed and rubbed on white patches on the skin caused by vitamin C deficiency. In Ghandrung the roasted roots are ground and used similarly. The fresh leaves are cooked and eaten by those suffering from nausea or diarrhoea. In Armala, a plant called tarkhya ulbi (N. seto halhale), Cynoglossum sp. is used in a preparation for the treatment of epilepsy. N. hari unio Diplazium polypodoides Grg. chiga Bl. P. cyia temperate forest The root juice is expressed and applied to open cuts as an antiseptic. The entire plant is placed outside above the door for lute waaba. 1 • 1. "Scabies exorcism" On the first day of the month of Srawan (mid-July), these and up to twenty species species of plants are used as ritual protection against an outbreak of scabies.

N. Grg. jamuna Native Medicinal Plants/77 Grg. jamuna si Gk. occ. tiju Foe The fruit of this plant is dried and powdered, then stirred in water and drunk for diarrhoea and stomach pain. Occasionally eaten raw when ripe. N. Grg. jatamasi Gk. jermaci Nardostachys jatamansi DC. Eng. spike nard sub-alpine The dried leaves and pedicel are burned as incense to ward off evil spirits. The smoke is directed over the affected person's or animal's body. livestock. on N. jhau n Lichen spp. he Used primarily for treating Grg. leto (on rocks) chepal(epiphytic) Gk. chama mhwi st The lichen is occasionally picked fresh, rubbed between the hands and dusted on open cuts and abrasions. A holy purified plant according to Hindu religious tradition, it is used ritually in narayan puja and other rituals for its 'cleaning effect'. N. kaalo niuro Tectaria macrodonta Grg.yopla kuta/mhro kuta open subR. kuturge tropical forest The roots of this fern are ground and eaten for beghar, dysenThe new leaf shoots are cooked and eaten, 1 tery and diarrhoea. which Pignede says is taken for stomach ailments. Grg. occ. Mhroghya Sinkha field margins N. Grg. kalsinkha Cheilanthes albomarginata 1. Pignede, Bernard, Les Gurungs.

78/Kailash The new leaves of this small fern are ground and eaten for treatment of gaano and stomach gas. and ingested in case of giardiasis. The roots are ground A piece of the (black) petiole is inserted as an antiseptic filler to keep pierced ear and nose holes from closing. Rheum moorcroftianum Grg. keje Gk. kesa alpine meadows Shepherds and hunters dry and smoke the leaves of this herb. in a pipe for sinusitis. N. kharsu Quercus semicarpifolia Grg. pyena P. pyeno Eng. Kharsu Oak temperate forest The trunk or foot of an aged tree is tapped on the scar tissue of a broken branch or other injury, and the sap collected. Heated and drunk as a tea, it relieves muscular aches, though it is occasionally taken simply for its cooling properties. N. kukur daino Smilax spp. P. ne kre A.K. nai khre R. nagi krai-krai Gl. Gk. nae re temperate forest The tender new shoots are eaten raw or made into a digestionstimulating chutney. The stems and leaves are used for lute waaba, and in Syangja district the stem is used in building the plah symbolic funerary image. The berries of S. macrophylla are eaten raw. N. kurkure ghas Equisetum spp. Grg. kurkure no Eng. Horsetail Gk. mi thu moist lowland ravines The raw plant is ground and eaten for kuphat, and for its cooling properties.

st ue h N. Grg. kumkum Didymocarpus leucocalyx C.B.Cl. Native Medicinal Plants/79 moist rocky ravines 2,000 3,000 M. The basal leaf tissue (N. satte jiban) of this cliffside herb is burned as incense to ward away evil spirits. It is also dried, powdered and mixed in vegetable oil. Applied to the hair, village women claim that the scented tonic stimulates hair growth. N. kurila K. Gl. lhodu Sub-tropical Asparagus racemosus Willd. Gk. pwitu/pattu R. Lutur A. pajo toro The tubers are ground and eaten for varicose veins, and used as laundry soap. The new shoots are made into a tasty chutney which is said by some to be a panacea. The leaves and stems are used in lute waaba. N. Grg. kutki t Picrorhiza scrophulariaeflora Eng. Gentian sub-alpine The bitter tea made from the ground roots of this high altitude herb is highly valued for its efficacy in reducing fevers. The root extract is applied to livestock wounds as an anti-parasitic. N. Grg. kyamuna/kemana sub-tropical The The dried leaves and bark of this tall tree are rolled into cigarettes or smoked in a pipe for sinusitis and colds. ground bark is occasionally boiled into a mash and swallowed for coughs and colds. In the vicinity of villages there are few of these trees without scars where the bark has been chipped away for this popular medicine.

80/Kailash N. lakuri Grg. raguli K. rauli Eng. Ash In Ramja Kot, sap is collected from between the cambium and bark of this tree and mixed with a small amount of water, turning a deep violet color. This paste is used as a substitute for gentian violet antiseptic. N. lasune sag Grg. no ta Eng. Wild garlic Allium wallichii Kunth The wild garlic bulb is boiled, fried in ghee and eaten for cholera and diarrhoea. It is a common ingredient in stomach tonics. N. lausi/lapsi Spondias axillaris Roxb. Grg. khaiya The succulent sour fruits of this large tree are eaten with the ground inner stone, in splenomegaly (N. phiyo barnu). N. Grg. lure kara Smaranthus spinosus Linn. Grg. occ. lure pujho temperate forests Considered a good diuretic and laxative, the entire plant is crushed, mixed with water and ingested. In northern Kaski District a paste made from the crushed roots is applied topically to the navel to stimulate urination. The plant is used in fashioning the plah, symbolic funerary image. N. Grg. lute jhar sub-tropical forests The expressed leaf juice of this jungle plant is put on parasite-infected wounds of livestock. The leaves are essential in lute waaba. N. mane Gl. Gk. jhalkho moist temperate forests colocasia spp.

Native Medicinal Plants/81 The epiphytic species are ground with the bark and the leaves of ciple sagi and applied externally to skin rashes and boils. N. magar kaici begonia picta Grg. kyubro A. kyumru temperate forests the grain The stems of this herb are collected, crushed in thresher and eaten in loss of appetite. The leaves are crushed and rubbed on pained nipples, man and animal's, or made into a tasty chutney. Grg. malkisri Desmodium sp. In October the seeds are dried, ground and applied to cuts as an antiseptic. N. malo/amilo Viburnum stellulatum Grg. asikra A. acita K. narjho Gk. ehra The acidic fruit is crushed and ingested as a stimulant, or boiled until thick and added to chutneys. Pignede shows the wood of this tree as fashioning the center axis of the plah symbolic funerary image. N. Grg. neramsi/nermasi Aconitum spp. alpine meadows Eng. Monkshood The red variety of this high altitude plant is distinguished from the unused white variety (though they are possibly the same species) in this way: the roots are dug and the tubers cut slightly. The white starch of only the red variety oxidizes to a deep red color within seconds, while that of the white variety remains white. gested primarily as a poison antidote, and are often fed to The ground tubers are in-

82/Kailash Pignede sheep which have grazed on poisonous plants. It is also taken to reduce fevers, and in alcohol intoxication. mentions its topical use on burns. N. Grg. pakhan bhed Saxifraga parnassifolia sub-alpine meadows For backaches, rheumatism and bodily pains the ginger-like root is peeled and fried in ghee. In Syangja district it is believed that young girls won't have children if they eat it, though there was no known intentional use of it for birth control. The ground root is also added to the food of livestock affected with red-water disease (N. lal muti). N. rukh panggra Entada scadens R. prome P. preme Gl. prami temperate forests The large circular nut is ground on a stone and applied to boils, rashes and irritations, and rubbed in the noses of grazing livestock during the monsoon as a leech repellent. The fleshy part of the seed is also fed to livestock in small doses as a vermifuge. Honey collected from bees which have collected nectar from this tree is intoxicating when eaten. N. pani amala Nephrolepis cordifolia Polystichum leutium Grg. kyu phil K. na pre moist temperate undergrowth The underground rhizome of this small fern is washed and eaten raw as a cooling agent. N. pani saro Grg. kyeora moist sub-tropical undergrowth The succulent shoots are crushed and rubbed on the body as a cooling lotion. The roots are used in treating sinusitis. The plant is used in lute waaba.

N. paiyu Native Medicinal Plants/83 Grg. cyarbu/payem/pae open temperate Prunus cerasoides D. Don. K. thaar kyaarba sI forests Himalayan cherry In Paundar, the inner wood is crushed to a paste in the grain thresher and allowed to sit, turning black upon oxidation. The paste is then applied to venereal infections (N. biringi). The wood is used to fashion spiritually protective walking canes, and is essential in many shamanic rituals, deemed to be powerful in warding off the mho, a deceased's returning spirit. N. Grg. phacyan open forests and fields The bitter ginger-like tuber is eaten raw for chronic coughs and colds, and in laryngitis it is said to bring back the voice immediately. In Kolma, slices of the tuber are stabbed onto small stakes made of mah (Arundinaria spp.) to ward off the mho. N. Grg. pustakar highest alpine meadows An extremely rare high alpine plant. Shepherds and hunters in the Annapurna-Macchapuchare area describe it as a small herb supporting an insect which ascends the inside of the flower stalk, causing it to sway back and forth. For headaches and dizziness it is burned and the smoke inhaled, and is said make a rejuvenating tonic able to resuscitate those who have been to dead less than a few minutes. The Department of Medicinal Plants, Thapathali, has an unidentified specimen meeting this name and description. N. pyauli The leaves, flowers Grg. nime pa common along walls and stems are crushed and applied topically to bee stings, insect bites and thorn stabs. In Kolma, the roots are ground and eaten for stomach pains.

84/Kailash N. rakta candan/rato candan Grg. olche temperate forests The bark is mixed with other folk medicines in a preparation to stimulate menstrual flow. The powered bark is also occasionally added to distilled alcohol for taste. N. Grg. seto biha/thulo biha Lecanthus pedicularis The plant is cooked with a specimen of tin pate (Dichroa Febriguga) which has leaves in whorls of three. The infusion is ingested to correct chronic dizziness. The plant is also used in treatment of epilepsy. N. saldhup/guguldhup Grg. siuri Pinus longifolia Roxb. temperate forest The resin is mixed with yogurt and ingested for diarrhoea and flatulence. The resin is burned as incense and the smoke directed over the body of dogs infested with dog flies (Grg. nomuse). N. sarpa makai Grg. puri makhae open temperate forest Arisaema tortuosum (Wall.) Schott. is mixed with During the monsoon, a pinch of the fruit marijuana (Cannabis sativa) into an intoxicating drink and ingested for treatment of malaria and pneumonia. N. Grg. satuwa/satuba Paris polyphylla Smith temperate forest The peeled rhizome is ground and ingested as a poison or narcotic antidote, or as a general stomach tonic when mixed in hot water. In Ramja, it is also applied topically to open wounds. According to Pignede, in Mohoriya the ground rhizome is mixed with water and applied to the forehead with fine paper, as a poultice for headaches.

Native Medicinal Plants/85 N. Grg. siuri Euphorbia royleana Boiss. common around villages The leaves are roasted and the exudant put in childrens' ears for earaches. The thorn is used for piercing the ears of the poisonous milky sap is newborn. During the monsoon the applied topically to joint aches and a small pinch can be ingested for beghar. It is said that one will go blind if the milky sap enters the eyes. The stem is essential for lute waaba. N. siltimur Grg. kutum A. Kutu K. siltumri open temperate forests The nuts are picked in August, chewed and swallowed raw, or mixed in chutney for diarrhoea, nausea and flatulence. N. sisnu Grg. pulu Urtica dioica Linn. Gl. P. polo A. palo Eng. Nettle In cold weather and for chills, the leaves are boiled in place of tea. In Ramja, the plant is used as a medicine for bites from non-rabid dogs. N. sun phul Tanacetum nubigenum Gk. basanta high alpine scree slopes above 4,000 M. A. sun pwaeki phul This small herb is burned and it's smoke passed through the clothes for removal of body lice. Leaves kept in the pocket are also an effective lice and insect repellent. N. tarul Dioscorea pentaphylla Grg. timi/teme Eng. Wild yam temperate forest tuberculosis remedy The raw tuber is said to be an effective when eaten daily. The cooked yam is peeled and eaten to

86/Kailash reduce malarial fevers but is avoided when there are any open cuts on the body, as it is said to aggravate them. N. tiware phul Inula cappa Grg. tiware ta Gk. dorha The roots are ground and worn in a poultice on the head for localized headaches. The flowers making brewing yeast (paa mae). are an ingredient in N. thakailo/thakali kara Grg. me pulu Sub-alpine var.: Morina longifolia The raw or dried roots are eaten as a cooling agent. N. thur Grg. katbobho Gl. Gd. kakabomo Eng. Orchid In Northern Kaski District the pseudobulbs are crushed and eaten for stomach ulcers, or cooked in ghee and taken by women to stimulate lactation. The milky leaf sap is a cooling body lotion. Orchids are also used in lu puja. Grg. tibe nori Hedyotis scandens Roxb. sub-tropical to temperate The full plant is ground, cooked and applied topically as a leech repellent. N. timur Grg. pruma Zanthoxylum alatum Roxb. as The For chills, intestinal parasites or as a general stomach tonic, the seeds are ground and mixed with chutney or other food. seeds, poisonous in large quantities, are also eaten raw as a leech repellent. Three informants claimed that for eight to ten hours leeches would fall off quickly upon clinging to one's

. Native Medicinal Plants/87 skin, after ingestion of these sharp-tasting seeds. N. ulte kara/boksi kara Grg. occ.tine/ulte puju Open subtropical forests In Armala, the leaves are an important ingredient in medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. The dhame possessed sorceror uses this plant to reverse witch hexes. N. pati Grg. curi A. core The leaves of this common weed are squeezed vigorously between the hands and rubbed on scabies, rashes, and especially nettle stings for which it gives immediate relief. In Armala, the plant is eaten raw as a vermifuge. The plant pure and is used in Hindu rituals. is religiously CI he 'S 6

I - 88/Kailash BIBLIOGRAPHY Bhatt, Dibya Deo Natural History and Economic Botany of Nepal. Department of Information, H.M.G.: 1970. Burang, Theodore The Tibetan Art of Healing. Dikchat, Rammani Acharya, ed. Watkins: London, 1974. Saadhaaran Chaltiko Aushadhi wa Gharelu Aushadhi. Saajha Prakaashan. Clover, Jessie Some Religious Beliefs and Practices Among the Gurung. Unpublished: August, 1974. His Majesty's Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forests, Department of Medicinal Plants. Keys to the Dicot Genera in Nepal. Kathmandu, 1967. Pignede, Bernard Les Gurungs, Une Population Himalayenne du Nepal. Mouton and Co., 1966. Rechung, Rinpoche Tibetan Medicine. Angeles, 1973. Stainton, J.D.A. University of California Press: Los Fcrests of Nepal. John Murray Co.: London, 1972. Toba, Sueyoshi "Plant Names in Khaling, a Study in Ethnobotany and Village Economy". Kailash, Vol. III, No. 2 (1975). ]