Survey and Ethno-botanical Study of Medicinal Plants of Some Selected Villages of Singay-Lalok Region of Leh (UT Ladakh Region)

The paper deals with the ethno-botanical survey and studies of medicinal and aromatic plants of some most remote villages of Singay-Lalok region (Wanla, Ursi, Hanupata, Hinju, Fanji-La, Hanupata, Sisir-La, Photoksar) of Leh district of Union territory of Ladakh. Though the region looks barren and lifeless still it represents a treasure house of diversity of plants with high medicinal, aromatic value and other useful properties like food, fodder, fuel and ritual purposes. Predominant species of these areas are:- Geranium wallichianum, Carum carvi, Aconogonom tortuosum, Argentina anserina, Corydalis stricta, Heracleum pinnatum, Cicer microphyllum, Rosa webbiana, Caragana versicolor, Artemisia macrocephala, Rosa webbiana, Hippophae rhamnoides, Astragalus tibetanus, Thalictrum foliolosum, Physcholaina praealta. The medicinal plants surveyed during tour was widely used in Sowa- Rigpa system of Indian medicine for curing various diseases ailments and it has no side-effects as compare to allopathic medicines. The present paper documents ethno-botanical information of sowa-rigpa traditional medicinal usage by the local people of Singay-Lalok region. Around 54 medicinal plants species botanical name, sowa-rigpa name, sowa-rigpa medicinal use, family, habitat and botanical feature are enumerated in this paper.