Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 10(2), April 2011, pp. 281-286 Indigenous knowledge and uses of medicinal plants in Macchegaun, Nepal Kunjani Joshi 1*, Ranju Joshi 2 & AR Joshi 2 1 Department of Botany, Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, PO Box 2486, Kathmandu, Nepal; 2SchEMS, Pokhara University, Nepal E-mails:
[email protected];
[email protected],
[email protected] Received: 27.11.2008; revised: 29.04.2010 Based on a field survey, 87 species belonging to 54 families, used by the local people of the Macchegaun, Kathmandu district, Nepal are reported. Local people have remarkable detailed knowledge of species identity, characteristics and their specific uses. These traditional knowledges and practices are disappearing particularly due to unplanned land use change and over-explotation of the species. Some species are under serious threat indicating urgent need of documentation of useful plants with their uses and indigenous practices. An attempt has also been made to recommend some conservation measures for preservation and sustainable uses of these species. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Rural community, Indigenous knowledge, Sustainable use, Conservation IPC Int. Cl. 8: A61K36/00, A61P1/02, A61P1/10, A61P1/14, A61P1/16, A61P5/00, A61P9/14, A61P11/00, A61P17/00, A61P19/00, A61P29/00, A61P31/00, A61P35/00, A61P39/02 The rural communities depend heavily on plant documentation the useful species with their diversity for the fulfillment of their basic needs and sustainable uses, and existing local level indigenous conservation of other natural resources. They collect knowledge, techniques and practices. The study is useful plant resources from various habitats and designed to fill up the gaps and to recommend some utilize them using indigenous knowledge and strategies for sustainable management of the practices.