MEDICINAL PLANTS OF SIKKIM

 

 

Basic Information

 

                

Species                       : Meconopsis paniculata Prain

Local Name                 : Kesar (Nep)

Synonym                    :

Family                         : Papaveraceae

Habitat                       : An erect, stellately pubescent and laxly hairy perennial herb occurrs at the grazing ground, open slope.

Distribution                : Distributed in sub-alpine zone to alpine zone of the Sikkim Himalayas.

Sikkim                          : Punney, Kyongnosla, Kupup, Memenchu lake, Nathang, Padamchen, Pangolakha, Lachung, Zema III-

                                     Thongu, Tsokha- Dzongri and Green lake, Lhonak valley.

Outside                       : West Bengal (Neora Valley, Tonglu  Phalut, 2800- 3600 m), Nepal at an altitude of 3,000- 3,600 m.

General                        : Eastern Himalayas (Nepal- Bhutan), Nepal to Sikkim through Bhutan (9000-13000 ft), South Tibet, Western China.

Morphological information

An erect, stellately pubescent and laxly hairy perennial up to 2 m high. Leaves lanceolate or oblong, sinuate- lobed or pinnatified. Racemes. Flowers yellow, in; capsules obovate- oblong with many small rugose seeds.

Flowering                   : June-September

Fruiting                       : July-November

History                       :

Parts                          : Root, flower, and leaves.

Status                        : Vulnerable

Phytochemistry          : Protopine, magnoflorine, crytopine, coptisine, allocrypopine, rhoeadine, papaverrubines E and D, corysamine and 2- methyl- 6-

                                      methoxy- 1, 2, 3, 4- tetrahydro- β- carboline isolated from whole plant (Collect Czech Chem. Commun 1976, 41, 3343).

 

Medicinal                    : Roots used as narcotic, and it also yield a drying oil, it is also been reported to be used in lungs and liver problem and also to the

                                    swelling of the limbs and the soars.

 


Reference

1. Anonymous (1961). The Wealth of India (Vol. 6). Publications and Information Directorate, CSIR. New Delhi. 311.

2. Anonymous (1992). The Useful Plants of India. Publications and Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi. 359.

3. Bhujel, R.B. (1996). Studies on the Dicotyledonous Flora of Darjeeling District. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis University of North Bengal. 82.

4. Progress Report of the Project "Studies on Medicinal Plants of Sikkim" (1998- 2001). State Council of Science and Technology for Sikkim.